Commentary

2019 Draft Profile: Michigan EDGE Chase Winovich

Though the Los Angeles Rams brought in Dante Fowler and Clay Matthews, they still need depth. Ideally, the Rams should use Matthews as a situational edge rusher. This creates an opportunity for a draft prospect like Michigan’s Chase Winovich to come in and learn on the job.

College stats and honors:

2018: 59 tackles, 15.5 tackles for a loss and 5 sacks.

Career: 166 tackles, 43 tack;es for a loss and 18.5 sacks.

Honors: First team All-Big 10 team (2018) and Second team All-American (2018).

Strengths:

Do you like ruthless, relentless and aggressive defenders? Winovich is exactly the guy to look for. Looking at the film, you’ll see that this guy play with passion and like he has something to prove. Explosive by nature, Winovich possesses a solid first-step speed. His relentless pursuit is noticeable when going through some of his film.

Winowich is at a decent size, standing at 6’3″ and weighing about 256 pounds. If the description above doesn’t convince you of us athleticism, his NFL Combine stats will. Running a 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds and a three cone drill in 6.94 seconds truly displays his athleticism. All of this in mind, Winovich will eventually become a starter in the NFL.

Weaknesses:

There are a couple of things to keep in mind about Winovich, especially if the Rams are evaluating him. It’s clear he will need a little coaching, but he will likely struggle more as a 3-4 edge rushing OLB. This raises a red flag for the Rams already because that’s exactly where he needs to play in Wade Phillips’s defensive scheme. Primarily the reason for this is because he doesn’t possess the instincts of where the ball is going. It becomes more obvious when he becomes easily fooled and loses sight of the football.

Another noticeable flaw in Winovich’s game is that he doesn’t change up his game much. This seems like a nitpick, but keep in mind that the next level of players and coaches will study his tendencies more. He needs to have an arsenal of swim moves and other techniques to combat offensive linemen.

Expected draft round:

All things considered, Winovich is going to be a solid player in the NFL. It may take a little time, but under the right coaching, he can flourish. If a team really likes him, I can see him going in the second round, but will likely end up in the third round.

In regards to Winovich on the Rams, I would say pass. Nothing against him at all as a player. He may have to be coached up a little, but I believe he will be a talented player. My issue with him is that he will excel more as a 4-3 DE. Winovich could learn the 3-4 OLB, but I’d rather select a prospect that’s more ready for the 3-4 role. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t be upset if the Rams decide to roll the dice on him, but there are going to be plenty of other options in round three.

Source: Sports Reference 

You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.

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