Michel couldn't build on a promising rookie campaign last season, and his overall lackluster performance leaves his future role in the Patriots offense somewhat murky. While he had his moments, including a three-touchdown game against the Jets in Week 7, he failed to record a single 100-yard game all season, and he once again showed little ability to get past the first defender he encountered. Michel finished 29th in broken-tackle rate and 45th in average yards after contact (1.6), after ranking 33rd and 26th, respectively, as a rookie. With all but one of his rushing TDs coming from inside the 5-yard line, he was the very definition of a system running back, essentially producing only what his scheme and offensive line could create for him. The New England offense is now without Tom Brady for the first time in two decades, and there's no telling how much the running game will need to be emphasized in response, with either Cam Newton or Jarrett Stidham starting at quarterback. Even if he sees increased volume, Michel's lack of usage as a receiver and lack of explosiveness as a runner would seem to put a firm ceiling on his value, and there's also the threat of losing carries to 2019 third-round pick Damien Harris or even veteran Rex Burkhead. Read Past Outlooks

$Signed a four-year, $9.63 million contract with the Patriots in July of 2018.

The bars represents the team's percentile rank (based on QB Rating Against). The longer the bar, the better their pass defense is. Learn more about this data The team and position group ratings only include players that are currently on the roster and not on injured reserve. The list of players in the table only includes defenders with at least 3 attempts against them.

The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.

This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.

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Past Fantasy Outlooks

It took the rookie a few games to get going, but Michel's 112-yard performance against the Dolphins in Week 4 announced that Bill Belichick intended to make him a key part of the Pats' attack. The running back was especially impressive in postseason, averaging more than 100 rushing yards a game and finding the end zone six times in three games. Running behind a stout offensive line, Michel found a lot of holes, taking the yards he was given while flashing a strong burst that ranked him 11th in the league in quickest average time to the line of scrimmage. He lacks elite speed, however, and despite a reputation in college as a tough runner to bring down, he broke only 23 tackles last year, 44th in the league. Combined with a lack of opportunity to make a big contribution in the passing game due to James White's presence, there seems to be a cap on Michel's upside in New England. He should split touches once again with White, and the Patriots also have Rex Burkhead and third-round pick Damien Harris competing for snaps. Michel's role primarily on early downs makes it tough to project a full breakout, despite the headlines he generated in the playoffs. A knee scope in the spring creates added cause for concern, with Michel missing a good chunk of offseason workouts and the first few days of training camp.

The 31st overall pick in this year's draft, Michel is a tough player to categorize. His size and role at Georgia alongside Nick Chubb encouraged some Alvin Kamara comparisons, but Michel is a different kind of runner, preferring to use his burst and low center of gravity to break tackles rather than avoiding contact. He does have some elusiveness, and his 4.54 40-yard dash time at the Combine is more than adequate, but his north-south style and inconsistent usage in the passing game at Georgia mark him as more of an early down and short-yardage option than a true three-down back. That skill set would make him an exciting complement to James White in a more conventional, less-crowded NFL backfield, but with Rex Burkhead, Mike Gillislee and Jeremy Hill also in the mix, Michel will need to make a good impression in training camp to earn significant snaps right away. An August injury certainly won't help in that regard, though the Patriots are optimistic Michel will recover from a minor procedure to drain fluid in his knee in time for Week 1.