INDIANAPOLIS -- The Patriots may be in a position to draft their first running back since James White in 2014 this April, and if they do Nyheim Hines from NC State may be a good option.
Hines has skipped his senior year to enter the draft. He finished his junior campaign with 197 carries for 1,112 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also finishing with 26 receptions. The Patriots love running backs who can catch passes out of the backfield and Hines was actually a receiver for part of his time as a member of the Wolfpack.
“I think that is what makes me me," he said. "I think that is why I think I am a very prominent back in the draft class and maybe people don’t realize it, but I have a foundation at receiver that not many running backs have.”
Because of his versatility, he's been compared to how the backs are used in the Patriots' system quite a bit.
“I have heard that comparison about the Patriots a lot," Hines said. "… Media, fans, agents have said it. [The Patriots] and the Chargers, I have heard those two a lot. Seeing the way Tom Brady and [Bill] Belichick use the running backs — James White, Dion Lewis. I grew up a Patriots fan, so I watched it really closely, even now. I kind of knew what everyone is seeing and talking about with the Patriots and Chargers.”
Even though Hines is from North Carolina, his dad is from Connecticut so he has been a Patriots fan his entire life.
“They are winners, who doesn’t like a winner? I feel like I was there a little bit before all the Super Bowl [wins]," he said. "The Patriot Way. Every time you think of something you think about the accountability and how Belichick goes about his organization and how the Krafts are discreet at what they do. You don’t see a lot of Patriots doing anything in the offseason, they just really stick to themselves.”
With the Patriots likely to lose Dion Lewis in free agency and possibly even Rex Burkhead, New England could need a productive back and figure to be considering selecting one in the middle rounds of the draft.
Hines is considered a mid-round prospect and had an informal interview with the Patriots Wednesday night.