Former UGA ball carrier Sony Michel took the NFL by storm last season, rushing for 931 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games and becoming the first rookie running back to score five or more touchdowns in the playoffs.
Michel was selected with the 31st pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and is still under his rookie contract. Because of these factors, NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal named Michel as the Patriots key homegrown player for the 2019 season.
Michel was good as a rookie. Can he be great? Playing behind one of the best Patriots offensive lines of all time, Michel consistently ran hard in the regular season, if not always to daylight. But the 2018 first-round pick put it all together in a playoff run that included 336 rushing yards and six touchdowns over 71 carries. Those are the kind of numbers associated with a dominant workhorse back. While Michel won’t have to keep up that pace in an absolutely loaded Patriots backfield, his ceiling has been strangely underrated. He could become a true game-changer for Tom Brady with improved elusiveness and pass-catching ability.
Michel will likely be in store for another great season in 2019, as many of the same offensive components will be in place. His offensive line and quarterback both remain the same, however, he will likely be called upon to carry the ball a bit less with some new, healthy faces entering the backfield.
Expect Michel to emerge as the No. 1 running back out of the group.
