FOXBORO, Mass. — Last week, Patriots defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale identified Aaron Donald as a player from whom he draws inspiration. Specifically, Ekuale said he’s tried to incorporate Donald’s cross chop into his own game.
When asked a similar question Monday, stud sophomore lineman Christian Barmore didn’t mention Donald at all, but not because he doesn’t admire a player widely considered the NFL’s best. No, Barmore, who stands a long 6-foot-5, would rather watch film of players with similar size and length. Donald is among the shorter interior defensive linemen in the NFL, standing only 6-foot-1.
“I like watching Chris Jones,” Barmore said after Monday’s training camp practices. “I like watching tall D-lineman, the guys that got long arms, the guys like that.”
Barmore added: “I just like watching tall guys, like around 6-5, 6-6 — that’s my height.”
Jones certainly is worth emulating. The Kansas City Chiefs star is a three-time Pro Bowler who last season finished as Pro Football Focus’ fifth-ranked interior lineman.
Barmore also enjoys examining film of 6-foot-6 Patriots legend Richard Seymour, who recently was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“Richard Seymour — I love watching him,” Barmore said. “One of the best ever in the game. Learn a lot from him, still learning to this day. Always gonna learn from that man, he’s real good.”
Barmore last season enjoyed a fantastic rookie campaign and was one of the Patriots’ most consistently impactful pass rushers. If he can take his already-solid run defense to the next level and become a three-down player, the Alabama product himself could become a player worth studying — if he’s not already.
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