New England Patriots: How important will Sony Michel be in 2018?

The New England Patriots selected Georgia Bulldogs running back Sony Michel in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. How important will he be?

The New England Patriots have been one of the most active franchises in the NFL during the 2018 offseason. With two first-round draft picks and a number of key acquisitions through the open market, the Patriots have retooled for another Super Bowl run.

For all of the moves that the Patriots made, it’s the selection of Sony Michel in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft that may be most intriguing of all.

New England has valued a solid running game throughout Bill Belichick’s tenure, but Michel is in rare air. It hadn’t drafted a running back since 2014, and hadn’t utilized a first-round draft pick on a player at the position since 2006.

Knowing that to be true, it’s fair to believe that Michel will be of significant immediate value to the Patriots if they invested a first-round draft pick in him.

Due to the depth that the Patriots have acquired at the running back, however, it’s fair to question how Michel fits.

New England currently has three featured players at the running back position: Michel, Jeremy Hill, and James White. Michel is a first-round draft pick with significant upside, while Hill is a touchdown machine when healthy, and White is a dynamic receiving threat.

Hill ran for 29 touchdowns between the 2014 and 2016 seasons, and White accumulated 56 receptions for 429 yards and three scores in 2017.

Knowing this to be true, it stands to reason that New England could ease Michel into the role of a No. 1 back—but will that prove true?

New England benefited from the possession of two first-round draft picks, but it didn’t have a single selection in the third or fourth rounds. Thus, the decision to select Michel in Round 1 is a clear sign of how much the Patriots value him.

Regarded as one of the best running backs in this draft class, Michel has all of the tools to justify the hype at the highest level.

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The New England Patriots rarely rely heavily on a rookie, but that may prove to transpire with running back Sony Michel.