The New England Patriots have selected former Michigan Wolverines edge rusher Josh Uche in the 2nd round with the No. 60 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Uche is the second Wolverine to come off the board after Ruiz came off the board to the New Orleans Saints in the fist round.
Uche was a diamond in the rough find for the Michigan defense under coordinator Don Brown, coming out of high school as a three-star prospect and the No. 707 prospect in the nation. He played in 39 career games at Michigan and made nine starts, all of which came during the 2019 season in a Swiss Army knife role. Uche was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 and was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree.
Overview (full scouting report here):
Uche is the type of a player that needs to be drafted by a team that has a defensive coordinator ready to use him in a creative way. Likely not a starter in year one, Uche is best served to be utilized in certain packages that highlight his strengths. A year with an NFL team could do Uche wonders, as his pass-rushing abilities are still a work in progress. The speed is there, fundamentally sound tackling is there, but he’ll have to get stronger and develop more tricks as a pass-rusher to see extensive playing time as a professional. The high ceiling could lead to Uche being a second round selection, but his lack of experience, size, and the rawness to his game may lead to him slipping into round three. He’d certainly be worth a second round pick by a team who believes Uche would be a great fit in their scheme.
The 2020 NFL Draft takes place all weekend with the first round on Thursday (8 p.m. ET), second and third rounds on Friday (7 p.m. ET) and fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday (12 p.m. ET).