Christian Barmore Makes Top 100 NFL Players List

The New England Patriots were the only AFC franchise without a Pro Bowl selection last season. Only one other NFL team, the Washington Commanders, was shut out of the event. This did not come as a huge surprise. The teams’ combined record last season was 8-26. New England had some excellent individual seasons, despite a lack of team success. One of those individuals was recognized this week.

NFL analyst Pete Prisco unveiled his Top 100 NFL Players for the 2024 season on CBS Sports. Unlike last season’s Pro Bowl selections, the New England Patriots were not omitted. New England landed one player on Prisco’s list, with defensive tackle Christian Barmore ranked No. 70.

Barmore played his best football in 2023, his third NFL season. Barmore was a disruptive force on the Patriots’ defensive front. He finished the season with 49 quarterback pressures. That total included 8.0 sacks, 34 hurries, and seven QB hits. Barmore led New England in all three categories.

Also Read – 2023 New England Patriots Awards

Christian Barmore registered a team-high five batted balls at the line of scrimmage. He amassed 64 tackles (39 solo), including 13 tackles for a loss. To gauge how much the already-solid Barmore improved in 2023, he had five TFL in his first two seasons combined. He also recorded a forced fumble and 40 stops (second on the team) last season.

Barmore’s performance impressed Eliot Wolf. The new decision-maker in New England’s front office rewarded his star with a lucrative contract extension after the season. New England inked Barmore to a four-year extension worth up to $92 million on Apr. 29, 2024. Before the extension, Barmore was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025.

One Honorable Mention, Several Omissions

Pete Prisco’s list of Top 100 NFL Players included 51 additional players listed as “Honorable Mention.” It does not appear there was any specific order to that group. This honorable mentions included one more New England Patriots player, safety Kyle Dugger. Like Barmore, Dugger signed a lucrative contract to remain in New England this offseason. Based on these selections, the Patriots front office who gave the contracts to Barmore and Dugger agree with Prisco’s assessments.

Several Patriots players excluded present reasonable arguments to have been listed. Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez return from season-ending injuries suffered in 2023. Judon is an All-Pro caliber player who was off to a great start before his injury. Gonzalez won NFL Rookie of the Month in the only month he played last season. Prisco included several second-year NFL players in his list. An analyst leaving out either player from their top 151 of 2024 suggests a lack of faith in their return to pre-injury form.

Three Patriots players would have made the Pro Bowl last season if the selections were based on grades from Pro Football Focus. Barmore ranked as the third-best defensive tackle in the AFC behind Quinnen Williams (Jets) and Chris Jones (Chiefs). Jahlani Tavai topped all AFC linebackers. Safety Jabrill Peppers received the second-best grade among AFC safeties, trailing only Jevon Holland (Dolphins).

Judon, Gonzalez, Tavai, and Peppers received no mention from Pete Prisco.

For Christian Barmore and the New England Patriots, being included on a preseason list like this is a nice acknowledgment. However, lists released after the season are where everyone wants to see their names. If Barmore duplicates his 2023 campaign, he’ll make many “best of” lists moving forward.