New England Patriots: Drafting Sony Michel reminiscent of 2006
The New England Patriots have to be reminded of 2006 after they selected running back Sony Michel in the first round of the NFL Draft.
It was anyone’s guess what the New England Patriots were going to do in the 2018 NFL Draft. There was speculation of them taking a quarterback early — everyone who suspected that was wrong. Instead, with their first two picks, the Patriots decided to draft a pair of Georgia Bulldogs, one being offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn and the other running back Sony Michel.
The initial pick made since with the departure of Nate Solder and the question marks on the roster, but the shocker was Michel. New England had already signed former Cincinnati Bengal Jeremy Hill to add depth to a group that features James White, Rex Burkhead, Mike Gillislee and Brandon Bolden.
Drafting Michel gives them their sixth running back on the depth chart. The selection of Michel also signifies that the Patriots are going to be more of a running team — why else would they take a running back in the first round? As a matter of fact, Michel is only the second running back to be drafted in the first round in Bill Belichick’s era — the other was Laurence Maroney.
Ironically enough, Maroney and Michel have some similarities. Both were part of a dual-back system in college as Maroney split carries with Marion Barber at Minnesota from 2003-04 before being the feature back in 2005. Like Michel, Maroney was taken by the Patriots, despite them having Corey Dillion, Heath Evans and Kevin Faulk on the roster already.
Michel and Maroney also share similar size, both being 5-11 with similar builds. They have similar running styles as well, shifty but having displayed great power when running between the tackles. As history would have it, Michel will split carries despite his running prowess, just like Maroney.
Maroney split carriers with the aging Dillion, finishing the season with 175 carries, 746 yards and six touchdowns. That season the Patriots went 12-4 and lost to the Colts in the AFC Championship Game, 38-34. The Patriots could look to use Michel more than Maroney, and definitely more than other backs currently on their roster.
The biggest difference in this Patriots offense is the dynamic player maker they have at tight end, Rob Gronkowski. Additionally, Michel seems to be more dynamic as a runner, despite his 4.5-second time in the 40.
With Tom Brady getting older and without a true successor in New England, the Patriots will need to protect their franchise quarterback. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is as versatile as they come and there’s no doubt he’ll look to get Michel involved early and often. Michel’s ability should see him garner similar success to Maroney’s, but the Patriots will hope he’ll be more than a serviceable back.
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Camp is still a few months away, so anything can happen. Still, one can’t help but think that there will be some cuts and trades as Michel climbs the charts. Once he gets his shot, there’s no looking back and the Patriots could see themselves with rookie running back carrying their offense.