Sony Michel - Most Underrated Pick of 2018

I just want to give props to Bill and the team for picking Michel in the first. I didn't think it was a good pick at the time. Why waste that value on a guy with bad knees at a position that is notoriously easy to find diamonds in the rough for. Well, Edelman won the MVP, but you could make a really strong case for Michel being the Super Bowl MVP today, and he also had one of the strongest post seasons I've ever seen out of a running back. Rushing has just never been a successful strategy for playoff teams in the era that I've watched. Yet, here's Michel with over 100 yards in every game, 6 TD total, and the only TD scored in the Super Bowl at all. Major props to him.

Loved him coming since he was a freshman at UGA, but thought he shot too high up the charts pre-draft, then compared him to Kamara

Happy we'll have at least 4 more years of Sony, baller, huge for a 42 YO Tom Brady

JerseyShore99 said:

Loved him coming since he was a freshman at UGA, but thought he shot too high up the charts pre-draft, then compared him to Kamara

Happy we'll have at least 4 more years of Sony, baller, huge for a 42 YO Tom Brady

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Fun fact...

Sony Michel + James White in 2018:
303 carries, 1356 rushing yards, 4.5 avg, 11 TD
93 receptions, 801 yards, 8.6 avg, 7 TD
Combined salary: $1,480,000
Locked up for the next two years at an average salary of $7 million combined each year

Leveon Bell in 2017:
321 carries, 1291 yards, 4.0 avg, 9 TD
85 receptions, 655 yards, 7.7 avg, 2TD
On rookie contract but asking for $20 million

David Johnson in 2016:
293 carries, 1239 yards, 4.2 avg, 16 TD
80 receptions, 879 yards, 11.0 avg, 4 TD
Signed 3 year, 39 million extension last offseason

Saquon Barkley in 2018:
261 carries, 1307 yards, 5.0 avg, 11 TD
91 receptions, 721 yards, 7.9 average, 4 TD
Required 2nd overall draft choice
$31 million fully-guaranteed 4-year rookie contract
Will surely want to re-up for much more than his rookie deal

I still dont know if I like the pick but Sony has been very good.

meatface said:

I still dont know if I like the pick but Sony has been very good.

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I thought Guice was the best back in the draft, but he got injured, so it's kind of hard to take that any further. Not to mention, he might be a complete egghead mentally, which is not worth the trouble.

I do think that investing in a RB is good at that point in the draft, since you can get a pseudo-franchise back without committing all that much in terms of resources. Plus, their first 4 years are probably their most valuable anyway.

JerseyShore99 said:

Loved him coming since he was a freshman at UGA, but thought he shot too high up the charts pre-draft, then compared him to Kamara

Happy we'll have at least 4 more years of Sony, baller, huge for a 42 YO Tom Brady

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I was a huge fan as well, Probably my favorite Pat’s draft choice in a long time (besides Brady). Was definitely my favorite player in last year’s draft. I just felt he would be perfect for the Pats. I watched him a lot when Chubb went done at Georgia, and loved him from then. Watched that Oklahoma game last year so many times.

miloofcroton said:

I thought Guice was the best back in the draft, but he got injured, so it's kind of hard to take that any further. Not to mention, he might be a complete egghead mentally, which is not worth the trouble.

I do think that investing in a RB is good at that point in the draft, since you can get a pseudo-franchise back without committing all that much in terms of resources. Plus, their first 4 years are probably their most valuable anyway.

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Guice is an exciting, talented back, but Barkley obviously was and is the best back from that 2018 draft. I love the Michel pick though. And he’s just getting started, he’s gonna get better, especially in the pass game. One fumble all year too, a major concern by a lot of people here.

scott99 said:

Guice is an exciting, talented back, but Barkley obviously was and is the best back from that 2018 draft. I love the Michel pick though. And he’s just getting started, he’s gonna get better, especially in the pass game. One fumble all year too, a major concern by a lot of people here.

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My concern with Barkley coming out was that he wouldn't get the tough yardage, and one of his NFL coaches voiced the same concern. I don't know if that's enough of an issue, given his amazing rookie year that has made him an instant top 5 back in the league, but I think it's a pretty significant issue. It's like having a QB that is super mobile but can't throw. Or super mobile and can throw amazingly well, but can't read a defense. It's just a fundamental part of playing RB that you can get tough yardage because that's what makes the entire offense better, because that's what schemes rely on RBs to do in order to open up other opportunities.

Barkley earned all the praise. He was that good, even with teams focused on taking him away before the game even started.

That being the case, Michel was incredible for the Pats and is a Super Bowl Champion.

Patriot Missile said:

Barkley earned all the praise. He was that good, even with teams focused on taking him away before the game even started.

That being the case, Michel was incredible for the Pats and is a Super Bowl Champion.

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He was great, but it's also a matter of what wins games, a RB that averages 5.0 ypc with less ability in the short runs versus a RB that averages 4.5 ypc but is great at getting tough yardage. When the passing game is averaging 8 ypa, usually the 0.5 ypc isn't a difference maker for your offense as a whole, despite the gaudy numbers and highlights.

I realize that it's about more than numbers, but I am using them to illustrate a point: the difference between some abstract concept of 'good' and 'good' defined in terms of what actually wins ball games.

miloofcroton said:

He was great, but it's also a matter of what wins games, a RB that averages 5.0 ypc with less ability in the short runs versus a RB that averages 4.5 ypc but is great at getting tough yardage. When the passing game is averaging 8 ypa, usually the 0.5 ypc isn't a difference maker for your offense as a whole, despite the gaudy numbers and highlights.

I realize that it's about more than numbers, but I am using them to illustrate a point: the difference between some abstract concept of 'good' and 'good' defined in terms of what actually wins ball games.

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Lot of other variables play into it. Blocking Scheme, offensive line talent, QB play, receiver threats and coaching.

Lets not pretend the Giants are the Patriots. They have Odel Beckham and Sterling Shephard with doofy mcEli running the show. You put Barkley here and he’s gonna win ball games for you. Talent is talent, you take Corey Dillon out of Cincinatti or Moss out of Oakland, you get what you get. As long as he’s coachable he is going to be a super star because they maximize talent and get the best out of you.