rusher instead of a standup edge rusher Adam Butler Jerseys 2019 , but comes with a junkyard type mentality on the DL."WhitePatriots News Opinion and Analysis Contribute! FanPostsFanShotsAbout the Site List of Patriots Twitter AccountsWrite For Pats Pulpit!New User Welcome and Commenting GuideCommunity GuidelinesMastheadTopics Patriots Off-Season CoveragePatriots Opinion/AnalysisPatriots NewsPatriots Draft CoverageSportfolio ManagementPatriots Opinion/AnalysisPatriots 2019 NFL Draft CoveragePatriots Off-Season CoverageGrading the Chase Winovich selection and how he fits in the Patriots defense in the immediate and long term New,1commentAthletic limitations makes him a hand in the dirt rusher instead of a standup edge rusher, but comes with a junkyard type mentality on the DL.EDTShareTweetShareShareGrading the Chase Winovich selection and how he fits in the Patriots defense in the immediate and long term Jason Getz-USA TODAY SportsThe Patriots had a need to address their pass rush and defensive line on Day 2 and they did not disappoint as they added a solid edge rusher. After some wheeling and dealing, the Patriots finally picked again at 77 and selected Michigan edge rusher Chase Winovich. Strengths:Sets a hard edge in the run gameVery coachable playerMultiple pass rush movesPlays with a good sense of urgencySolid in regards to hand usageMade more plays than 12th overall pick Rashan Gary last three yearsWeaknesses:Doesn’t move exceptionally well in space, more of a hand in the dirt guyAt times will be out of controlNeeds to bulk up to 260+ if playing defensive endRookie Year ProjectionWinovich can contribute right away due to ability to produce in run defense and moderate upside as a rusher. I don’t think he knocks off Deatrich Wise Jr. from the #2 edge rusher role, but he could challenge John Simon, my comp for Winovich, for the #3 role as a rookie. As I mentioned in the weaknesses White Elandon Roberts Jerseys , Winovich profiles more as a defensive end than an outside linebacker and likely fell a bit in Round 3 due to the lack of a 3-4 fit. Pats Pulpit reacts to the Damien Harris and Yodny Cajuste picksSubscribe to the Pats Pulpit podcast for more draft reactions!Long Term ProjectionWinovich is likely a rotational edge rusher who is #2 or #3 on any team’s depth chart on a year to year basis due to athletic limitations as a rusher. Winovich is one of those players who will do the gruntwork on defense and set up other players on stunts, which I’d like to see the Patriots continue to employ like they did in the postseason. He’s more valuable on first and second down as an edge defender against the run with moderate pass rush upside if New England can get him to play more under control. Winovich is a very coachable player who has a knack for understanding the moving parts in the scheme and what his role in that scheme is so I think this will correct itself quickly.How Many Downs Can He Impact: 3, potentially 4 if the Patriots can improve his pass rush techniqueI expect him to see some time on different ST units: field goal, FG block, punt coverage, and punt return units. Pick Grade: BI like the fit, although I think they could have afforded to go for more upside with the pick. Winovich is a high character, smart football player and those type of players thrive in New England. There is some potential ST impact available plus perhaps more upside as a rusher when the Patriots fix up his hands and feet in his technique. Athletic limitations makes Winovich more of a hand in the dirt rusher than a standup edge rusher who is capable of dropping like Kyle Van Noy. Trey Flowers had the same limitations coming out of college and tested poorer at the combine Elandon Roberts Jerseys 2019 , but would go on to be one of the best defenders for the Patriots the last three seasons. The New England Patriots lost the coin toss but started perfectly into the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The team went 80 yards on 15 plays to not only take eight minutes off the clock but also take a 7-0 lead — you can’t wish for anything more from the visitors’ perspective, especially considering that the series was an impressive one all around.New England used a heavy dose of the running game to control the clock and tempo, converting three third downs along the way. The drive was capped by the Patriots’ impressive rookie running back Sony Michel:Michel had seven carries for 32 yards on the opening series and the score above, as the Patriots made it pretty clear from the start that their intentions were to play a ball and time control game against a Chiefs defense that has struggled to stop the run this season.After the touchdown, the Patriots defense took the field and added to the impressive play, allowing just one first down — on a holding call — before taking down Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for a 14-yard loss on 3rd and 10 to force a punt.New England had another impressive drive after the punt but saw it end with an interception by Tom Brady on 3rd and goal from the 1-yard line.The Patriots played some impressive defense early on, but gave up a 42-yard deep pass from Patrick Mahomes to Tyreek Hill in the second quarter. However, defensive edge Trey Flowers made a huge sack to push the Chiefs out of field goal range.Kansas City punted the football back to New England and the team’s offense delivered another impressive series: the Patriots marched 90 yards in eight plays — the biggest of which a 30-yard screen pass to James White — to add seven more points to their total. This time White Kyle Van Noy Jerseys , it was wide receiver Phillip Dorsett:Catching his third touchdown in the last three games, Phillip Dorsett put the Patriots up 14-0 while simultaneously helping take the crowd even further out of the game.While the Patriots played a terrific first half, the team struggled in the second and had to watch the Chiefs come back into the game. After scoring a field goal, New England allowed Kansas City to score two touchdowns to take a 21-17 lead midway through the fourth period. However, the Patriots struck back and Sony Michel converted a fourth down to give the team the lead again:The game was far from over, though. The Chiefs took another lead with 2:03 left in the game before New England once again marched down the field to go up — with Rob Gronkowski making the biggest play of his season at exactly the right time:One play after Gronkowski’s massive 25-yard catch to convert a 3rd and 5, the Patriots were in the end zone again:This time, it was Rex Burkhead’s turn to find the end zone and to give New England a 31-28 lead with only 39 seconds left on the clock. However Kyle Van Noy Jerseys 2019 , Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs did not go without a fight and drove into scoring range yet again. A field goal tied the contest and sent it to overtime, where Tom Brady and company marched the length of the field — converting three third downs in the process — to set up this Rex Burkhead touchdown run:Patriots 37, Chiefs 31 in one of the most thrilling AFC Championship Games in recent memory.