The New England Patriots filled a position of need with their second pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
New England traded pick No. 71 and No. 98 to the Baltimore Ravens for pick No. 60 and pick No. 129. They selected Michigan outside linebacker Josh Uche with the No. 60 overall pick. Uche is a pass-rushing linebacker who fills a huge need after the Patriots lost Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts.
Uche is 6-foot-2, 250 pounds and recorded 7.5 sacks last season along with 10.5 tackles for loss. He’s specifically skilled as a pass-rusher, but doesn’t want to be defined by that title. Uche prides himself in his ability to drop back in coverage and play the role of a traditional linebacker.
He played alongside Patriots’ 2019 third-round pick Chase Winovich and 2019 No. 12 overall pick Rashan Gary. Uche’s snaps were limited because of the elite talent above him — but he still finished the 2018 season with the most sacks on the team (7). Uche was teammates with Winovich for three years, giving him insight into New England’s demands and expectations.
The Patriots’ linebacker group includes Dont’a Hightower, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Brandon Copeland, Shilique Calhoun, Brandon King and Terez Hall. Uche’s addition will provide some much-needed depth and his pass-rushing skills will help fill the void that Van Noy and Collins left.
New England made a solid choice with Uche and it kept the 13 picks they walked into Day 2 of the draft with.
