Round 3, Pick No. 14 (77 overall): Chase Winovich, Edge, Michigan
Hometown: Jefferson Hills, PA
STRENGTHS
Plays with a physical style on the edge of the defense that NFL.com described as "like he has zombie blood pumping through his veins." … Solid speed and quickness displayed in Combine testing. … Plays within the scheme and doesn't mind "dirty work." … Aggressive and violent. … Explodes through the ball carrier on tackles. … Impressive hands. … Strong all-around game with high-end intangibles.
WEAKNESSES
Doesn't play with the same speed, quickness or change of direction that he showed in Combine workouts. … Though he ran well in Indy, only two of 24 edge players had fewer than his 18 reps of 225. … May not have starter or double-digit sack upside. … Falls victim to "dumb" penalties at times. … Can get overzealous on ball fakes.
PERSONAL
Tripped over a garbage bag on his front steps and suffered a fractured skull and subdural hematoma while in junior high. … Recovered to become an elite high school defender, including 13 sacks as a senior. … Went on a date with Madonna's daughter, Lourdes Leon, while the two were at Michigan. … Has a friendship with former UFC star Conor McGregor, who according to ESPN referred to Winovich as a "long-haired, staunch motherf*." … Met President Donald Trump on the golf course. … Helped raise $200,000 for the ChadTough Foundation, which funds pediatric brain cancer research, by dying his trademark hair orange for the 2018 Outback Bowl.
COMPARABLE NFL PLAYER
Markus Golden, DE, New York Giants: Golden was a 6-3, 260-pound 2015 second-round pick of the Cardinals out of Missouri. He's moved on to the Giants, now having started 24 of 46 games played over seasons, with a career-high 11 starts in New York in 2018 where he played defensive end. Winovich's hair has also earned him comparisons to Packers/Rams edge presence Clay Matthews, while his last name has some linking him to former Patriots versatile edge defender Rob Ninkovich.
BY THE NUMBERS
Defense
| YEAR | GP/GS | TACK (SOLO) | TFL/YDS. | SACKS/YDS. | PD | FF | FR | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 6/0 | 2 (2) | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 13/2 | 35 (11) | 9.5/40 | 5/29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 13/13 | 79 (28) | 18/72 | 8/45 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018 | 13/13 | 69 (31) | 17/66 | 5/40 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 45/28 | 185 (72) | 44.5/178 | 18/114 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
WORKOUT NUMBERS
| WINOVICH | COMBINE AVG. FOR POS. | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 6-3 | 6-4 |
| Weight | 256 | 254 |
| 40 Yards | 4.59 | 4.69 |
| Bench | 18 | 23 |
| Vertical Jump | 30.5 | 34.5 |
| Broad Jump | 116 | 119 |
| Shuttle | 4.11 | 4.38 |
| Cone | 6.94 | 7.16 |
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
He's the last member of my top 50 hanging out there (at 77). He's got outstanding hands and sheds blockers and shows quickness. Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network
