The New England Patriots were armed with six Day 3 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. After selecting a kicker, Justin Rohrwasser, with their first pick of the day in the fifth round, the Patriots moved up in the sixth round for an addition on offense.
It wasn't a quarterback. Or a receiver. Instead, they added an offensive lineman.
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The Patriots must've seen something that they liked in Michigan offensive guard Michael Onwenu. They sent picks 212 and 213 to the Colts to move up the board to grab the Wolverine at pick 182.
One thing stands out about Onwenu. As our own Phil Perry points out, he is a massive man.
Onwenu helped himself out a lot in the pre-draft process. He showed off his strength during the week of the East-West Shrine Game and generated good push in the practices and game. He logged 26 bench press reps at the combine and should have a chance to be a solid strength-based player.
Onwenu will compete as guard depth on the Patriots' offensive line along with last year's fourth-round pick Hjalte Froholdt and Jermaine Eluemunor, who the Patriots acquired via trade from the Baltimore Ravens on eve of the 2019 season and re-signed as a restricted free agent. And given that Joe Thuney's future in New England is up in the air, this will be an important battle to watch, as one of these players could be a starter as soon as 2021.
New England Patriots
Onwenu is the second Michigan player the Patriots have selected so far in this draft. They took edge rusher Josh Uche after trading up to the 60th overall pick to get him.
Here's the latest reset on the players that the Patriots have selected and the picks they have remaining.
