Patriots Silver Linings: Christian Barmore Emerging As Dominant Force

FOXBORO, Mass. — A few weeks ago, Christian Barmore was asked whether he felt better than he had at any point since entering the NFL.

“Yes, definitely,” Barmore said with confidence.

But he didn’t even need to. Because anyone who’s watched the Patriots over the last three seasons could tell you that Barmore, a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, is enjoying the best season of his young career.

Barmore showed flashes of excellence during his first two campaigns, but injuries and struggles against the run prevented him from becoming a three-down player. For the Alabama product to become a foundational piece on New England’s defensive line, he needed to stay healthy and prove he could be trusted in all situations.

And he’s done just that. By any measurement, Barmore has emerged as one of the Patriots’ best defensive players.

“He’s getting better every year,” Deatrich Wise said last week. “He’s definitely improving every time he steps on the field.”

The eye test tells you Barmore brings energy every week and is a nightmare matchup for offensive linemen. The traditional stats tell you he leads Patriots D-linemen in sacks (three, a career-high), tackles for loss (five) and quarterback hits (six), and has seen a career-best 61% of defensive snaps. The advanced metrics also are kind to the 24-year-old.

Barmore currently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 28th-best interior lineman, a number that would be much higher if not for his only slightly above-average run defense grade. But his pass-rush grade (79.8) ranks 10th behind the likes of Aaron Donald, Dexter Lawrence and Chris Jones. PFF’s graders also have Barmore tied with Wise for the Patriots lead in total quarterback pressures with 26, though Barmore tops all his fellow linemen in pass-rush win rate (12.1%).

Barmore has been especially good of late. In fact, he has eight career games with a PFF defense grade of 70.0 or higher, and three of those came over the last five weeks. In that same time span, Barmore had two sacks and a whopping 15 quarterback pressures. Really, his hot streak began in the final two weeks of last season, when he posted the two best PFF grades of his career.

So, what’s the difference for Barmore? Earlier this season, Bill Belichick cited Barmore’s improved strength and conditioning as a major factor. And he made a similar point during this week’s WEEI appearance.

“B-More’s really probably in the best condition he’s been in,” the Patriots head coach said. “He’s worked hard. He had a good offseason, really pushed himself in the weight room, the offseason program. So, he was healthy and strong going into the season, more than he’s been in any other year. And I think you’re seeing the results of, really, a good offseason program and a lot of hard work. That’s really what it’s about.”

Wise agrees.

“(Barmore) continues to work hard off the field, which is really good,” the defensive captain said. “And you can see how it shows on the field.”

Barmore still has a long way to go before reaching star status. His weekly appearance on injury reports is a concern, as is his penchant for losing his cool on the field. And, for all the strides he’s made against the run, he still has some things to clean up on early downs.

But those are nitpicks. Because the reality is Barmore finally is giving the Patriots something they sorely needed: another blue-chip talent.