Steelers coach Mike Tomlin gushes over Patriots rookie Chase Winovich

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Chase Winovich grew up not far from Pittsburgh, and on Sunday he'll make his NFL debut for the New England Patriots against the Steelers.

Winovich would've been a great fit for the Steelers defense entering the 2019 NFL Draft, but Pittsburgh decided to select his University of Michigan teammate Devin Bush in the first round. Winovich fell all the way to the third round, where the Patriots took him.

The energetic edge rusher had a very impressive preseason, tallying 2.5 sacks and 11 tackles through four games. He also earned himself a place on Pro Football Focus' preseason All Rookie team

Winovich should feature quite a bit Sunday night when the Patriots host the Steelers for a Week 1 matchup at Gillette Stadium, and Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin is well aware of the Michigan product's talent.

“He’s had an awesome preseason,” Tomlin told reporters Tuesday. “I really have a lot of respect for him. Through draft preparation I saw a lot of him. He’s a quality edge rusher." 

Tomlin later added: "(Winovich) just had a lot of traits really that were similar to (T.J.) Watt. He was mature beyond his years in terms of his skills relative to his position. His hand usage, his awareness in terms of his rush. His overall in-game awareness. His motor. He had a lot of positive attributes.”

The Patriots had a lackluster pass rush last season, finishing with the second-fewest sacks of any team. The additions of Winovich and veteran defensive lineman Michael Bennett should help improve the Patriots' pass rush in 2019, and putting pressure on the quarterback will be crucial Sunday against Ben Roethlisberger. He's the last quarterback to beat the Patriots and led the league in passing yards last season.

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