Pro Football Focus names its favorite and least-favorite Patriots draft picks

Time will tell whether or not the New England Patriots’ 2020 NFL draft will be a success, but that does not mean it cannot already be analyzed. The guys over at Pro Football Focus are doing just that, as Michael Renner, for example, has just released his list of his favorite and least-favorite picks for each team. From the Patriots’ perspective, two players picked on the second day of the event have made the list — both of which defenders:

Favorite: Edge Josh Uche, Michigan (60)

Uche is a Pats edge guy through and through. His ability to rush the passer from anywhere as well as drop into coverage fits perfectly.

Least Favorite: LB Anfernee Jennings, Alabama (87)

He’s likely to transition to an off-ball role and there’s considerable projection there seeing as how he played off the edge at Alabama. I wouldn’t bet against the Patriots with their track record there though.

The Patriots traded up to select Uche with the 60th overall selection, and he projects to have an immediate impact on a defense that has lost Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins in free agency. The same could hold true for Jennings, but PFF is not sure whether or not that will actually be the case considering that he might have to move from playing on the line of scrimmage as a defensive end into a stand-up off-the-ball role as a more traditional linebacker.