Danny Shelton proving he can be answer for Patriots’ early-down woes vs. run

FOXBOROUGH — How did Danny Shelton celebrate his 25th birthday on Monday? The Patriots newest defensive tackle had to think for a second.

“We went full pads,” he told BostonSportsJournal.com with a big smile after Tuesday’s practice. “Banged around a bit.”

No one could blame the 6-foot-2, 335-pounder for smiling, as he’s been one of the bigger surprises this summer. Nicknamed “Feast Mode,” he was freed from an uncertain future with a lousy Cleveland team and dropped into the middle of a New England defense. This offseason, he was given a very specific role: stop the run on first and second downs. With Alan Branch hitting his expiration date late last season and Ricky-Jean Francois more of a complementary player than a starter, it was an area where the Patriots really struggled last year.

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Enter Shelton, who was easily the best interior defensive lineman in camp when it came to the one-on-ones. And in the two preseason games, as well as in padded practices, the directive has been clear, and the results have been obvious. Shelton has helped the Patriots’ run defense remain stout in the early going.

“I mean, it’s really it’s just my job. It’s easy and fun to do my job when you know what you have to do,” Shelton said of his run-stuffing skills and why he’s been successful in the early going. “This defense really isn’t hard to pick up on. That’s a credit to the coaching staff and veterans on the team for bringing me in and helping me get adjusted. It hasn’t been that big a change for me, really.”

Shelton’s job is unforgiving, physical work, but he’s has been more than up to the task so far. In fact, he’s been a natural fit as a two-down presence for New England, working next to the likes of Lawrence Guy. (This preseason, he’s usually yielded to Adam Butler on third downs.) He says that it’s been an easy transition for a few reasons, including a surprising comfort level he’s enjoyed since he first arrived.