Patriots Ugly Finish Just A Blip On The Rebuilding Radar

Losing 47-17 in a playoff game against a division rival that you are supposedly “on par” with is not a great way to end a season. The Patriots came into Buffalo likely thinking they would be able to pound the ground again, but that simply wasn’t going to happen against the Bills, not this time around. Buffalo was the better team in 2021, just like they were in 2020. It is ok to admit this fact, it’s not a sin. Buffalo is ahead of New England- right now; and also JUST for now.

New England came into the 2021 season with a lot of questions, new faces, old faces we were surprised to see back in the fold, and a lot of excitement after coming off the first losing season in Foxborough since 2000. After spending $180 million in free agency and getting lucky with Mac Jones, it appeared things were starting to shape up. Cam Newton was also under contract and declared to be the starter at that time, and many had come to question why this possible “solution” was being revisited, and for good reason.

Cam was good with his legs in 2020, but it was obvious this team needed someone who could throw and throws accurately at the same time. Throughout training camp, Jones proved HE was that guy, and after missing time due to Covid 19, Newton found himself cut and the Patriots’ future wasn’t future anymore, it was very much present. Mac Jones took the job, and the process of developing the young Alabama rookie was underway. Most teams would look at those results in the draft and be happy just to find a strong starting quarterback, but the Patriots were far from done.

In the 2nd Round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Patriots stole Alabama defensive tackle Christian Barmore. Barmore slipped due to some character concerns, and Bill Belichick pounced on this opportunity and drafted the best defender he has selected since Richard Seymour in 2001. Barmore only started two of the 17 regular-season games, but it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

Barmore finished the season with 46 total tackles (23 solos), NINE QB hits, three tackles for loss, two passes defended, and 1.5 sacks. He ended up playing 53% of the snaps on the season, at times playing as an unblockable dominant force that will change games from the interior of the defensive front. Barmore is the type of player that makes everyone around him better due to the attention he receives every play. If the Patriots can find more good young defensive linemen to team with the big rook out of Alabama, they have a chance to build one of the better groups in the league.

Most teams would be happy with this draft after the first two picks, including the Patriots, but they weren’t done yet. In the 3rd Round, the Patriots had two picks. We’ll discuss the first of the two picks later. The man we need to talk about now is none other than Rhamondre Stevenson, the stud rookie running back out of Oklahoma that was a relatively unknown prospect that was clearly a guy the Patriots did a good job of scouting. Stevenson did miss four games due to Covid and injuries, but he appeared in 12 total games, starting two. He finished the season with 133 carries for 606 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. He also showed that he has soft hands, totaling 14 receptions on just 18 targets for 123 yards. As Stevenson gets more acclimated to the offense, he’ll continue to see an uptick in his production in the passing and running game.

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There is more to the 2021 class than just these three aforementioned players. New England selected nine players in last year’s draft, and the remaining six that didn’t make an impact in 2021 will have a chance to do just that in ’22. Third-round pick Ronnie Perkins showed flashes of being a legitimate contributor in the ’21 preseason, but a knee injury forced the Patriots to move him to injured reserve for the remainder of the season. Perkins is a player the Patriots expect to take a step forward and contribute in their front seven this upcoming season. Perkins showed strength, speed, and a tremendous feel for rushing the passer in the limited time he got this preseason. In his first preseason appearance, he had four quarterback pressures, one forcing an interception. Assuming his knee is good to go, expect to see Perkins as a defensive contributor in ’22.

Linebacker Cameron McGrone, a 5th round pick out of Michigan, is another sleeper that could make an impact in ’22. McGrone was a five-star linebacker when he showed up at Ann Arbor. He redshirted as a freshman, but he ended up playing in one game, removing his redshirt status. As a sophomore, he started 10 of 13 and put up strong numbers, then had a torn ACL injury end his junior year after just six games. McGrone decided to declare for the draft instead of returning to Michigan, so he basically got a redshirt season with the Patriots. There is simply no question about McGrone’s athletic ability and talent as a linebacker. McGrone was considered the #1 overall recruit out of the state of Indiana, and his weaknesses are all coachable. Injuries are a question; McGrone has now torn both of his ACLs, tearing his right ACL in 2016 and his left ACL in 2020. That can’t be ignored, but he bounced back very strong from the 2016 injury, and the Patriots are banking on the same type of bounceback in 2022.

On the back end of the defense, the Patriots have 2021 6th round pick Joshuah Bledsoe, a safety out of Missouri ready to prove he can be an NFL player. Bledsoe is a strong safety/in-the-box player that will likely never see any free safety duty in his career. Bledsoe is also good at working against slot receivers, a skill that is needed by every NFL team today. Yes, Jonathan Jones is the slot corner, but having two guys that can do damage to the inside passing game is a huge advantage, especially when you have to face Josh Allen twice per year, at least.

Considering how the Patriots struggled in the draft from ’14-’19 (jury is still out on ’20) it would be a stretch to think that all of last year’s draft picks are going to work out, but it doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility that one or two of these aforementioned ’21 picks will contribute in some way in ’22. McGrone simply needs to stay healthy and take the coaching and he will at least be able to provide some depth, and Bledsoe returned from injury late in ’21 and impressed his teammates. New England needs more homegrown talent to blossom, and it looks like the best group to get that from is the class of 2021.