New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore has yet to reach his full potential as an NFL player, but when he does, it could mean bad news for the rest of the league.
There has been a calmness before the Barmore storm that everyone knows is eventually coming. It’s one of the reasons why the former Alabama standout was named to NFL.com writer Nick Shook’s 2023 NFL All-Under-25 Team.
Shook wrote:
Detroit’s Alim McNeill fits here, too, but I’m going with Barmore because of how his impact jumps out when I watch him on film. He’s an interior havoc-wreaker, making contributions that will never be accurately reflected in his stat line (2.5 sacks in 10 games last season). The Patriots have a gem in Barmore, even if he’s often overlooked.
It’s only a matter of time before the Patriots’ gem turns into a full-blown diamond. Injuries got in the way of that happening in 2022 with him only appearing in 10 games.
The Patriots are expected to be as good, if not even better, on the defensive side of the ball in 2023. Outside of Devin McCourty, the entire unit is returning for another year with the additions of top-three rookie draft picks Christian Gonzalez, Keion White and Marte Mapu.
Barmore should have every opportunity to go from an underrated defensive hopeful to a known game-wrecker by the end of the season.