Hines Sight: Have Patriots Drafted Another Sixth-Round Offensive Line Gem?
With their first pick of the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots addressed a need for depth on the offensive line ... and they did so in a big way.
The Pats selected Michigan guard Michael Onwenu with the 182nd overall selection. At nearly 6-4 and weighing 350, the massive lineman has used his skills and excellent length to become a key member of the Pats offensive line, spending time starting at right tackle, left guard and even aligning jumbo tight end packages over the past two seasons.
New England may have once again used the sixth round of the draft to draw another sizeable cup from the well of offensive linemen by selecting Chasen Hines of LSU with the 210th pick on day three of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Hines arrived at LSU as a defensive lineman before transitioning to the offensive line in 2018. He is a former US Army All-American, as well as a consensus 4-star recruit.
Much like Onwenu, Hines also presents an imposing physical presence. Listed at 6-3, 327, Hines has the size and strength to be an irresistible force against defenders in the run game. He features a stout anchor and sturdy base in pass protection. He also offers the positional versatility that the Pats covet in their offensive linemen. Fortunately for New England, this seems to be a fact not lost on Hines.
“In college I played all inside three: left guard, center, right guard,” Hines told reporters on Saturday, shortly after his selection by New England. “It's never been a choice of mine, kind of just whatever I can do best for the team and put them in the best position to win, so it's just been at guard most of the time, so that's why I stuck it out. It really doesn't matter to me, as long as I'm doing what I can do to help contribute and win and stuff like that. That's all I really do -- left, right, or center. It really doesn't matter to me.”
While Hines already sounds like an ideal fit with the Patriots, he does enter the NFL with some question marks. In order to succeed at the pro level, the former LSU Tigers will need to improve on holding his frame upon contact, to prevent stalemates in his battles with the opposition. When pass rushers are allowed to reach his edges, he has struggled to recover. This could be of particular concern to quarterback Mac Jones, who had a tendency to struggle in adjusting to strategically placed blitzes from the second and third level of the opponent’s defense.
To be fair, it may seem like a lot of responsibility to place on the shoulders of a rookie. Luckily, the Patriots currently employ a robust depth chart at the position. While Isaish Wynn [left tackle], David Andrews [center] and Trent Brown [right tackle] are poised to join Onwenu [right guard] and first-round rookie Cole Strange [left guard] are poised to be New England’s starting rotation, Hines hopes to join a stout collection of reserves including veterans Justin Herron, Yasir Durant, Yodny Cajuste, James Ferentz and Will Sherman. CFL-standout Drew Desjarlais, and fellow rookie draftee Andrew Stueber are also expected to compete for a roster spot.
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Despite the deep pool of offensive linemen which he is joining, Hines believes that his work ethic and on-field upside will make him a valuable addition to the Patriots roster. In true Patriots fashion, he also plans to let his performance do the talking for him.
“You're going to get a hard-working guy,” Hines said. “Just coming to LSU as a defensive lineman knowing that I had to make a position change and knowing the work I had to put in just to get to that, to even be here now.
“That's the only thing I've really been known about throughout high school, and college, is somebody who doesn't really talk too much, he's just always going to show you with his work. So I can't wait to show New England what I got.]
With rookie minicamp approaching, the Patriots hope that Hines will follow in Onwenu’s sixth-round footsteps. Should he be successful in doing so, ‘Hines Sight’ might be ‘2022’ in New England for the upcoming season.
