Will Josh Uche Be Defensive ROY? Peter King Thinks So
Right off the bat analysts were labeling second-round pick Josh Uche as a "second-day star" because of his abilities and potential ceiling in the NFL. But just how good can he be? Well, according to Peter King, he will be the NFL's defensive rookie of the year in 2020.
Here is what King had to say during his week FMIA column:
Defensive rookie: Josh Uche, linebacker, New England (2. Chase Young, 3. Jeff Okudah, 4. Willie Gay). The 60th pick in the draft is intriguing because he’s a little undersized (6-3, 230) and he played only 53 percent of the defensive snaps at Michigan last year. He may not play more than that in Foxboro, but his production around the edge could mimic Kyle Van Noy’s last year in the best season of Van Noy’s life. The Michigan tape of Uche (pronounced “OO-chay”) suggests the versatility and production Bill Belichick demands from his linebackers.
The Patriots traded with the Baltimore Ravens for the 60th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and in turn selected Uche. The pick made sense, as New England needed to spend a premium pick on the linebacker position since they lost Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts to free agency this offseason.
But just how good is Uche?
He may be better than you think despite being taken late in the second round.
Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson noted after the selection of Uche that a few "very respected" evaluators told him leading up to the draft that Uche was their pick to be the draft's second-day star.
You're probably wondering, "If Uche was that good, then why did he go on Day 2?" Well, it has to do with his overall body of work. Along with only becoming a full-time starter for the first time in his senior season at Michigan, Uche was labeled as a one-trick pony when it comes to his pass-rush ability. He very often did his damage as a pass rusher by using his speed, and seldom was effective using any other type of move. However, it's his athleticism and overall potential as a pass rusher and off the ball linebacker that has evaluators pegging him as someone who can become a great player at the next level.
With Dont'a Hightower deciding to opt out of the 2020 season, Uche's role during his rookie year will be much larger than previously projected prior to Hightower opting out. So while Uche was already labeled as a great value when he was drafted, his value has already increased before the regular season has even started.
Get the latest Patriots news by joining the community. Click "Follow" at the top right of the page. Mobile users click the notification bell. Follow Devon on Twitter @DevClemNFL
