There's very little question that Patriots third-round pick Josh Uche, an end/linebacker from Michigan, had an outstanding week at the Senior Bowl.
He had two pressures in seven practice one-on-one reps. He was outstanding and showed his possible versatility on a couple of coverage snaps as a standup linebacker.
In the game, Uche had a hit and four hurries in 11 pass rushes — and one of his hurries should have been a sack of Justin Herbert if Uche didn't forget he wasn't in practice and could hit the quarterback — for an amazing 45.5 pressure rate.
You could make the argument Uche was the defensive MVP of the entire week between practices and games.
No wonder Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy (a former Patriots scout who isn't exactly universally beloved around the league) raved about Uche going into the draft.
Hard to believe we’re not seeing this guy in any first-round mock drafts. Could make a strong case that @UMichFootball OLB Josh Uche was the best defensive player at the @seniorbowl. But that’s just what we saw. #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE
? Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports pic.twitter.com/qkHPjC3gaq
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) February 3, 2020
JaMycal Hasty, Baylor — Undrafted.
So while Uche has performed well in the past year and deserved to be a top draft prospect, his top performances came against poor teams and players he would be better than.
No one is saying anything about this means for Uche's future, but it's something that should be taken into consideration.
- Terrific first step off the line. When he's on in that regard, he has almost too much speed for slower offensive linemen.
- His speed in the box is elite. Not quite as impactful in space.
- Comes down the line well once he gains the corner.
- Showed some pass-rushing adjustments with his hands.
- Strong lower body and long arms allow him to stand in against taller offensive tackles.
- Looks like he's very versatile to play on the end and as a standup linebacker. Could even play off the ball.
- Can look small and swallowed up against more athletic offensive linemen.
- Struggles a little at the point of attack against the run. Hands could be more active.
- Only had 18 reps of 225 pounds at the combine. That's weak for an edge defender.
- Most of his production came against lesser competition.
- Even PFF said: "Many of Uche's wins this season came almost as a blitzer walked up over interior linemen. While that's a great skill to have, it's not really a substitute for beating offensive tackles one-on-one. Being undersized only makes that more of a question mark. It's ok to be hesitant at this point and admit we need more information.