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New England Patriots Surprisingly Pass on RB Position in Draft

By Dan Schmelzer

Dec 6, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount (29) runs against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount (29) runs against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports /
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They continued to fall, and the New England Patriots continued to pass. In spite of it being one of their most obvious needs entering the draft, the Patriots did not take a single player at the running back position in the 2016 NFL Draft. Why did they go this route?

They had so many opportunities, but I guess they did not see the value. As per usual in recent years, the running back position went completely under-valued in the 2016 NFL Draft. Talented runners like Devontae Booker, Kenneth Dixon and Paul Perkins free-fell down the draft board, and the Patriots passed on them over and over again.

Related Story: New England Patriots Complete 2016 NFL Draft Grades

With two late third-round choices, I thought the Patriots were going to grab one of these talented runners, but they instead took quarterback Jacoby Brissett and defensive tackle Vincent Valentine. Taking a running back with their fourth-round selection accumulated by a trade-down on day two seemed to make a ton of sense as well. However, Bill Belichick and company felt like WR Malcolm Mitchell was a better value.

Then, when the Patriots traded in to the fifth-round, picking up the 147th overall selection in exchange for a bundle of sixth and seventh round selections, I thought for sure Perkins or fellow RB Jordan Howard was the target. Instead, the Patriots traded that pick for 2017 draft capital, allowing both talented backs to go in two of the three next picks.

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Their options were much more limited with their remaining selections, and the Patriots did not bite. Despite ample opportunity to grab a talented running back, the Patriots leave draft weekend adding only scat-back/WR D.J. Foster to the mix as an unrestricted free agent. Take us back to before the draft, and nobody who follows the Patriots would have considered this possible.

So, what does this mean for the actual running backs on the Patriots’ roster? Well, they are obviously happy with the players on their roster, and perhaps Dion Lewis is healthier than we think. LeGarrette Blount will once again enter the season as the Patriots’ power back, but after bringing him back on an extremely modest one-year contract, they cannot have too much faith in the guy.

Donald Brown also figures to play into the mix a bit, but similarly to Blount, Brown is an aging back who has not really shown much in the last year or so. If Lewis can return completely healthy from his knee injury suffered last season, then he will save the Patriots at the position.

That being said, it is hard to count on that. The shifty Lewis counts on his knee to be healthy to be the best player he can be. The injury he suffered was devastating. While he may be ready to play in 2016, expecting him to be at full strength, zipping around the field like he was at the beginning of last season would be foolish.

The Patriots struggled mightily to move the ball late last season, and it ended up costing them in the AFC Championship Game. Obviously, Von Miller and company getting consistent pressure on Tom Brady was the difference in that game, and the offensive line should be partially blamed for their poor performance.

Von Miller Tom Brady
Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) is sacked by Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller (58) in the second half in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

That being said, if the Patriots had any semblance of a running game against the Denver Broncos, Miller and their fantastic pass rushers would not have been able to consistently pin their ears back and attack Brady. The Patriots’ offense would be much better off with a strong running game added to the mix, and I think they missed opportunities this past weekend to add talented runners who would have made a significant difference.

After all of their success, it is difficult to question what Belichick and the Patriots do. However, this is an opportunity where I am going to do just that. The Patriots are a talented team with few holes on their roster. Instead of taking another big defensive tackle or multiple special teams contributors, those picks would have been better spent on the running back position.

More nfl spin zone: NFL Draft Redo: Re-Picking the 2014 First-Round

The Patriots are still going to be an extremely talented team and prime competitors in their conference. However, while their chief AFC competitors found the values at running back (Denver and the Baltimore Ravens stole Booker and Dixon respectively in the compensatory fourth round), the Patriots push forward with Blount leading the way in the backfield.

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