Chasen Rookie Dream: Hines Earns Patriots Roster Spot
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FOXBORO — The New England Patriots may have once again drawn another sizable cup from the well of offensive linemen when selecting Chasen Hines of LSU in the sixth round (210th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Still, the 22-year-old was far from a lock to earn a spot on New England’s initial 53-man roster. Having missed the majority of offseason team workouts, as well as mandatory minicamp, Hines would not see the practice field until Aug. 8, when he was activated from the non-football injury list. At that point, his prospectus for making the team was behind that of veterans Arlington Hambright, James Ferentz and undrafted rookie Kody Russey.
Yet, when the Patriots had trimmed their roster to 53 members, in accordance with the Aug. 30 deadline, Hines was the only one among the aforementioned group still standing.
While Russey offered an intriguing blend of size and strength to the line, Hines’ versatility set him apart from his peers. Having arrived at LSU as a defensive lineman before transitioning to the offensive line in 2018, he is also a former US Army All-American, as well as a consensus 4-star recruit.
Hines presents an imposing physical presence. Listed at 6-3, 327, he 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 shortly after his selection by New England in May. “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 has already begun to sound 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 Tiger 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. However, HInes is being called up to provide depth along a line which already has established starters such as Trent Brown, David Andrews and Michael Onwenu. 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 roster.
In true Patriots fashion, he also plans to let his performance do the talking for him.
“You're going to get a hardworking guy,” Hines previously said. “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 … just always going to show you with work. So I can't wait to show New England what I got.
Chasen Hines has that chance with the Patriots in 2022, and the smart money is on him proving he’s earned it.
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