Patriots: Players who can snag starting jobs after recent string of opt outs

MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 25: Safety Kyle Dugger #23 from Lenoir Rhyne of the South Team during the 2020 Resse's Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on January 25, 2020 in Mobile, Alabama. The North Team defeated the South Team 34 to 17. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /

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Patriots LB Chase Winovich (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

2. Chase Winovich (ILB)

Chase Winovich is arguably the most obvious selection to be lined up in the middle of the Patriots defense come Week 1 of the 2020 regular season.

Though he didn’t start a single game as a rookie last year, the fact that he appeared in all 16 contests proves that New England’s coaching staff thinks highly of him.

While playing 29% of the defensive snaps, the 2019 third-rounder logged 26 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits. So long as he avoids injury and features regularly, we fully expect those numbers to double this time around. Winovich might be a pass rusher by trade, but you can bet that the Patriots coaching staff will be asking him to take on a significant role in Year 2 following the loss of Hightower.

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