Unlike a lot of other teams — and this is part of the reason why they're the Patriots and everyone else isn't — the Patriots do not hand their draft picks starting positions or main roles before they even set foot on a field or prove themselves. Often, that's a path to failure for many rookies. The Patriots, instead, put their rookies on the road to success by giving them smaller, defined roles to start and then, perhaps, that can be expanded once they master the basics.
Michael Lombardi, who has longtime ties to Bill Belichick and was recently a personnel executive with the team, touched on this in his podcast, The GM Shuffle, a few months ago as he related the story about how 49ers draft pick (and future Hall of Famer) Charles Haley was taught only the defense for passing situations as a designated pass rusher as a rookie.
"Once you draft these guys, you have to have a plan for these guys because if you give them the Manhattan phone directory and say, 'Learn this,' he ain't learning it — you might as well put him off for next year. So you have to define the role for the player as soon as you draft a player. What New England will do is say (Chase) Winovich, he'll come in and here's his role. He's going to play, this, this, X, Y and Z. That's all. Once he gets that, then maybe we'll teach him a little bit more. We'll start to grow him, allow him to grow more. ... You have to develop the player. That allows him to have an impact on your team moving forward."
____________________
Player: Damien Harris
Pick: 3rd round, 87th overall
Position: RB
Patriots scheme position: First two downs back.
Ht/wgt: 5-10, 216 pounds
Speed: 4.57
Positional depth chart
[table id=292 /]
Position thoughts: Injuries — those going on now, and what will inevitably happen in camp with this group — will be a huge x-factor at the RB position. ... Sony Michel had a very good rookie season, one in which he was certainly productive (thanks to one of the best offensive lines in the league) and improved every week of the season. The next part of his development would have been in the passing game — he was basically non-existent there as a rookie — but then Michel missed all of the offseason work after a knee scope. While Michel should be ready to go for camp after the scope, will he be a full-go in every practice, or is this going to cause him to miss time here and there? If he has to miss time, he may miss out on the passing game again. ... This is where James White, Rex Burkhead and even Brandon Bolden all have a leg up on Michel and, if Damien Harris can stay healthy in camp (iffy with rookie RBs), he could even pass Michel on the Brady trust list in the passing game. Harris already looked like a much more natural pass catcher in college than Michel. But that's for further down the road. Right now, the Patriots are searching for a Michel backup who can also move the pile in short-yardage.
Draft pick comparison: Stevan Ridley, 3rd round (73rd overall), in 2011.
These guys are basically the same player as Ridley was 5-11 and 225 pounds out of LSU, but Harris was a little faster coming out of another big-time SEC school (Alabama).
But when Ridley came aboard in '11, the cupboard was basically bare at the position where BenJarvus Green-Ellis got most of the snaps and Danny Woodhead was the pass back with half as many carries as Green-Ellis. Shane Vereen was taken in the second round, but he barely played as a rookie behind Woodhead (White would later do same behind Vereen). Of course, the offense was much different in '11, as the Patriots passed a lot more than they ran.
Ridley only had 91 rushing attempts as a rookie, even if he was effective (5.1 average). He got most of his action against bad teams late in the season (Colts, Dolphins, Bills).
Development plan: As Lombardi eluded to up top, Harris should be prepared to digest a whole lot of the playbook that features runs on first or second (if they pass on first down) down. The Patriots really do not have a bonafide backup to Michel — Bolden is solid, Burkhead gets hurt a lot — and we saw where that left the Patriots at times last season, with Cordarrelle Patterson as the tailback.
The Patriots probably don't mind one bit that Harris is being plopped down right over Michel's shoulder after a rookie season and postseason in which, largely, Michel had smoke blown up up his skirt with regularity. Michel was totally set up to be a successful rookie who thought he had arrived in his second season. Bill Belichick eliminated any chance Michel might get too big for his britches with one draft pick. Brilliant.
Don't be surprised if Harris is given a lot of reps early by the coaches if he masters the playbook quickly. Not only would they love to push Michel, but the team really does need a dynamic 1-2 punch at running back if the passing game is a work in progress again.
If Harris proves worthy of that playing time and shows he can hold his own in blitz pickup during training camp, he could be given some looks through the air from Brady.
Best-case scenario: Harris acclimates himself quickly and takes some of the touches/wear-and-tear from Michel and White (way-to-many at 94 carries). Patterson and Kenjon combined for 61 carries. The Patriots have made the jet sweep part of their offense, so receiver carries are still going to be there. But Harris should get 150 carries if things go well, and more if Michel is ever banged up again. That he needed a scope after the season is probably an illustration the team pushed it with him last season without much backup. Harris will really be doing well if he gets near or over the 20-catch plateau.
Worst-case scenario: Besides injury — rookie RBs are notorious for getting hurt (but Harris has the benefit of coming from a full-house backfield at Alabama so the wear and tear is minimal) — Harris should at least get 70 touches in this offense, even if he's a disaster with the playbook. If that's the case, they'll get him some work later in the season as the Patriots prepare for the postseason.
But that never happens with Patriots running backs, especially young ones. That's a testament to Ivan Fears, who doesn't get nearly as many accolades as Dante Scarnecchia but is just as fine a coach. I've constantly been amazed at how productive Fears' players are and, more importantly, how technically sound they all are when it comes to following blocks and protecting Brady. If Harris takes Fears' coaching, there's little reason to think he won't be a key part of the backfield early on.