Will 2020 National Champion Dominate NFL Offensive Lines In 2022?
As July is quickly approaching, the Patriots are now in the mandatory minicamp portions of the offseason program. As a result, our focus now shifts to the defensive side of the ball, primarily on who will dominate the Defensive Tackle position.
This will be a huge spot for the Patriots this year as the AFC East is packed with talented Running Backs and mobile Quarterbacks who will need to be stopped for the team to succeed in 2022. This article will examine who on the team will take over at the DT position this season.
Look For Christian Barmore To Dominate.
Barmore was a starter at Alabama and a college teammate of Mac Jones. They won a National Championship with the Crimson Tide in 2020. As last year’s draft unfolded, he saw Jones taken in the first round by the Patriots with the 15th overall pick.
Then the Patriots made a trade-up early in the second round to take defensive lineman Christian Barmore reuniting him with his college teammate Mac Jones. Christian made the most of his opportunity in his rookie season and didn’t disappoint. He played in every game and had 46 tackles, of which he made 23 solo tackles and 1.5 sacks.
In 2022 he will look to build on last year’s rookie season and improve on his pass rush abilities. In addition, Barmore will have to clog up the defensive line to help stop the running backs the Patriots will face this year. However, he has the tools to be a dominant player in this league for years to come and will remind people of another former player, Patriots Hall of Famer Vince Wilfork.
<img decoding="async" data-spai-excluded="true" class="epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy lazyload" loading="lazy" alt="YouTube player" src="https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi/D6u4elNyEb8/maxresdefault.jpg?w=880&ssl=1" data-recalc-dims="1" />
Davon Godchaux Has Major Challenge Backing Up Barmore
Last year the Patriots signed DT Davon Godchaux from the Miami Dolphins. He was counted on as a pass rusher up the middle and sacking the QB. However, he didn’t live up to expectations in his first season, with the team having only had one quarterback sack.
Godchaux had 58 tackles, 25 of which were solo tackles in 17 games. In 2022 the Patriots will look for him to rebound to the form he had when he played in Miami, providing more pressure on Quarterbacks and more sacks.
If Henry Anderson can recover from his torn pectoral muscle and be the player he was two years ago, Godchaux would have much more competition to push his game against and more fresh legs to rotate in when the time calls for it.
The Rest Of The Patriot Defensive Tackles.
The Patriots re-signed defensive lineman Carl Davis Jr. and signed defensive lineman Bill Murray to a futures contract. Both are solid veterans. Also returning are veterans Byron Cowart and Daniel Ekuale, who spent time on the practice squad last year.
This year they drafted Sam Roberts out of Northwest Missouri State College, where he played a significant role on the defense and special teams. He could make the team on special teams or be a practice squad player. Another player who could make the team on Special teams and or practice squad is LaBryan Ray out of Alabama.
In Closing
Opportunities lie ahead for the Patriots to have a solid Defensive Tackle position led by Christian Barmore in 2022. Behind him, the team is solid with Godchaux, Daniel Ekuale, a recovering Henry Anderson, and maybe a surprise player in Sam Roberts.
Other Articles & Job Opportunities Below!
Check out our other articles @ The Gillette Gazette
Interested in covering New England with us? Or, if you are a fan of another team, we have plenty of opportunities at Stadium Rant spanning the whole NFL and more!
Comments