New England Patriots Draft
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The New England Patriots made a last-minute visit to meet the most-likely No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
Bleacher Report put together a list of each NFL team’s most overrated player, and the New England Patriots have a target on the defensive side of football. The overpaid player for the Patriots may surprise you just a bit.
The Patriots have made the defensive side of football a hallmark for them over the past couple of seasons. Defense was a calling card for Bill Belichick during his time with the team. Mike Vrabel has certainly taken on that identity as well. The defensive line was a strong suit for the Patriots last season, as the team was able to get solid interior play.
With that being said, one defensive lineman in particular had a rough season. Christian Barmore did not perform at a high level last year. He is Bleacher Report’s most overpaid player following 2026 free agency.
There is no doubt that the defensive lineman is a solid rotational piece. He recorded 29 tackles and two sacks in 17 games. These are certainly not the best statistics by any measure. However, he may not be living up to his value. Bleacher Report expanded on its case for him in the piece.
The interior defensive lineman show continues with Barmore, who has lacked both consistency and durability for much of his five-year run thus far in New England. The 26-year-old is a solid piece of the puzzle for the Patriots, but he’s yet to live up to a top-20 positional AAV at $20.8 million.
A Tale of Two Careers For Patriots Star
Blood clots could be part of his limited production. He had an initial diagnosis in July 2024, and did not return to a regular season contest until that November. He had a medical setback in December and was placed back on the NFI list for the remainder of the season. The defensive tackle worked during the off-season and followed a treatment plan that included blood thinners. He was medically cleared for all football activities before training camp and worked his way back into the fold.
Barmore was drafted out of Alabama in 2021. He recorded 46 tackles and 1.5 sacks in addition to pass deflections in his first season. He was able to do that in 17 games and set the stage for additional production. The Alabama product had a breakout season in 2023. That year, he tallied 64 tackles and 8.5 sacks in addition to six pass deflections and a forced fumble in 17 games.
An Unfortunate Development For Patriots Star
It seems as though the blood clots really put a damper on what has been a stellar career to this point. The Patriots signed him to a contract extension in April 2024, just three months before the blood clot diagnosis. At that point, the contract did not seem unreasonable. He was ascending into one of the best defensive tackles in all of football.
Now, the contract may seem a bit questionable given recent performance. With that being said, the 2026 season could be an opportunity for him to turn things around. There’s no doubt he has the skill and the talent. The health issues are what have really set him back. A healthy Barmore, along with a defensive line that consists of Milton Williams, among others, is a tremendous positional unit for the Patriots. It’s just about consistently getting Barmore on the field and having him be healthy throughout the entirety of the season.