PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 19: Christian Barmore #70 of the New England Patriots rushes the passer against Jack Driscoll #63 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 19, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Patriots defeated the Eagles 35-0. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
When it comes to physicality and impact, New England Patriots big defensive tackle Christian Barmore displayed plenty of that in his rookie season. The scare part of that is that there is still room for improvement which all together makes one dominant beast in the middle of the defensive line.
It will also mean Bill Belichick struck gold when he traded up to snag the Alabama product in the second round of the 2021 NFL season. That was more about taking a chance on a player with all the talent in the world who slipped due to personality issues.
We all know that is what Belichick does for the most part, but the Patriots defense really needed Barmore to get it all together for a successful rookie season and they will lean on his growth as a dominant force moving forward.
In fact, they may be looking for him to take a Pro Bowl type leap in his second season in the NFL which would complement the hunger Barmore already has to get even better. It would also make the New England Patriots defense that much better.
Speaking of Pro Bowlers, NFL.com’s Nick Shook highlighted one potential first-time Pro Bowler from each NFL team and Christian Barmore is his pick for the Patriots.
In his article he writes:
“If you’re surprised by this selection, that’s good. It’s better to get Barmore on your radar now than in the middle of the season, because those paying close attention to the Patriots already know what the former Alabama standout brings to the field. Though he only recorded 1.5 sacks as a rookie, Barmore finished with a quarterback pressure rate of 9.3 percent to go along with 37 stops (stops are tackles that result in a successful play for the defense), per Next Gen Stats. He’s only going to improve with time in Bill Belichick’s defense, and although I could easily choose DeVante Parker for this spot, I’m digging a little deeper for a player I’m excited about entering 2022.”
There is really no surprise there if you look beyond the numbers. Although Barmore had just 1.5 sacks on the season, his first not coming till late into the season, the eye test showed a player who hurried the quarterback and made life difficult for opposing offensive lineman.
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While it’s not fair to compare Barmore to Patriots Hall-of-Famer and future NFL Hall-of-Famer Vince Wilfork, it’s hard not to draw similar excitement coming off a productive and impactful rookie season. So, a Pro Bowl is certainly within reason, especially if Barmore improves on his footwork and turn more of those pressures into sacks.
“What I want to work on? Finish the quarterback, really,” Barmore said during OTAs, via Pats Pulpit. “That’s really my thing right there. Finish really that. And better footwork. That’s it, finishing.”
There is no reason to believe Barmore won’t do exactly that. He got a taste of success during his rookie season, and he will be a disrupter in the middle of that New England Patriots defensive line in 2022. It’s going to be fun to watch Barmore morph into a Pro Bowl machine. This team is counting on it.
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