The New England Patriots already lost one of their top-two draft picks for the season when offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn suffered a torn Achilles in a preseason game, but fortunately their other first-rounder appears to be trending in the right direction.
Rookie running back Sony Michel returned to practice on Monday. The former Georgia star missed several weeks after undergoing a clean-up procedure in his knee, and Patriots running back coach Ivan Fears hinted Tuesday that he will be ready to play in Week 1.
RBs coach Ivan Fears on rookie Sony Michel: "Just what we expected. He was progressing well. I was really happy when we got the pads on, and got a chance to see him run a bit. It looks like he's going to be what we expected to be. … I expect him to come back ready to go."
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 28, 2018
Michel has been expected to have a big role in New England’s offense given that Belichick never drafts running backs in the first round and Dion Lewis left in free agency. However, there’s no need to rush him back with the Patriots already expected to lean on another versatile running back to begin the year. The Pats always make it a point to have plenty of running back depth, and that should allow them to play it safe with their first-round pick.
