He really epitomized the synergy between player talents and coaching in New England that has been the hallmark of the Belichick era.
I think a fair amount has been said about the extent to which Belichick helped make the fullback relevant again in 2018-19 (and earlier) but in my mind not nearly enough credit is given to what Develin did during the playoffs that year. He was an absolute monster and maybe even more telling than the stats and the highlights is how they did without him last year.
Anyway, in the 2019 playoffs the Patriots scored 11 TDs. Nine were on the ground and Develin was the lead block on every single one of them. Six for Michel and three for Burkhead. He was also the lead block on so many other huge runs in that playoffs including at least two fourth down conversions. When the Patriots needed a yard last season they struggled. When they needed a yard in the playoffs in 2018-19 they frequently got 10.
The highlight where he bulls his way into the end zone is an all time great play, but this is my favorite Develin highlight reel. That it's actually
a highlight reel for another guy tells you everything you need to know about this unsung player.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCPJni7_VAQ