The New England Patriots seemingly have mined a gem in Mike Onwenu.
ESPN's Ben Linsey on Thursday included the Patriots offensive lineman on his All-2020 NFL Draft squad. Onwenu, whom the Patriots selected in the sixth round with the 182nd overall pick, has proven his value to New England as a versatile cog on the line of scrimmage.
"Onwenu has played more snaps at tackle (892) than he has at guard (549) through his first 27 career games," Linsey wrote. "He's also not currently in the Patriots' starting lineup, as Onwenu instead has operated as the do-it-all sixth offensive lineman over the past several weeks.
"Even so, the sixth-round pick has been PFF's highest-graded guard from last year's draft class in both 2020 and 2021. One big reason is his success as a run blocker, particularly in gap schemes. Onwenu's 85.9 run-blocking grade when lined up at guard ranks sixth among players with 500-plus snaps at the position since the start of 2020."
Although Onwenu's playing time has decreased recently, he only is one injury away from returning to the more-prominent role he held earlier this season. Should that happen, expect him to display his growing talents, which will garner him more attention and praise.
It's hard to ask for much more from a sixth-round pick in the NFL Draft.
