Now to the fun part the Linebackers and Edge players.\u00a0 This should be an exciting group this season with the veteran Free Agent signings, the return of Donta Hightower, and the emergence of young players that were forced into action earlier than expected last season.<\/p>\n
Dont’a Hightower<\/strong> \u2013 Is the glue that holds this Defensive Team together.\u00a0 Hightower missed all of last season, opting out because of COVID.\u00a0 At the age of 31, Hightower is one of the more highly decorated players on the Patriots.\u00a0 The 9-year veteran (not counting 2020), and the former 1st<\/sup> round pick (2012) out of Alabama, is the prototypical inside linebacker at 6\u2019 3\u201d 260 lbs.\u00a0 He has won 3 Super Bowl rings, 2 National Championships at Alabama, and twice been a Pro-Bowl selection.\u00a0 His strip-sack in Super Bowl LI against the Falcons help spark that epic comeback from a 25 point deficit to win the SB in overtime.\u00a0\u00a0 His position may say ILB, but Hightower is likely to line up anywhere up and down the line.\u00a0 He has tremendous pass-rush ability and his return should bolster the weak pass rush numbers of the team last year.\u00a0 Injuries have been a concern, as he has only played all 16 games once in his career.\u00a0 The big question is whether the year off has affected him positively or negatively.\u00a0 Will he be rusty, a shade slower or will he be rejuvenated with a year away from the constant pounding.\u00a0 Pre-season should tell us a lot.\u00a0 More than any other player, Hightower\u2019s return is a huge key to this team.<\/p>\n Matt Judon<\/strong> \u2013 The prize of Free Agency on the Defensive side was Matt Judon.\u00a0 I had him as a top priority signing.\u00a0 He was a Pro-Bowl selection the last two years and has established himself as a premier edge rusher.\u00a0 He has 34.5 sacks in his 5-year career.\u00a0 A 2016 5th<\/sup> round selection out of DII Grand Valley State, was the 3rd<\/sup> edge rusher selected by the Ravens that year.\u00a0 He had to wait his turn, and eventually replace Elvis Dumervil when he left for Free Agency.\u00a0 He will turn 29 in August which is old for Free Agent that just signed a 4-year contract.\u00a0 The Ravens Franchise Tagged Judon last year preventing him from achieving Free Agent status.\u00a0 He received $16M under the guaranteed Franchise Tag.\u00a0 Combine that with the 4-year $56M he got from the Pats and he is sitting pretty financially.\u00a0 His size, at 6\u20193\u201d 275 lbs is excellent for holding the edge against sweeps and his 4.73 40 yard dash at the combine ranked 5th<\/sup> for the position.\u00a0 2019 was his best year for sacks with 9.5.\u00a0 On this team, he will not be singled out for double team blocks because there will be so many players that can get after the QB.\u00a0 I expect a big year from Judon.<\/p>\n Kyle Van Noy<\/strong> \u2013 I don\u2019t know what happened in Miami, but going from team Captain to released in a year is astonishing.\u00a0 The Free Agent contract he signed was for 4 years, $51M with$30M guaranteed.\u00a0 Van Noy is a talker and sometimes that gets him into trouble.\u00a0 He was one of the leaders on the team in 2019 that was spouting off about their 8-0 start to the season and gave the defensive team the nickname Baba Yaga after the John Wick character \u201cThe Boogeyman\u201d.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the Slavic myth is actually an old witch.\u00a0 The Patriot’s defense in the 2nd<\/sup> half turned into an old witch rather than the much-feared Boogeyman.\u00a0 Van Noy\u2019s career was turned around when he was acquired from the Lions in 2016, with the Lions adding a 2017 7th<\/sup> round selection and the Patriots just giving up a 2017 6th<\/sup>.\u00a0\u00a0 The former Detroit 2nd<\/sup> round selection, had 6 sacks last season, which is slightly behind his career-best 6.5 sacks he had the year before.\u00a0 His overall tackle total last season was 69 which was much lower than his two best seasons for the Pats with 73 and 92 tackles respectively in 2017 and 2018.\u00a0\u00a0 At 6\u20193\u201d 250 lbs, his size is perfect for either ILB or Outside edge.\u00a0 I am hoping that Kyle can return to his best performance under the Patriots coaching staff and player utilization.<\/p>\n Josh Uche<\/strong> –\u00a0 Reports from OTA\u2019s and the Mini-Camp have stated that Uche has been one of the quickest players in camp.\u00a0 One report called him unstoppable. \u00a0That\u2019s a good thing heading into his second year.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0However, there are plenty of negatives that need to be addressed! \u00a0The Patriots traded up last year to select Uche in the 2nd<\/sup> round.\u00a0 At 6\u20191.2\u201d (not the 6\u20193\u201d advertised on the Patriots.com roster), the 245 lbs linebacker was never a full-time player at Michigan.\u00a0 As a senior, he was 2nd<\/sup> in TFL and topped the team in sacks with 8.5.\u00a0 He was healthiest as a Senior but nagging injuries slowed his progress.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Uche was inactive for the first 2 games and then on IR for next 4 games.\u00a0 In College, he had a Meniscus Tear and a bad virus which limited his development.\u00a0 I expect Uche to make that jump in his second year especially since he received playing time his 1st<\/sup> year.\u00a0 Last season for the Pats he appeared in 9 games with 1 start.\u00a0 His lone sack was against the Ravens and had 9 tackles on the season.\u00a0 He must have learned the playbook to earn that playing time.\u00a0 I expect that Uche will be a key contributor this season especially on 3rd<\/sup> down.<\/p>\n Chase Winowich<\/strong> \u2013 Will Winowich have a hard time making the team?\u00a0 Need to watch him closely in training camp.\u00a0 He missed time during OTAs and all of Mini Camp.\u00a0 Speculation is that he is recovering from an injury.\u00a0 Winowich saw his playing time diminish as the season went on last season.\u00a0 As a core member of the #1 ranked special teams units, Winowich has played in all 16 games each of the last two seasons.\u00a0 His playing time on defense dwindled to 3rd<\/sup> down pass rush specialist.\u00a0 He had a difficult time holding the edge against the run.\u00a0 Each of the past two seasons, Winowich had 5.5 sacks.\u00a0 A fan favorite with his long flowing blonde locks, fans like seeing him fly towards the QB?\u00a0 Will he get that opportunity this year with Judon, Uche, and Perkins ahead of him on the depth chart?<\/p>\n Ronnie Perkins<\/strong> \u2013 I didn\u2019t like the selection of Ronnie Perkins with the 3rd<\/sup> round pick.\u00a0 Not because of anything Perkins did or didn\u2019t do, but rather I liked another player at that slot.\u00a0 Perkins was not on my radar.\u00a0 When I read about his background I really liked what I saw.\u00a0 The Patriots felt they needed a player who could hold the edge and provide a pass rush.\u00a0 What threw me was Perkins 6 game suspension.\u00a0 I understand the violation was for Marijuana, and with the loosening of laws and NFL regulations, this is now a minor offense that is overlooked by NFL talent evaluators.\u00a0 What I Loved about Perkins is how he handled the suspension.\u00a0 He became like an extra coach on the field, mentoring the younger players.\u00a0 Perkins was a value pick as Pro Football Focus had him rated as the #46 player and the Patriots got him at #96.\u00a0 The pick seemed redundant since they already had Chase Winowich. However, Perkins is actually slower than Winowich.<\/p>\n Cameron McGrone<\/strong> \u00a0– This is what I wrote about McGrone in my Draft Analysis. \u00a0\u201cIn the 5th<\/sup> round #177, they select an LB that can\u2019t play this year.\u00a0 Again they received high grades for taking Cameron McGrone LB Michigan.\u00a0 Supposedly, McGrone can run sideline to sideline, but that was before his ACL injury that ended his 2020 season.\u00a0 McGrone looks like he will be on the Non-Football Injury list or Physically Unable to Play (PUP) list in 2021.\u00a0 He will look toward 2022 as his rookie season\u201d. \u00a0At 6\u20190.7\u201d 235 lbs, McGrone looks more like a big safety and has solid footwork going in any direction.\u00a0 At Michigan. \u00a0Playing under Don Brown, he has experience as a 3-4 LB and can play the ILB position as well.\u00a0 His speed was excellent, 4.54 estimate, before his torn ACL.\u00a0 Described as a downhill banger, and plays sideline to sideline.\u00a0 Brown\u2019s defense required a lot of blitzing and McGrone can get to the QB.\u00a0 If he hadn\u2019t injured his knee, McGrone would have been a 3rd<\/sup> rd pick.\u00a0 \u00a0In a word he is athletic.<\/p>\n Terez Hall<\/strong> \u2013 \u00a0Don\u2019t sleep on Terez Hall. The 6\u20192\u201d 238 lb linebacker from Missouri was very physical for the Pats last season.\u00a0 His combine was cut short by a pectoral strain in the weightlifting and then his Pro Day he had an Achilles issue.\u00a0 His 40 time at the combine was 4.90.\u00a0 That can’t be right, he has to be faster than that to play in the NFL.\u00a0 Originally, a UDFA in 2019, he spent the year on the Practice Squad.\u00a0 In 2020 he didn\u2019t make the final 53 man roster and was signed to the Practice Squad.\u00a0 However, in week 9 he was called up and played in 8 consecutive games until an ankle injury felled him for the final game.\u00a0 Hall was a major contributor with 50 tackles.\u00a0 That will not go unnoticed by BB.\u00a0 He had 2 Pass Breakups and only missed 6 tackles in those eight games.\u00a0 On the minus side, he gave up 75% completion % when targeted and had no sacks.\u00a0 According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, Hall is recovering from off-season ankle surgery.\u00a0 His ability to come back from the injury will go a long way to whether or not he makes the team.\u00a0 He is in a dogfight for the last LB slot with Raekwon McMillan and Ja\u2019Whuan Bentley.<\/p>\n Ja\u2019Whuan Bentley<\/strong> \u2013 Thumper is his nickname and we are not talking about the cute bunny rabbit in Bambi!\u00a0 At 6\u2019 3\u201d 240 lbs, 4.75 40, Bentley is that old school, hard-hitting, downhill player.\u00a0 The opposing lineman doesn\u2019t want to meet him in the hole.\u00a0 The Purdue product was a two-time Captain for the Boilermakers.\u00a0 In 2018 he was a 5th<\/sup> round selection for the Patriots.\u00a0 His rookie season was cut short after three games and he was placed on IR with a bicep injury.\u00a0 In 2019 he ended up playing all 16 games, but with only 44 tackles, playing second fiddle to Van Noy, Collins, and Hightower. \u00a0In COVID 2020 with all three players gone, Bentley emerged as the leading tackler with 90 tackles and 1.5 sacks.\u00a0 Before the start of the season, Bentley was chosen as one of the team Captains.\u00a0 Bentley is very well-liked by his teammates and coaches alike.\u00a0 On the negative side, Bentley is slow.\u00a0 Underwhelming athleticism gets exposed in coverage.\u00a0 Another description of Bentley said he is unplayable in a zone scheme.\u00a0 He is usually subbed out on 3rd<\/sup> down.\u00a0\u00a0 Swing passes to backs on early downs target his limitations.\u00a0 \u00a0He is on the bubble as far as making the team, and I don\u2019t have him making the final 53.\u00a0 The caveat is the health of players as we progress through Training Camp.<\/p>\n Raekwon McMillian<\/strong> \u2013 \u00a0In 2017 he was a 2nd<\/sup> round selection (#54) of the Miami Dolphins.\u00a0 The Ohio St product was a highly touted off-ball linebacker.\u00a0 At 6\u20192\u201d 242 lbs, he ran 4.61 40 at the combine.\u00a0 Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in Pre-Season for Miami and ended up on IR for the entire season.\u00a0 For the 2018 season, McMillan came back with a vengeance, recording 105 tackles, for 2nd<\/sup> on the defense.\u00a0 However, he has never come near that promise again.\u00a0 In 2019 his production was down to 72 tackles as he was used in a completely different role by the new coaching staff.\u00a0 The Las Vegas Raiders traded for him in 2020 but used him mostly in a special teams role.\u00a0 McMillan played on all 5 special teams for 61% of the snaps.\u00a0 On Defense, he was limited to 1st<\/sup> and 2nd<\/sup> running downs.\u00a0 What will his role with the Patriots be?\u00a0 I think much of the same.\u00a0 His low, one-year salary indicated it\u2019s a show-me deal or one for a special teamer only.\u00a0 You know how BB loves him some special teamers.\u00a0 Will he make the team?\u00a0 Reports from OTA\u2019s and Mini-Camp said the McMillan was very impressive and filled in for Hightower.\u00a0 That indicates he will be in the mix for the final LB spot.<\/p>\n Anfernee Jennings<\/strong> \u2013 The Alabama product came to the Patriots after an illustrious career in the SEC.\u00a0 After sitting out his Red Shirt year, Jennings played the next 4 years for the Crimson Tide.\u00a0 The linebacker played in 54 games, starting 38, and had 194 tackles, 34.5 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions, and 20 pass breakups.\u00a0 At 6\u20192.1\u201d 259 lbs, he runs an estimated 4.78 40.\u00a0 The converted Defensive End had a bad knee injury during his redshirt sophomore season.\u00a0 At the end of the National Semi-Final game what was originally diagnosed as a PCL injury was later re-evaluated and they discovered he had a damaged artery and blood clot.\u00a0 Obviously, he missed the Championship game.\u00a0 For the Patriots, he was selected in the 3rd<\/sup> round (#87) of the 2020 draft.\u00a0 Many people had Jennings projected to go to the Patriots, including Jennings himself.\u00a0 He has the versatility that BB loves, playing the edge or traditional outside linebacker that can drop in coverage.\u00a0 During the 2020 season rookies like Jennings received a baptism of fire and played in 5 games with 20 tackles.\u00a0 Big things are expected from Jennings in 2021.\u00a0 That second-year jump from rookie to veteran is crucial.\u00a0 I believe Jennings will be a situational player.\u00a0 With the heavy lineup of linebackers on the team, Jennings should be an excellent backup should injuries occur.\u00a0 He definitely has a spot on the 53 man roster.<\/p>\n Tashawn Bowers<\/strong> \u2013 \u00a0Minnesota originally signed this LSU Tiger Defensive End as a UDFA after the 2017 draft.\u00a0 Bowers went on and made the Vikings’ opening day roster.\u00a0 His two years with Minnesota were non-descript as Bowers played in only 7 games with 7 tackles.\u00a0 In 2019 he ruptured his Achilles during the off-season and was placed on the Non-Football Injury list.\u00a0 He was waived from the Vikings and signed to the Patriots Practice Squad where he remained for the remainder of the season.\u00a0 In 2020 he didn\u2019t make the Patriots 53 man squad but was signed to the PS again.\u00a0 On October 24th<\/sup> and 31st<\/sup>, he was elevated from the PS and sent back after the game.\u00a0 Then in November, he received another call-up.\u00a0 He played in 2 games and was inactive for 5 others before he went on IR for the remainder of the season.\u00a0 He finished with 11 tackles in limited playing time.\u00a0 At nearly 6\u20195\u201d, 231 lbs, he runs a 4.82 40.\u00a0 As a DE he needs to be a better pass rusher at that low weight to be effective.\u00a0 Bowers is just camp fodder.<\/p>\n Harvey Langi<\/strong> – \u00a0\u00a0Langi was signed as a UDFA after the 2017 draft by the Pats.\u00a0 He was given a signing bonus equivalent to a 5th<\/sup> round draft pick because there was so much competition for signing him as a UDFA.\u00a0 During that Pre-season camp, Langi impressed the coaches and made the opening day roster.\u00a0 Unfortunately, Langi and his wife were involved in a horrific automobile crash outside of their apartment complex in Foxboro.\u00a0 Langi suffered neck and back trauma.\u00a0 He was added to the Non-Football Injury list for the remainder of the season.\u00a0 In 18 he was released at the final cut-down and signed to NYJ PS.\u00a0 He was on the Jets PS for 2 years but made the final roster in 2020.\u00a0 He managed to play 14 games and had 60 tackles.\u00a0 He proved he belonged in the NFL.\u00a0 The 6\u20192\u201d, 250 lb, Inside Linebacker ran a 4.62 30, 4.32 SS, 7.00 3 cone drill at the combine.\u00a0 He is much more athletic than Ja\u2019Whaun Bentley in the middle.\u00a0 The BYU product would need to have a terrific training camp to make the team.\u00a0 More likely he is headed to the Practice Squad as insurance.<\/p>\n Rashod Berry<\/strong>\u00a0 –\u00a0 I highlighted Berry in the TE section, but he did see action last season as a Defensive End.\u00a0 The Patriots signed Berry as a UDFA after the 2020 draft.\u00a0 Belichick likes position flexibility and the more things you can do for the team the more likely you are to make the final 53 man roster.\u00a0 Berry fits that description as he was also projected to play Fullback.\u00a0 He plays on all the Special Team units (the Patriots were the #1 Special Teams Unit in the league last year).\u00a0 The Ohio State product stands 6\u20194\u201d 255 lbs, his 40 time is estimated at 4.77.\u00a0 In the 2020 season, the UDFA was activated for 3 games but played in only the last game of the season and recorded 1 tackle.\u00a0 He is a long shot to make the final 53, but a nice to have a player on the Practice Squad that could fill any of the three positions on the team.<\/p>\n Are you getting excited? I can\u2019t believe it\u2019s the end of July already and it\u2019s one week until training camp begins.\u00a0 I will finish my Roster analysis with the Defensive Backs, then it\u2019s onto the 53 man roster projection and Training camp battles to watch. \u00a0Lots happening very quickly.\u00a0 Remember to check out the NFL News section of Patsfans.com for all the comings and goings around the league.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Congrats to Doug Kyed, formerly the NESN Patriots beat writer.\u00a0 He has accepted an NFL national writers position with Pro Football Focus.\u00a0 \u00a0The Patriots’ fans’ loss is PFF’s gain.\u00a0 I enjoyed the detailed draft work that Doug did, especially the spreadsheets by positions that showed all the draft prospect measurables.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Now to the fun part the Linebackers and Edge players.\u00a0 This should be an exciting group this season with the veteran Free Agent signings, the return of Donta Hightower, and the emergence of young players that were forced into action earlier than expected last season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":26868,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[22690,44],"class_list":["post-37362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots-news","tag-2021-patriots-preseason","tag-new-england-patriots"],"yoast_head":"\n