The Patriots rolled the dice in 2014 when they took Dominique Easley with the 29th pick in the first round. Easley tore each of his ACLs while at the University of Florida, the second one in September 2013. As a result, the Pats didn’t get a chance to run him through a full workout prior to the 2014 draft because the explosive defensive tackle was still rehabbing. But picking late in the first round means that, sometimes, chances must be taken. Easley’s rookie year didn’t signal much promise.
He played in 11 games, had seven tackles, a sack and a pick. He wound up on injured reserve in December with a knee issue. And the 2015 season didn’t auger well, either, as Easley suffered a hip pointer against the Steelers in the opener. But now that he’s been healthy for a stretch of time, it’s easy to see why the Patriots took the risk.
The speed-to-power ability of Easley on the interior has made him a very useful rusher on third down and his run-stopping ability makes him usable on first and second downs. He doesn’t roll up stats, but he is consistently part of the problem for opposing offenses trying to make headway against the Patriots. Health will remain a concern for Easley until the 23-year-old can string together more games with no setbacks, but he’s establishing himself as a bona-fide NFL player.
FINAL RATING: Starter | Vote Now