Will Damien Harris Lead the Patriots in Rushing?

The rise to health and success of Sony Michel and Rex Burkhead was an underrated aspect of the 2018 Patriots offense. Both players had lengthy injury histories but when it mattered most, both players delivered.

It was the first playoff run of the entire Patriots dynasty where the team topped 150 yards on the ground in every game. Previously, they had only topped 150 four times ever in the playoffs.

Many analysts seem to undervalue the ground game these days and I understand that passing drives offenses these days. But with Tom Brady closing in on 42 it makes more sense than ever for the Patriots to ensure their running game can take some heat off him.

A huge piece of that ground game was an interior offensive line that was as good as any in the league. But two-thirds of the top tackles departed along with Rob Gronkowski, as good a blocking tight end as there was. I was encouraged to see this:

Sony Michel was one of the top running backs in the league when facing stacked boxes in 2018.

Can Michel improve in his sophomore season?https://t.co/0ZGwHzev2p pic.twitter.com/i7piTF74gP

— PFF NE Patriots (@PFF_Patriots) July 9, 2019

The bread and butter is up the middle. But those numbers off the edges were already the lowest with Brown, Gronk, Allen, Cannon and Waddle. Cannon will be the only returning end of the line blocker.

Dante Scarnecchia will likely figure it out, but no one, not even him, knows for sure exactly how just yet. But having Thuney-Andrews-Mason-Cannon and capable interior backups is a great foundation.

The Patriots would be lucky to get both Michel and Burkhead (mostly) healthy in January. Enter third-round pick Damien Harris, a “no nonsense” back in Michel’s mold who shared carries and doesn’t have the injury concerns Michel or Burkhead do.

He was already seeing plenty of action in minicamp, though it’s really hard to truly get a sense of running backs until preseason games. After seeing the team lean on Cordarrelle Patterson as a running back last year, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Harris get a lot of carries this year.

It’s not hard to see him following Shaq into the secondary and bulldozing some sorry cornerback.

The bottom line is the Patriots have built good depth for the early-down running back role. Even Brandon Bolden could play there in a pinch, he’s certainly a better option than Patterson was. Bolden is also some James White insurance, who has been remarkably healthy through his first five years.

What White means to the offense is an entire blog post that needs annual updating..

If everyone’s healthy, there isn’t a more impressive array of talents in any other NFL backfield. Harris should jump right in, if not carry the load.