Patriots: Chase Winovich faces uphill climb after Ronnie Perkins’ sparkling debut

The New England Patriots‘ defense was a shell of its former self in 2020, and that can be attributed to the group’s inability to pressure opposing quarterbacks.

That should change in a big way following the investments Bill Belichick made in free agency.

The new-look corps includes Matt Judon, Kyle Van Noy, and Davon Godchaux, as well as draft additions like Christian Barmore and Ronnie Perkins.

They’ll join a revamped front seven that already flaunted talents like Dont’a Hightower, Lawrence Guy, Deatrich Wise, Josh Uche and Chase Winovich.

The way things are looking, Perkins and Winovich could end up battling it our for the final spot in the pass rush rotation.

With Winovich just returning from injury and Perkins lighting it up in the preseason opener against the Football Team — he recorded five pressures (!) and one quarterback hit —  Winovich could struggle to break into the rotation.

Chase Winovich might be behind Ronnie Perkins on the depth chart.

We hate to overreact to one preseason game, but it says a lot that Perkins, a rookie, generated consistent pressure against a strong Washington offensive line. If he keeps playing like this throughout the preseason, he’ll give Belichick no other choice but to give him some snaps once the regular season gets underway.

Perkins’ emergence could create an uphill climb for Winovich. The 2019 third-round pick has appeared in every game for the Patriots in his first two seasons, logging 74 tackles, 11 sacks, 22 QB hits, and 56 pressures.

Those are impressive numbers for a player who has just nine starts under his belt. However, the Patriots are loaded on the edge and Winovich’s missed all of mandatory minicamp and all of training camp (up until this week) with an undisclosed injury.

The former Michigan star’s absence has created a window of opportunity for Perkins, who responded accordingly by making his presence felt on Thursday night.

We’d hate to see Winovich lose his job due to an injury, but these kind of situations unfold all the time during camp and the preseason. In other words, the former Wolverine better hit the ground running this week at practice.

Both players have bright futures, but right now it’s looking like Perkins has the upper hand, especially if Winovich hasn’t improved defending against the run.

While his pass-rushing prowess is evident, Winovich’s inability to make an impact in run defense has prevented him from becoming a regular starter.

With the Patriots boasting an entirely different OLB rotation this year and Perkins poised to become a key backup piece, Winovich has his work cut out for him.

Patriots: These Chase Winovich stats prove he needs a featured role in 2021

Patriots edge rusher Chase Winovich ranking first in quarterback hurries and ninth in pressures proves he deserves a featured role in 2021.