Damien Harris, Alabama running back, drafted by Patriots on Day 2
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.
Next. Chase Winovich selected by the Pats in the third round. dark
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.