For reasons largely out of his control, Chase Winovich was not a first-round pick.
Compared to most edge defenders, the Patriots draft pick is short at a shade under 6-foot-3 and also lacks length with 32 3/4-inch arms. The former Michigan defender also ranks in just the 26th percentile of NFL edge defenders at 256 pounds.
So, he fell to the third round. But he might wind up being one of the steals of the 2019 NFL Draft.
What Winovich lacks in length and bulk he makes up for in athleticism and projection. He ranked second among defensive end prospects in Pro Football Focus‘ run-stop percentage with 34 defensive run stops on 288 defensive run snaps. He ranked 25th in pass-rush productivity with five sacks, 14 quarterback hits and 34 hurries on 316 pass-rush snaps.
His 4.59-second 40-yard dash, 6.94-second three-cone drill and 4.11-second short shuttle drills all show up on tape. Watch how he bent around the edge and used pure speed to get around Penn State’s right tackle.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgWWq0N88iU?start=134%5D
Offensive tackles had a hard time containing Winovich once he used a quick inside fake to slip to their outside shoulder.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q9bH8RaTjI?start=166%5D
The SMU offensive tackle barely got a hand on Winovich during this play:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q9bH8RaTjI?start=286%5D
Watch the bend and balance Winovich used to close to the Michigan State quarterback.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXuGjcWcv5M?start=120%5D
He employed a combination of hand-work and quickness to get inside and sack Penn State quarterback Chase McSorely.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgWWq0N88iU?start=17%5D
Winovich has a strong punch that helped him disengage from blockers.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXuGjcWcv5M?start=88%5D
He tended to shock blockers with those quick hand strikes.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iegevw7PRa8?start=298%5D
He utilized a combination of hand technique, bend, balance and closing speed for a sack against Notre Dame.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpTuLRPefnc?start=201%5D
Despite being undersized and only bench-pressing 18 reps of 225 pounds, Winovich didn’t lack for power gripping and ripping Penn State’s right tackle to pick up a fumble.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgWWq0N88iU?start=111%5D
He caused an interception on a quarterback hit with another grip and rip against Notre Dame.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpTuLRPefnc?start=250%5D
The Notre Dame game was a monstrous performance for Winovich, as evidenced by him beating an offensive tackle for an inside rush to force an incompletion.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpTuLRPefnc?start=275%5D
Winovich was also a strong run defender at Michigan. He used his relentless motor on backside pursuit.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgWWq0N88iU?start=126%5D
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpTuLRPefnc?start=101%5D
He had a tendency to make big plays in run defense all season. He destroyed Michigan State’s tight end for a run stuff.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXuGjcWcv5M%5D
Tight ends, in general, were no match for Winovich.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXuGjcWcv5M?start=127%5D
Winovich simply shrugged off Michigan State’s right tackle for a tackle for loss.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXuGjcWcv5M?start=285%5D
Despite questions about his size and strength, but he can be a tough guy for offensive linemen to budge.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpTuLRPefnc?start=381%5D
Winovich still needs to be coached up and perhaps play a little more under control in the NFL.
He found himself behind the quarterback too many times.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgWWq0N88iU?start=190%5D
That’s a no-go with the Patriots.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgWWq0N88iU?start=200%5D
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iegevw7PRa8?start=187%5D
He’ll also need to set the edge against the run in the Patriots’ defense. That’s one area where his lack of length comes back to haunt him.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgWWq0N88iU?start=227%5D
Winovich has physical limitations because of his lack of length, though he can hold his ground at the point of attack. We noticed he had delayed reactions on read options, lacking desired instincts. He’s not a bull rusher, and we very rarely saw him drop back in coverage.
The edge defender is not a perfect prospect, which is why he slipped to the third round. But as long as he can take coaching and play within the scheme of the Patriots’ defense, showing patience to contain on the edge rather than relying on that motor to constantly charge upfield, we believe he could be a Day 1 starter.
