Michigan defensive end Chase Winovich became the third Wolverine to come off the board in this year's NFL draft, when the New England Patriots took him with the No. 77 overall pick in the third round.
Linebacker Devin Bush went No. 10 overall last night to the Pittsburgh Steelers, while defensive end Rashan Gary was chosen at No. 12 to the Green Bay Packers.
RELATED: Bush Goes No. 10 to the Steelers
RELATED: Gary Goes No. 12 to the Packers
Winovich's selection actually surpasses the total number of players Michigan had chosen in the entire 2018 draft, when center Mason Cole (third round) and defensive tackle Mo Hurst (fifth round) were the only two Wolverines taken.
The defensive end came to Michigan as a four-star linebacker from Pennsylvania in the 2014 recruiting class, and wound up having an outstanding five-year career in Ann Arbor.
He redshirted as a freshman in 2014, and only played in six games as a redshirt freshman in head coach Jim Harbaugh's first year of 2015.
The defensive end then emerged in a big way as a redshirt sophomore in 2016, tallying 9.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in a backup role.
Winovich exploded as a full-time starter in 2017, posting 18 tackles for loss (second-most in the Big Ten that year) and eight sacks, en route to first-team All-Big Ten honors from the media.
His fifth-year senior season in 2018 was similarly impressive, starting all 13 contests and racking up 17 stops behind the line of scrimmage (third-most in the league) and five quarterback takedowns, earning unanimous first-team All-Big Ten recognition and AP third-team All-American honors as a result.
The Pennsylvania native concluded his Wolverine career with 185 stops, 44.5 tackles for loss and 18 sacks.
“He was the last member of my top-50 still available," NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah revealed when the Patriots selected him. "Winovich has an explosive first step — and it’s not just because of the [Green Bay Packers linebacker] Clay Matthews hair — and outstanding hands, in addition to running a 4.59 in the 40.
"He looks physically like a body double from Point Break.”
NFL Network's Rich Eisen (a Michigan grad), meanwhile, said he thinks Winovich and his outgoing personality will fit right in with the Patriots.
“They know how to have a parade in New England," Eisen smiled. "He is going to be first-team All-Parade if they keep having them there.
"[Former Patriot tight end Rob] Gronk[owski] is out, Winovich is in.”
The NFL Network crew weren't the only ones who think Winovich will flourish in New England though, as ESPN's Louis Riddick also had plenty of praise for the selection.
"He has pretty good measureables at 6-2, 256 pounds, a 4.59 in the 40, a 6.94 in the three-cone and a 4.11 in the short shuttle," Riddick noted. "This guy is a heck of a pass rusher.
"I believe he has the best hand usage of the defensive linemen in this draft. Winovich doesn’t stay blocked at the point of attack against the run, and gets rid of blockers immediately.
"As far as pass rush hand usage, I’d put him right up there with [49ers defensive end] Nick Bosa, because he can bend the corner and win one-on-one battles on a regular basis.
"If there’s anybody who is the perfect Patriots player, it’s Chase Winovich."
ABC's Rece Davis offered an almost identical sentiment, despite broadcasting on a completely different network.
“I don’t know if I can think of a more perfect place than New England for Winovich," he laughed.
"He may not be the most talented guy, but he’s just a football player," Davis' colleague, Anthony McFarland, opined. "Winovich is a technician and a student of the game.”
“The Patriots will use him in multiple fronts where he’ll be able to play defensive end or linebacker," ABC's David Pollack concluded. "He’s relentless and is just a football player.”
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @BSB_Wolverine, @JB_ Wolverine, @AustinFox42, @Balas_Wolverine, @DrewCHallett and @Qb9Adam.
• Like us on Facebook
