SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Damien Harris #34 of the Alabama Crimson Tide carries the ball against the Clemson Tigers during the second half in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Somewhat surprisingly, the New England Patriots used their fourth pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to select Alabama running back Damien Harris. Make no mistake: Damien Harris is not a questionable draft pick. As a four-year player at the University of Alabama, Harris clearly is of the highest quality pedigree among collegiate running backs. He was ranked the top running back in his high school class, a five-star recruit on Rivals.com, and arrived in Tuscaloosa full of promise and potential. As a true freshman he had to sit behind the dynamic Derrick Henry and wait for his turn to start, getting in limited game action over the course of 2015. Harris had plenty of chances the next three years though, breaking the 1000-yard plateau twice and coming close last season with 876 yards. He averaged a ridiculous 6.4 yards per tote over his collegiate career, and also demonstrated a nose for the end zone, running in 23 touchdowns during those four years of school. He also knows a thing or two about winning, having played under Belichick buddy Nick Saban at the powerhouse that is the University of Alabama. He’s a two-time national champion with the Crimson Tide, and he now finds himself joining a professional team that’s won the Super Bowl two times in the past three years. That’s all fine and good of course… so why is Harris even being suggested as a remotely questionable pick? Only because the Patriots already have a deep, talented, powerful running back corps assembled. They used their 32nd pick in the first round of last year’s draft to pick up Georgia grinder Sony Michel, who just capped off a tremendous rookie season with an eye-popping postseason string of performances. Besides Michel, they also have Super Bowl LI legend James White as their pass-catching back… not to mention they still have Rex Burkhead, too, who lit up the Chiefs in last season’s AFC Championship Game. Similar to the way New England drafted Joejuan Williams in the second round at a position they didn’t really need to address (cornerback), it might appear that the Patriots simply thought Williams was too talented a player to pass up at No. 87 when they were on the clock. Running back, like cornerback, isn’t an area of need, but no one can say Harris and Williams aren’t both sensational players that needed to go when they did if not sooner. It appears both situations are classic examples of the rich getting richer… and also teams drafting for talent over need.<doc-sep>FOXBORO — The defending Super Bowl champs entered the weekend with needs across the board. Offensive tackle depth was thin. There were several departures along the defensive front. The wide receivers corps needed some young talent. Oh, and Rob Gronkowski retired. Tight end was a priority, too. There were only a few positions that would have qualified as surprises at the top of the draft: running back and interior offensive line. So the Patriots, always unpredictable on draft day, added another big-time talent to the backfield when they plucked Alabama’s Damien Harris with the No. 87 pick in the third round. New England director of player personnel Nick Caserio said the Harris pick “falls into the ‘good football player’ category relative to the other options we were looking at on the board.” In other words, Harris was the best player available. They didn’t draft purely for need. Here’s what you should know about the Patriots’ newest tailback: Height: 5-foot-10 Weight: 216 pounds College production: A four-year contributor at Alabama, Harris was never the “workhorse” back, which probably bodes well for his NFL future. He topped 10 carries in only 19 of 54 career games. He never carried the ball 20 times…As a senior, Harris averaged 3.16 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus…Harris topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage in three consecutive years to close his college career. Quote: “I’m just a dependable player, somebody that whenever you ask me to do something, I’ll do it. I think I just show a lot of great attributes on the field, things that help me be a great running back.” Breakdown: So where does Harris fit in the New England backfield? Sony Michel overcame two knee injuries and grew into the go-to back down the stretch, averaging 24 carries for 112 yards in the postseason. Michel was efficient between the tackles, but wasn’t a big-play threat or a factor in the passing game. Harris appears to possess a similar skill set. He’s a tough, powerful runner who can churn out yardage between the tackles. Although he lacks game-breaking speed, he should help move the chains. Given Michel’s two knee injuries as a rookie, perhaps the Patriots preferred to make him part of a committee rather than a featured back. Michel and Harris should provide a nice 1-2 punch in the coming years. James White’s role as the passing-downs back is locked in. Rex Burkhead, who can do a little bit of everything, might lose out on opportunities after the Harris pick.<doc-sep>The New England Patriots shocked many when they selected Alabama running back Damien Harris with the 87th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Patriots had selected running back Sony Michel in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, had two highly-productive running backs in James White and Rex Burkhead under contract, and brought back special teams ace Brandon Bolden, so running back was not a position on the radar. Well, Bill Belichick will always go in the direction that no one expects, so sure, why not? Here’s why the Patriots drafted a running back. Damien Harris is versatile Harris has gained 1,000+ yards from scrimmage in each of the past three seasons as one of 14 running backs to surpass 3,000 yards from scrimmage over the past three years. Of those 14 running backs, Harris ranks second with 6.8 yards per carry. He’s the only player to do it in the SEC, which Bill Belichick values greatly. Harris is both a great runner and a great receiver. He doesn’t dance in the backfield and drives the pile forward. Harris catches passes well out of the backfield, too. While he’s not developed as a blocker, he’s willing and can develop. He and Michel should make a formidable tandem on first and second down, while James White plays on third down. Pats Pulpit reacts to the Damien Harris and Yodny Cajuste picks Subscribe to the Pats Pulpit podcast for more draft reactions! Rex Burkhead is unreliable Burkhead’s not a bad player, but he’s battled injuries over the past two seasons with the Patriots. He’s played 18 regular season games, gaining 450 rushing yards and 385 receiving yards. While he’s done it in a rotation, he’s not as good of a receiver as James White and he’s not as good of a runner as Sony Michel. Burkhead’s averaged 3.7 yards per carry behind the same offensive line that Michel gained 4.5 yards per carry. While Burkhead’s under contract, it’s very possible that the Patriots are preparing to move on from Burkhead- or at least to play without Burkhead- and Harris is a great option. Patriots are dedicated to the running game The Patriots have the best interior offensive line in the NFL and added a ferocious run-blocking receiver in N’Keal Harry. They’re one of the few teams that really use a fullback on a regular basis. As defenses get smaller and lighter to defend passing attacks, the Patriots are getting bigger and stronger on offense to overpower opponents. Tom Brady is getting older and the best way for him to age gracefully is to give him a complementary running game. It’s clear that New England wants the running game to be a major focus.<doc-sep>The New England Patriots selected Alabama running back Damien Harris with the 87th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He joins a draft class which includes receiver N’Keal Harry (32nd overall) and cornerback Joejuan Williams (45th overall) and defenive end Chase Winovich (No. 77). Harris worked in the same backfield as 2019 first-round pick Josh Jacobs. Harris had over 1,000 rushing yards in 2016 and 2017, but Jacobs got an increased workload in 2018, when Harris had 150 carries for 876 yards and nine touchdowns. Harris finished his Alabama career averaging 6.4 yards per carry. Harris joins running backs Sony Michel, James White, Rex Burkhead and Brandon Bolden. And it’s interesting to see the Patriots draft Harris in the third round, just one year after picking Michel at 31st overall. more to come.<doc-sep>
Finally, Bill Belichick did something truly weird during the 2019 NFL Draft. In the third round, he found a way to surprise New England Patriots fans, as has been his custom during the draft. Just one year after selecting Georgia running back Sony Michel with the 31st overall pick in 2018, Belichick and the Patriots selected Alabama running back Damien Harris in the third round in 2019. In many ways, the backs are similar — so similar that the move was a bit of a head-scratcher. Why double up? “Look, everybody knows what we think about the Alabama program and how highly regarded it is and the mutual respect that Bill and Nick [Saban] have for one another,” Nick Caserio said of Harris on Friday night. “But this guy has been a pretty consistently productive player, so this more, I would say, falls into ‘good football’ player category relative to the other options that we were looking at on the board, that’s where he kind of fell.” Translation: Harris was the best player available — by far. The Patriots simply couldn’t pass on a player of his caliber late in the third round, even if they had someone similar on the roster. The selection probably isn’t a condemnation of Michel, who finished his rookie season with 209 rushes for 931 yards and six touchdowns in the regular season and 71 rushes for 336 yards and six touchdowns in the postseason. Michel’s knee, which was a medical red flag during the pre-draft process in 2018, isn’t about to spontaneously combust. Harris is a really good football player, who can help New England with their offensive production. Perhaps the pick doesn’t have much — or anything — to do with Michel. Without a doubt, the Patriots need a tight end more than they need a running back. That will be the resounding criticism of this section. But if they didn’t see at tight end on the board at 87th overall that could contribute in a meaningful way, then the Harris selection made sense. After all, he was the Crimson Tide’s starting running back in 2016 and 2017 when he had back-to-back seasons over 1,000 yards. He shared the job with Josh Jacobs, a 2019 first-round pick, in 2019, when Harris finished with 876 yards and nine touchdowns. Harris has the potential to be a special player in 2019, and — at the very least — will serve as insurance for Michel. Without a doubt, Harris will help Bill Belichick to infuriate fantasy football owners everywhere by poaching carries and, perhaps, touchdowns from Michel. To that point, Harris could make New England more unpredictable on offense, and may help them continue to trend toward a heavy running game, which was a point of emphasis during the Patriots’ Super Bowl run.