Josh Uche is one of the New England Patriots’ most anticipated rookies heading into the 2020 season.
After losing Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts — he will help fill much-needed holes. First and foremost, Uche is a pass-rushing specialist who downed opposing quarterbacks 14.5 times in his final two years at Michigan — with 18.5 tackles for loss over that span. His ability to drop back in coverage and maximize his speed gives him the opportunity to replicate the role Van Noy played.
Having Bill Belichick as his head coach is obviously helpful in his growth, but Uche spoke to NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry on ‘Next Patriots Podcast’ about inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo.
“The first WebEx meeting I had with the Patriots was with Coach Mayo and he taught me the defense in, I’d want to say, two minutes,” Uche said. “And he taught it to me so well that I was able to recite it to him after when he started asked questions, ‘OK, what do you do when this happens, this, this and this?” That’s just a testament how good a coach he is just in a short amount of time he could teach me the basics of the defense. I definitely feel like Coach Mayo is the best in the business.”
Mayo played his eight NFL seasons with the Patriots and along with his duty of coaching linebackers, he also shared the defensive play-calling duties with Belichick and Steve Belichick last season. Mayo is a player-coach who understands the ins and outs of Belichick’s defense — giving Uche an extremely useful resource.
ESPN expert Matt Bowen explained why Uche is the perfect fit in this defense.
In New England, Uche fits as a developing edge rusher with the athletic traits and quick-twitch ability to be used like Kyle Van Noy in Bill Belichick’s defense. That’s where the Patriots can scheme one-on-one pass rushes for Uche off the edge or wrap him inside on twist stunts. If the defensive linemen can occupy blockers, the door is open for Uche to scrape to the quarterback.
With Uche’s ability to play off the ball, he can also drop into coverage and close with speed on underneath throws. And we know Belichick likes versatile defenders. I can’t think of a better defensive scheme for Uche, who had 8.5 sacks at Michigan last season.
The Patriots also drafted linebacker Anfernee Jennings out of Alabama to help immediately find a role in this defense.
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