The Patriots made a surprise move on Friday night, making a deal with Baltimore to move up to the 60th overall spot in Round 2 to grab a linebacker.
New England added Josh Uche to their defense, bringing another Michigan player to a group that already includes last year’s addition, fellow Wolverine and defensive end Chase Winovich, who the Patriots took at #77 overall in Round 3 in 2019.
The 6’1″, 245-pound Uche appears to be a solid selection, with some reports listing him as one of the best pash-rushers in the draft and he was even believed by some to be a potential first-round pick.
During his tenure at Michigan, he and Winovich were key pieces of a formidable defense, with Uche actually leading the team in sacks despite being in a situational role in 2018 with seven.
He also was solid in the running game, showing some good versatility that the Patriots clearly liked after jumping up 11 spots to select him. Uche finished his senior season at Michigan having appeared in all 13 games with nine starts, finishing with 35 tackles including 11.5 for a loss and 8.5 sacks. The latter two totals were each best on the team.
He finished his college career with 56 tackles, including 20.5 behind the line of scrimmage along with 16.5 sacks in 39 games.
To acquire Uche, the Patriots gave up the 71st and 98th selections to Baltimore, receiving the 60th and 129th picks in return. He joins safety Kyle Dugger as the second defensive selection by New England in the second round.
Here’s a look at some highlights from Uche’s career:
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
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