When the football world talks about the Patriots’ draft, most of the chatter revolves around New England’s first-round pick Mac Jones and when he’ll assume his role as the franchise’s presumptive quarterback of the future.
But Jones might not be the Patriots rookie who makes the biggest splash in 2021.
That could be defensive tackle Christian Barmore, a second-round pick Bill Belichick traded up to grab 38th overall who many believed to be the best defensive lineman in the draft.
The young but talented tackle’s raw ability and positional value for a Patriots defense that struggled to stop anything on the ground last year could see him earn a bigger role than any other Pats rookie in 2021.