Josh Uche’s role on the Patriots defense may prove surprising

A Jamie Collins replacement? Here’s how Josh Uche fits into the Patriots defense.

With much attention toward the defection of Tom Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, many have glossed over significant losses on the defensive side of the ball for the New England Patriots.

Linebackers Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts, safety Duron Harmon and defensive tackle Danny Shelton are among the players who either started or played significant defensive snaps for the Patriots last season, and are no longer on the team. New England utilized the draft to replenish it’s versatility-driven defense, with second-round pick Josh Uche (pick No. 60) being one of those additions.

There are several opinions on how the Patriots might deploy Uche, a player who is so versatile that it’s hard to guess how he’ll fit in New England.

The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler, like many others, view Uche as an edge defender, while ESPN’s Mike Reiss recently listed Uche as a 3-4 inside linebacker in his latest analysis.

“Uche, the second-round pick from Michigan, was viewed by some teams as more of an off-the-line linebacker because of his size (6-foot-1, 245 pounds),” says Reiss. “But his pass-rushing skills should also make him part of sub packages in obvious non-running situations.”

Hopefully for the Patriots, Uche will fill the role that now-Detroit Lions linebacker Jamie Collins filled last year.

Collins (6-foot-3, 250 pounds) was used a chess piece along the front seven earlier in the season, as Belichick utilized him as both an off-ball linebacker and edge defender capable of blitzing the quarterback on any given down.

Although Collins’ play slipped down the stretch, he helped befuddle quarterbacks early in the season, nothing six sacks and grabbing three interceptions during New England’s 8-0 start.

According to Pro Football Focus, Collins amassed 337 defensive snaps on the edge, and 439 in the box as a linebacker.

Uche has the athleticism to fill the role of Collins, projecting as both an EDGE player and off-ball linebacker.

With pass-rush specialist Chase Winovich (Uche’s teammate at Michigan) and third-round pick strong man Anfernee Jennings projecting on the edge more often, Uche may move around the formation like Collins, and to a lesser extent, Dont’a Hightower.

Expect New England to us Uche in a myriad of ways, maybe even giving him the chance to play man or zone coverage in the middle of the field against tight ends. (Peep the Senior Bowl workout highlights above.) He almost certainly be sporadically used to cover running backs in the flats.

If you remember Collins, he took major strides from Year 1 to Years 2 in the defense. Although he should see the field often as a rookie, there will be a learning curve, as Belichick molds him into the best version of himself as an NFL defender.

“Uche will require a patient coaching staff as he learns to be a more polished and instinctive player,” The Athletic’s Brugler wrote.

NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein offered a similar sentiment.

“He plays with closing burst, can tackle and is smoother in coverage than expected, but the difference in becoming a pro linebacker instead of a short-term, hybrid athlete will depend largely upon improving his second-level instincts and finding an eclectic defensive mind to unlock his potential.”

Leave it to Belichick, a defensive guru, to find the perfect spot for Uche.

Lastly, New England looks for mental toughness and tenacity in their players, and there’s no shortage of those traits with the Michigan linebacker.

“It’s a good fit for me because I’m a hard-ass worker, and the Patriots work their asses off,” Uche told reporters.

Apparently, it looks like Uche will fit right in, both on the field, and in the locker room.

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