The New England Patriots have selected Michigan Wolverines defensive end Chase Winovich with the 77th overall pick. Winovich joins the Patriots’ draft class which includes receiver N’Keal Harry (32nd overall) and cornerback Joejuan Williams (45th overall).
Winovich finished the 2018 season with five sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss and 59 total tackles. In 2017, he had 8.5 sacks, 73 tackles and 19 for loss.
Winovich is undersized (6-foot-3, 256 pounds) with short arms (32 3/4 inches) but has impressive athleticism with a 40-yard dash (4.59 seconds) that rivals that of the receiver Harry (4.55). That’s just how impressive he moves, despite being 256 pounds. He also plays with endless energy and impressive technique.
He will join a defensive end group in need of help. The Patriots watched Trey Flowers depart in free agency and cut Adrian Clayborn. They acquired defensive end Michael Bennett to join Deatrich Wise, Derek Rivers and Keionta Davis, among others. Winovich could be in the mix to compete for a significant role on defense.
