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Patriots: 3 Defensive Players Who’ll Have a Standout Year

By Justin Trombino

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 25: Stephon Gilmore #24 of the New England Patriots is congratulated by his teammates after his second quarter interception against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on November 25, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 25: Stephon Gilmore #24 of the New England Patriots is congratulated by his teammates after his second quarter interception against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on November 25, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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Head Coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots (Patriots Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Head Coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots (Patriots Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

With a handful of new faces on the defensive side of the ball, look for these three players to have a standout year for the Patriots this season.

After losing a handful of key defensive starters and role players this offseason, the Patriots have retooled their defensive unit with the vision of producing an elite squad en route to once again being one of the best in the NFL.

To reset the defense, New England essentially needed to fill the holes left by key linebackers Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, and Elandon Roberts.

Unlike the offense, coach Bill Belichick truly values his defense and it shows. He will methodically put together a defense with the concentration and patience of putting together a 2,000-piece puzzle. He knows, and has proven, that a successful defensive unit is absolutely necessary to win Super Bowls.

Here are the three players expected to have a standout season this year on Belichick’s retooled unit — some new faces, one old faithful.

Patriots LB Josh Uche (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Patriots LB Josh Uche (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

3. Josh Uche, Linebacker

Josh Uche, who was drafted 60th overall, resembles the fast-paced, smash-mouth playing style of Van Noy. He is fast, elusive, a great open field tackler from the linebacker position, and is poised to have a great rookie season with the Patriots. Uche is considered to be elite when it comes to pressuring the quarterback, which he in fact led the nation in last year with a 26% pressure percentage.

It’ll be interesting to see how Uche is utilized this season in New England. He is a multidimensional, versatile linebacker that can line up and be effective in the middle, inside, or outside linebacker positions.

Uche’s versatility and potential is what landed him on the Patriots roster. While at Michigan, Uche lined up and played a Patriots style of the linebacker position. In doing so, he was mobile and moved around the defense, shadowed the A-Gap pre-snap and blitzed through. He also maintained coverage responsibilities due to his athleticism and speed.

"“We always studied the Patriots defense. I remember just watching film on Hightower and Van Noy and the way they run their stunts and everything. I was already familiarized with the defense. Going into the draft, I was like, ‘Man, if the Patriots grab me that’d be awesome because I already know some stuff they kind of do just because we implemented it into our scheme.'” – Josh Uche, via Next Pats Podcast"

Coincidentally, Uche reunites with his former Michigan Wolverine teammate, Chase Winovich, who will also be looking to make a big splash during his second year with the Pats.

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