New England Patriots: Duron Harmon Ranked as Top 25 Free Agent
By Nick Ziegler
Pro Football Focus recently released their list of the Top 50 free agents this offseason. Where did New England Patriots safety Duron Harmon rank?
It was a great season for the New England Patriots’ defense. They were a very underrated group in 2016 despite being the best scoring defense in the NFL. In the Super Bowl, the Patriots’ defense was able to show just how good they were.
One of the strengths of the Patriots’ defense was in their secondary. Led by Devin McCourty and Malcolm Butler, the Patriots had one of the best secondaries in the NFL. In addition to those two were some other talented players. One of which was Duron Harmon.
Even though Harmon wasn’t a starter in their base 4-3 defense, he played frequently. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia used three safeties often, and that resulted in a lot of playing time for the Harmon.
After the strong season, Harmon was ranked as the 17th best free agent this offseason by Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus. Here’s what Monson had to say about Harmon.
"Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper (81) runs against New England Patriots free safety Duron Harmon (30) in the third quarter during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports"
Harmon will be one of the more interesting free agents this offseason. Due to him not being a starter some teams might not be willing to break the bank for him.
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However, he was extremely effective when he played, and the reason he wasn’t starting was because of McCourty. After helping the Patriots win the Super Bowl, Harmon could be looking at a sizeable contract from a team that needs a free safety.