The New England Patriots lost in an uneventful 10-7 contest to the New York Giants at MetLife this past Sunday, pushing their record down to 2-9 on the season, but pushing them up to the third overall pick in the 2024 draft. This loss comes off the heels of a long bye week after a touchdown-less 10-6 loss to the Colts in Germany. Besides a potential top pick, there are still some things in this team to be encouraged about, and one of them is third-year defensive tackle Christian Barmore.
Barmore was a 2021 second-round pick out of Alabama, known for his run-stuffing capability, as well as having a good pass rush game. Standing at 6’5” and weighing 310 pounds, Barmore certainly had NFL-level size coming out of college. Not to mention, Barmore scored an 86 for his total score at the combine, which was ranked first among defensive tackles in his class. Barmore was the 38th overall pick in his draft.
When watching Barmore's college and pro tape, it is apparent that he is an athletic freak at his size, having deceiving pursuit speed. Not only does Barmore possess size and athletic gifts, but he also has great technique, putting some great hand fighting and bull rushing on his film.
Before becoming a Patriot, and before becoming a member of the Crimson Tide, Christian Barmore was a Philadelphia native who started his football career at Abraham Lincoln High School in Northeast Philadelphia. After his freshman season, Barmore transferred from ALHS to Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School in South Philadelphia.
Barmore emerged as a national top-100 overall prospect coming out of Nuemann Goretti High, and had offers from Temple, Baylor, Georgia, Florida, LSU, and of course, Alabama. Barmore redshirted his 2018 freshman season at Alabama, and played in 12 games in his 2019 redshirt freshman season, recording 26 tackles, six of which for loss, two sacks, and two pass breakups. With his impressive height, Barmore has made tipping passes a constant in his game from college all the way to the pros.
The following season, Barmore would impress the nation as he collected 37 tackles, 6.5 of which for loss, eight sacks, three pass breakups, and three forced fumbles. The sophomore's performance would earn him third-team A.P. All-American and first-team All-SEC, not to mention he and the Crimson Tide would get the cherry on top in the form of a National Title. Barmore played exceptionally in the National Title game, putting up five tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack, earning him defensive MVP in the 52-24 win over Ohio State.
It is safe to say that expectations were high for Barmore coming in as a rookie, and he showed promise his first season, recording 46 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups, and 4.5 stuffs. As most know, in New England, rookies usually do not get much playing time, but Barmore was able to make his way into all 17 games, starting in most, but he was also playing with some veterans at his position.
In his rookie season, Barmore seemed to prove that his talent could translate to the NFL, showing that he could get penetration on a consistent basis, as well as having the heart to never give up on a play. Along with all his tangibles and intangibles, Barmore always looks like he is ready to play football and get after it.
Barmore’s 2022 season was rather quiet, with it getting cut short by injury, he recorded just 23 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one pass breakup, and 1.5 stuffs in nine games. Luckily for Barmore, his lack of production seemed to get lost in the concerns on the offensive side of the ball that year. Obviously, it does not look much better on offense this year, but Barmore and the defense have been holding steady.
So far this season, Barmore has put up 30 total tackles, four sacks, and 3.5 stuffs. The third-year defensive tackle has seemed to come on a bit this season, especially as of late. In the past two games, Barmore has recorded seven tackles, 2.5 stuffs, one pass breakup, and a sack, which came against the Giants this past Sunday.
With Barmore signing a four-year $8.5 million contract at the start of his rookie season, he will be entering a contract year after this season. Given his circumstance, Barmore certainly still has something to play for for the remainder of this season and next season… this may not be the case with some of the other players.
Barmore and the Patriots will be back at Gillette this coming Sunday to take on the Los Angeles Chargers, who are facing some struggles of their own. The Chargers offense versus the Patriots defense will surely be the matchup to watch, and within that matchup, Barmore will be trying to contain the explosive Austin Ekeler. Barmore will certainly be earning his keep Sunday, along with trying to improve on what he has put together the past couple of weeks.
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