No team in the NFL has been able to reel in talented players on low-budget contracts like the New England Patriots.
Without public recognition and large contracts, some of these extremely talented players fly under the radar. This ultimately prevents them from being named as Pro Bowlers, or winning other publicly recognized awards. Some of the workhorses that have been keeping the Patriots going in recent years without much public attention include James White, Kyle Van Noy and Patrick Chung.
Last year, the only two players from New England that made the Pro Bowl were Tom Brady and Stephon Gilmore. This is the same team that has been to three consecutive Super Bowls, and won it all last year.
They have brought in some very talented young players that could make the Pro Bowl next season, and here are three potential candidates.
Sony Michel (RB)
Sony Michel made his case as the best rookie running back to ever play for New England last season. In 13 regular season games, he recorded 931 yards and six touchdowns — with 4.5 yards per carry. He was dealing with a nagging knee issue in the beginning of the season and was still able to carry the load on offense.
What made his success so incredible, was the fact that he posed absolutely no threat as a receiver. Opposing teams had a good idea that the Patriots were going to run when Michel was in, and they couldn’t stop him. Although the regular season was pretty good for Michel — the playoffs was where he showed his true capability for stardom.
In three playoff games, Michel carried the ball 71 times for 336 yards and six touchdowns. He did this on the biggest stage in professional football, while breaking the record for playoff touchdowns scored by a rookie. He was only six yards shy of breaking the record for yards rushed in a single playoff run.
If Michel can sustain this momentum and stay healthy — he could easily find himself as a second-year Pro Bowler.
J.C. Jackson (CB)
J.C. Jackson is an undrafted rookie cornerback that can compete with the best NFL players. He only played in 37.9 percent of New England’s snaps last season, but he came away with three interceptions and six passes deflected.
Jackson was No. 1 out of all qualifying cornerbacks last season at passer rating allowed, according to Pro Football Focus.
Here’s what PFF had to say:
No qualified cornerback allowed a lower passer rating to opposing quarterbacks this season than Jackson, an undrafted rookie out of the University of Maryland. Jackson allowed 22 catches on 42 targets for a total of 262 yards to go with zero touchdowns and three interceptions. The former Terrapin ranked seventh in 2018 with a 21.4 forced incompletion rate and his grades match the production, as his 82.4 coverage grade ranked 12th among all qualified corners.
He is also learning from Stephon Gilmore — who is arguably the best cornerback in the league at the moment. They were named by PFF as one of the league’s best cornerback combinations coming into 2019.
Jackson still has a lot of growth and learning ahead of him — but he’s on par for a Pro Bowl nod in the near future.
Shaq Mason (OG)
Shaq Mason has spent his first four NFL seasons in New England, and has yet to be recognized as a Pro Bowler. He has been a staple on this Patriots offensive line, and proved to be one of the best NFL guards.
Last season, he finished as the No. 4 ranked offensive lineman in the entire NFL.
Here’s what PFF had to say:
As stout as Mason has been as a blocker in the running game, he’s also performed at a high level in pass protection. Although he hasn’t been among the elite in this category, Mason has shown improvement each season, with 2018 being his first season with a pass-blocking grade above 80.0. In his three seasons since 2016, Mason has generated a 97.7 pass block efficiency rating (22nd among qualifying guards), and he has allowed a pressure rate of only 4.0% (21st).
Joe Thuney and Mason were named the best offensive guard tandem heading into 2019 by PFF. Mason is becoming widely recognized in the league, and the Patriots made sure to lock him up on a five-year, $45 million deal because of this.
It’s shocking that Mason hasn’t earned a Pro Bowl nod thus far — but 2019 may be his first time receiving this honor.
