The Patriots’ third-year defensive tackle has taken his game to another level recently.

While the New England Patriots’ first selection of the 2021 NFL Draft appears to be in the process of fizzling out, their second is flourishing. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore, drafted 38th overall two years ago, is playing the best football of his career.

Barmore has been arguably the Patriots’ best player this season, and the numbers are a reflection of that. He is currently tops on the New England defense with 41 combined quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus, and has registered a team-high 5.5 sacks as well as 40 combined tackles in the pass and run game.

For Barmore, this marks a return to the trajectory he put himself on as a rookie. In his first year in New England, he quickly emerged as a high-upside interior defensive lineman despite not necessarily dominating the stat sheet.

Year 2, meanwhile, was a challenge for the former second-round draft choice. He missed time due to injury, and never quite seemed to hit his stride; compared to his encouraging rookie season, his sophomore campaign was a disappointment.

All that changed in 2023. Barmore is starting to put it all together, and the results speak for themselves: he is playing at an All-Pro-caliber level and becoming a true nightmare for opposing offenses.

For his position coach, DeMarcus Covington, it all has to do with his return to health. While Barmore has dealt with knee and shoulder injuries for much of the season, he has not been forced to miss any game time as a result.

“One, he’s been healthy all season,” said Covington. “And then, two, he’s been playing very consistent every week, week to week. I think consistency is the key. He’s been consistent in the run game, been consistent in the pass game, and he’s been doing a really good job for our defense, and making some good plays for us.”

While his pressure numbers are what catch the eye, Barmore’s growth this season can be most clearly seen in his contributions as a run defender. Only 33.7 percent of his snaps so far have come versus the run — no significant change compared to his first two years in New England — but he has made the most of them.

Barmore has notched 33 tackles in the run game, including five for a loss of yards. He has proven himself a handful for offensive linemen, and has developed into what Covington called “a complete player.”

“He’s done a good job in being a complete player as far as early down, third down, run game, pass game, and being consistent,” he said. “And that’s the key thing that we try to do: we preach consistency, and we preach on making sure we have good habits, and creating good habits, and that’s what you’re able to see on Sundays.

“So, when we go out there and play, he’s playing some good tape and just been so consistent for us. We need him to continue to be good for us for the next three weeks.”

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound defender started his third season off comparatively unremarkably. Outside of a seven-pressure outing against the lackluster New York Jets in Week 3 he did not have any truly dominant performance over the first five weeks of the season — likely in part due to the aforementioned knee injury.

Since mid-October, however, Barmore has been one of the best defensive linemen in all of football.

From Week 6 on, he ranks in the top-10 in his position group in sacks (4.5; t-5th), hurries (21; t-10th) and non-pressure pass rush wins (17; t-3rd). He also is a top-tier performer in run stops (9; t-5th) and has frequently gotten his hands on footballs at the line of scrimmage (4 batted passes; t-2nd).

For Covington, that is just the natural result of what Barmore brings to the table.

“It’s really his ability to use his explosion, his get-off, his pad level, and his use of hands,” the assistant coach explained. “And so, when you’re able to use your hands and control blocks, whether that’s in the running game or use separation extension in the pass game to create that separation between the defender, that’s what he’s really good at.

“He’s done a good job of his block recognition in the run game, which has helped him out from Year 1, Year 2, and keeps getting better each year. And so, when you’re able to read blocks and able to have the recognition of it fast, that allows you to play fast. And for him, that’s what he’s done for us and continues to do.”

While Barmore is unlikely to get much individual recognition this season — playing on a losing football team tends to do that to you — his play has been impressive. It also has allowed him to quickly climb up the list of contract extension candidates.

Barmore’s consistently stellar performance in 2023 cannot salvage a lost Patriots season. It can, however, serve as a springboard for the future.

And for him, it sure looks like a bright one.