The Patriots have always liked drafting college captains. It isn’t the sort of thing that will cause New England to specifically target a prospect, but let’s just say it doesn’t hurt: Including this year, in the last nine drafts, they’ve had 70 picks overall. Thirty-two of those have been college captains, or almost half. Among the Patriots’ 22 starters in the AFC championship win over Jacksonville, 11 were team captains for at least one college season, and eight more reserves on the two-deep depth chart held that distinction with their college teams.
So with that in mind, it should be no real surprise that someone like Purdue linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley was on the Patriots’ radar. The only three-year captain in the history of Boilermaker football, Bentley is an unknown commodity when it comes to the NFL, but he certainly scores high when it comes to intangibles.
“I couldn’t have had a better experience coaching him,” said Purdue linebackers coach Nick Holt. “When it comes to intangibles, he gets plusses across the board. He’s a very smart, engaging young man with a lot of personality.”
Of course, the 6-foot-2, 260-pound linebacker — who was taken in the fifth round by the Patriots last month — isn’t just all about intangibles. In 37 college games, he finished with 160 solo tackles, including 29.5 for loss, as well as a sack and a pair of picks.
Known as a middle-of-the-field thumper, if you spend any time at all watching his film, you see a defender with a thirst for contact. He’s clearly a physical presence in the middle with a nice ability to navigate the A gap. It’s something that could propel him into a positional battle sooner rather than later with the likes of Elandon Roberts.
“He’s a little bigger guy than a lot of these hybrid guys you’ll see out there these days,” said Holt. “He’s kind of a bit of a throwback.
“I think he probably runs better than people give him credit for,” he added. “He’s a first- and second-down guy, but he can hold up against offensive linemen, and can also show some third-down ability. We never really took him off the field.”
Ja'Whaun Bentley, #Patriots 2018 5th round linebacker, was a @PFF_College All-Big Ten Team selection last season, with an overall grade of 90.7! ? pic.twitter.com/FOIBHpStn0
— PFF NE Patriots (@PFF_Patriots) May 14, 2018
When it comes to progression, one really intriguing aspect to Bentley’s development came at the Senior Bowl, where he spent some time at outside linebacker. To that point, Holt also indicated that while Bentley’s strength is on the inside, they also moved him from time-to-time at Purdue “and did some things as a pass rusher, as well as putting him on the line of scrimmage.”
That potential versatility bodes well for him sticking with the Patriots.
“He just needs to be really good at the stuff he’s good at — specifically, the run game,” Holt said when asked about what Bentley needs to do to prove he can make the roster. “He can play downhill, and do all the things they need him to do. The packages that he’s asked to be a part of, he has to show the mobility and athleticism to stay on the field on third down. But he’s a good zone-dropper, and very smart and instinctive. I have faith he’ll be able to pick that stuff up.”
New England selects Purdue LB Ja'whaun Bentley. His 91.2 overall grade ranked second among draft-eligible LBs in 2017
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) April 28, 2018
Another good sign? His special teams background.
“He’ll be a coverage guy,” assured Holt. “He can cover on kicks and punts, and he’ll do a great job. If nothing else, I can see him working in at least three of the four facets of special teams coverage this year.”
In the end, Holt knows Bentley has an uphill battle when it comes to playing time as a rookie. But he sounds confident that while his intangibles and leadership skills will make the youngster part of the conversation, his style and ability to play downhill will be what allows him to stick around.
“The Patriots got a real good football player,” Holt said. “I’m excited to see how he’ll progress.”