Underappreciated and buried on the depth chart in Cincinnati for the first four seasons of his career, Burkhead appeared to be in line for a bigger role in New England after signing as a free agent last offseason, but a Week 2 rib injury put a damper on his sleeper status. Once he was 100 percent healthy, Burkhead showed what he could do by scoring seven TDs in a six-game stretch out of the Patriots' bye before a knee injury cut short his regular season. Burkhead isn't the biggest or fastest back, doesn't have the softest hands or run the sharpest routes, and he doesn't have electric moves in the open field or uncanny vision, but he's at least competent in all aspects, making him a great fit who can step up in any situation. The selection of Sony Michel in the first round presents a significant threat to Burkhead's workload - the signing of former Bengals teammate Jeremy Hill, less so - but Tom Brady finds ways to get the ball to players he trusts, and Burkhead seemed to earn that trust last year. Read Past Outlooks