It didn’t take the Patriots long to make a move on Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Pats traded their second-round pick (No. 46) along with two fourth rounders (No. 122 and No. 139) to Cincinnati for the sixth pick in the second round (No. 38 overall). The Patriots made an aggressive move to trade up and select defensive tackle Christian Barmore from Alabama.
Barmore has been considered the best defensive tackle in this draft and was the first player at that position selected. He led Alabama with eight sacks and three forced fumbles last season earning All-American honors. He was also the National Championship Defensive MVP. Baremore’s 6-foot-4, 310 pounds and can move around the defensive line.
This marks the second player from Alabama that the Patriots have drafted this week after taking quarterback Mac Jones in Thursday’s first round.
The Patriots were bad against the run last year. The defense allowed 131.4 rushing yards per game, which put the Pats 26th in the NFL. In total, teams gained 2,103 rushing yards against the Patriots in 2020. That was the third most in the Bill Belichick era behind 2013 (2,145) and 2002 (2,198). That’s a big reason why the team signed defensive linemen Davon Godchaux (two years, $15 million), Henry Anderson (two years, $7 million), Montravius Adams (one year, $1.095 million) and re-signed Lawrence Guy (four years, $11.5 million) this past March.
The Pats also lost Adam Butler, who was their best pass rushing defensive tackle. Now, by adding Barmore, the Patriots have completely revamped their defensive line.
This 21-year-old, from Philadelphia, had a great career for Alabama. He made the Freshman All-SEC team in 2019. Last year, despite starting five of 12 games, he still finished with eight sacks to go with 37 tackles, 9.5 for loss, with three forced fumbles and three pass deflections. One of his best performances came against Ohio State in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship. Barmore made five tackles, including two for loss to go with a sack to earn Defensive MVP honors.
Although the defensive tackle position was considered weak in this 2021 draft, Barmore was the only player thought to go in the first round. Although that didn’t happen, the Patriots made him the first defensive tackle taken when they drafted him 38th overall.
It’s unknown why Barmore dropped out of the first round, but this past week, Alabama coach Nick Saban refuted the notion that his program had issues with Barmore or any reports that he had character concerns. In an interview with Cleveland.com, Saban called Barmore "a good kid."
“We never had any issues here with him at all when it came to structure, whether it was football or academics,’’ Saban told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “He always worked hard in the offseason program, and he did whatever everybody told him to do. We were very structured in regards to academics, and he worked very hard at that.”
If anyone was going to get solid intel from Alabama it’s Belichick – who’s friends with Saban. Barmore now becomes the fourth Alabama players drafted by the Patriots in the last three years joining Jones, Anfernee Jennings (2020) and Damien Harris (2019). They join Dont'a Hightower, who was drafted out of Alabama in 2013.
"Coach Saban's always very helpful in his evaluations," Belichick said on Thursday night after drafting Jones. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for Nick professionally, but also personally, and so we have always had great conversations about his experiences with the players and he does a good job of projecting what they would be like on this level because he's been on this level and knows the differences and knows the demands that are different from what they are at Alabama.
"So Nick's great. He's a great resource and nobody knows more football than Nick does on any level. So whether it's evaluating players or scheming or anything else, game planning, there's nobody I enjoy talking to more than Nick."
After the trade with the Bengals, the Pats have six draft picks left, including one tonight (No. 96 in the third round). They have five more tomorrow – Fourth (pick 120), fifth (pick 177), two sixths ( pick 188 and 197) and one seventh (pick 242).
Meanwhile, in Foxboro, Massachusetts, less than 24 hours after becoming first Patriots quarterback drafted in the first round in 28 years, Mac Jones stood at the 50-yard line inside Gillette Stadium. The Alabama quarterback stood on a podium facing the team’s six Super Bowl banners. Behind him, a group of fans stood outside a blue gate with signs devoted to the Patriots newest quarterback.
“It feels absolutely amazing,” said Jones in his introductory press conference in New England. “I can’t thank the Kraft family enough. Just to be a part of this is awesome. A lot of work has to be done, but to be on the 50-yard line here is a great moment for me. I’m just looking forward to meeting my new teammates and talking to some of the coaches and getting familiar with this organization. I’m looking forward to it.”
When the Patriots drafted Jones with the 15th overall selection, he became the first quarterback drafted in the first round by Bill Belichick and the first Patriot since Drew Bledsoe in 1993. He’s expected to compete with Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham this offseason for the team’s starting job.
First things first, Jones flew into New England on Thursday before meeting owner Robert Kraft and Jonathan Kraft in person. The trio walked onto Gillette Stadium together to officially welcome the quarterback to the Patriots.
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“We had a fun night last night and we had a chance to chat with Mac by phone and then meet him in person,” said Robert Kraft. “The thing that still impresses me – so many of these young men are so special but he had a 4.0 GPA. So, that’s pretty good to be up in New England with that.”
As Jones talked, he explained it was his goal to compete, be a great teammate and do anything to help the Pats win. As far as the lofty outside expectations for the rookie, Jones said he’s not focused on any of that.
“I can’t even look that far I the future. That’s when you put yourself in a bind,” Jones said. “Right now, I’m here. It’s a blessing. Tomorrow, I’ll figure out what I have to do tomorrow. I’m here, I’ll be looking around and just enjoying the moment and figure out what I have to do next to make the next step to learn the offense and things like that.”
Jones sounds like a Patriots player already.
Also a day after drafting Mac Jones, the Patriots have released quarterback Jake Dolegala, according to a source. He spent last season on the practice squad and entered the offseason as the third quarterback on the roster. The Patriots will head into OTAs, minicamp and training camp with three quarterbacks, but it’ll be Jones, Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham.
Dolegala, 24, stands 6-foot-7. He went to college at Central Connecticut and spent his 2019 rookie season in Cincinnati before signing with the Patriots practice squad last season.
