2020 NFL Draft: New England Patriots Draft Report Card

Round 5

Making sure to get their replacement for kicker Stephen Gostkowski, Belichick & company decided to spend a fifth-round selection on Marshall kicker Justin Rohrwasser. Last year the Patriots also expended a fifth-round pick on Jake Bailey, who has become a special teams asset for New England. Rohrwasser converted on 97.1% of PATs, 85.7% of field goals, and had a long of 53 yards.

Rohrwasser has shown NFL range and the ability to kick under pressure. This is highlighted by a game-winning 53-yard field goal in the driving rain to win 26-23 against WKU. This pressure-kick was at home in front of over 22,000 fans. A singular moment like that translates to the NFL, especially for kickers who have the weight of their roles placed into a handful of snaps throughout the course of a game.

Statistically, Rohrwasser made 4 of 5 from 20-29 yards, 7 of 8 from 30-39 yards, 5 of 6 from 40-49 yards, and made both kicks from fifty yards and beyond. This consistent range combined with accuracy from wider hash marks builds a great resume for Rohrwasser, and even if overshadowed by kickers from larger schools, he has the statistics and situational performance to justify being the first special teamer off of the board.

Grade: B

Round 6

With the imminent departure of guard Joe Thuney via trade, Belichick will look to bring in a strong guard with NFL size. Michael Onwenu is a 6-foot-3, 344-pound interior lineman who does his best holding ground in the passing game. He slides well between tackles and edges to help in protection and take on more physical pass rushers.

This size on the interior gives Onwenu the ability to match up against the imposing defensive tackles who have become so popular in the NFL.

A strength of Onwenu is his ability to slide in pass protection, moving from the edge with an offensive tackle to the inside against nose tackles with the center. Even though he has shown lateral mobility and the ability to identify pass rushers, he still struggles to block downhill and looks hesitant to get into the second level.

Without coaching, Ownenu is going to be a pass protecting guard who holds his ground on the inside and helps combo either interior or edge rushers.

New England has had rumors swirling around the trade of guard Joe Thuney due to cap restrictions, and Onwenu could be a good replacement to fill a specific role and not cost much in terms of cap space or draft capital. With the correct coach, Onwneu could become a capable starting guard who shines in his pass protection.

If New England was to bring in a guard to directly replace Thuney though, I would have liked to see them use one of the two selections they used on tight ends.

Grade: C

A swing tackle to slot behind Isaiah Wynn and Marcus Cannon, Justin Herron is a powerful offensive tackle who can move bodies and control edge rushers. At 6-foot-4, 308 pounds with 27 reps on the bench press, Herron is a people-mover who can control and edge and set the scene for a running back.

In pass protection, Herron struggles to keep up with speed rushers looking to get to the edge and could use improvement to his lateral mobility. Herron is still able to get into the chest of rushers and control them, making him a capable pass protector but better run blocker.

Both Cannon and Wynn only have two years left on their deals and will be due for expensive extensions in 2022. Cannon will be playing the 2022 season at 34-years-old, putting him in an unfavorable position to be kept in New England over the younger Isaiah Wynn (26 in 2022). Combined with a fifth-year option on his rookie contract, Wynn will be the tackle to remain in New England while Herron takes over on the right side after Marcus Cannon.

With a future need at tackle, Belichick has put a succession plan in place for longtime Patriot Marcus Cannon. Justin Herron could play from day one but would be much better off taking a year to develop behind the scenes and come out as a starter in either his second or third year. Herron will be on the bench for his first two years though, only getting the chance to play if there is an unfortunate injury.

Grade: C

Cassh Maluia is a balanced interior linebacker who is able to drop into coverage as well as play running lanes. With an eye for the ball, Maluia created turnovers on both batted balls as well as forcing fumbles with good punches when bringing down ball carriers. New England has built its new defense with a bigger emphasis on creating turnovers, especially in the secondary, and can bring that aggression down to the linebacking corps.

In a 3-4 alignment (the best representation of New England’s base defensive personnel) the Patriots are currently starting Dont’a Hightower and Ja’Whaun Bentley on the interior of their linebacking group. Hightower is capable of sliding to the edge as well, freeing space for Maluia to come in for sub-packages. Behind Hightower and Bentley though, there is little to no depth for their inside linebackers.

Bentley will look to make a big jump in 2020 after showing flashes of star potential in 2018 & 2019. Maluia does not have the same physical frame or gifts of his new teammates but can fill the role of sub linebacker and produce on coverage.

Grade: B

Round 7

This pick is an insurance policy in case former starting center David Andrews (blood clots) is unable to play at the start of the 2020 season. New England lost former backup center Ted Karras to free agency, so Woodard fills in as the second center for the Patriots. If Andrews does stay healthy for the beginning of the season, Woodard’s place on the roster is not guaranteed before final cuts.

Woodard is on the smaller size for offensive centers, only measuring in at 6-foot-2, 291 pounds. He struggles to get big and move bodies in the middle of the defense but makes up for lack of power with nimble movement skills. Woodard operated in a passing offense with lots of movement to the flats on screens from the interior line. This is a popular concept in New England, getting players in playmaking situations in the flats with misdirection.

Woodard is not a draft pick that will look to start in 2020 but will instead look ahead to 2021. David Andrews has one year remaining on his contract and will be a free agent in the 2021 offseason. If Woodard can manage to impress the coaching staff throughout his rookie season, Belichick and company will cut Andrews loose and play the seventh-round draft pick with a cheap contract that fits into their system.

Grade: C