Chase Winovich Is in Elite Company Through Three Weeks of Regular Season
One of the highlights of the New England Patriots' defense in 2020 has been second-year pass rusher Chase Winovich.
After a strong rookie season in which he recorded 5.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits in a limited role, the former Michigan product has taken a big step forward in his second season already.
This is most evident in PFF's pass-rush win rate statistic, which is essentially the percentage in which a pass rusher beats a blocker.
Here are the top four players that are leading the league in pass-rush win rate through three games:
1. T.J. Watt (PIT): 29.3%
2. Chase Winovich (NE): 27.5%
3. Myles Garrett (CLE): 26.5%
4. Aaron Donald (LAR): 25.5%
That's elite company to be in for Winovich. Watt, Garrett and Donald are three of the top pass rushers in the NFL, which is why it's also impressive to see Winovich in the ranks with them in that category.
Through three games, Winovich has 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, 10 total tackles and five quarterback hits, doing so while playing 66 percent of the team's total defensive snaps. His impact is evident through the eye test on Sundays, with his speed off the line of scrimmage helping him beat offensive tackles consistently, allowing him to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks at will.
Winovich's play is great value considering he is on his four-year, $3.83 million rookie contract.
Although Winovich is a couple years away from a payday, if he keeps up his production he will absolutely be in line to earn some serious cash from a team in 2022. Unfortunately, that team will probably not be the Patriots given their history of not paying out for pass rushers. So let's enjoy and appreciate the play of Winovich in a Patriots uniform while we can.
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