Chase Winovich
/draft-prospects/chase-winovich
College: Michigan
Height: 6'3"
SCOUTING GRADE
Weight: 255 lbs
Injury History: 2018: Ankle (Opted Out of Senior Bowl), Undisclosed Injury (X-Rays came back negative), Head, Shoulder, Neck (No Missed Time),
Scout: Ryan Lippert
Scouting Report
Athleticism: 7.34
Q.A.B. / C.O.D.: 7.50
Uses great quickness when rushing off the edges. Is able to flip his hips quickly to change direction when the play is away from him.
Flexibility: 7.50
Displays a good bend when rushing off the edge to get around bigger offensive tackles.
Explosiveness: 7.50
Uses his explosion to bull rush through offensive tackles.
Playing Speed: 7.20
Plays with a great initial burst of speed when rushing off the edge. Also shows ability to tack down ball carriers.
Coordination: 7.00
Isn't knocked off balance easy. Can take on blockers without getting knocked off track.
Pass Rush Ability: 7.26
Initial Quickness: 8.00
Uses a quick first step to beat offensive tackles off the edge.
Use of Hands: 7.50
Isn't afraid to get physical with offensive linemen. Uses his hands to stack and shed with force.
Leverage: 6.60
Plays with a decent pad level but could work on it at the next level.
Pass Rush Moves: 6.70
Mainly rushes with bend straight off the edge or uses a bull rush. Has some moves but not many, could add to them at the next level.
Finish Ability: 7.50
Shows great finishing ability when he gets to the quarterback, whether it is making the sack or a QBH to create a tough throw.
Competitiveness: 8.37
Toughness: 8.40
Winovich shows great toughness when taking on bigger offensive linemen. Also showed ability to play through injuries this season.
Consistency/Motor: 8.20
Plays with a constant high motor, very rarely takes a play off. Is also very consistent in his play.
Production: 8.50
2018- 66 tackles, 17 TFL, 5 sacks, 7 QBH
Against The Run: 7.37
Play with Leverage: 6.60
Same as in his pass rush ability, plays with decent pad level but could improve.
Stack and Shed: 7.30
Uses his physical hands to stack and shed with force against bigger offensive linemen.
Gap Shooting Ability: 6.70
Didn't have to shoot gaps too much in college but was effective when asked to.
Run at Him: 8.00
Is great at finishing on tackles, was a force in the backfield against the run this season.
Run Away: 7.10
Takes good pursuit angles and shows ability to get to the ball carrier.
Tackling/Hitting: 8.50
Is a very solid tackler, very few misses that were due to timing and position. Also isn't afraid to lay big hits.
Intelligence: 7.73
Instincts: 7.80
Shows good instincts against the option, reads ball carries and quarterbacks well. Also showed ability to react to screens quickly.
Learn/Retain: 7.70
Very rarely makes the same mistakes twice.
Teamwork: 7.70
Is always quick to celebrate with teammates and showed that he wants to play and win at all costs.
STRENGTHS:
The thing that you're going to get with Winovich is a great amount of competitiveness. He's going to do whatever it takes to be on the field and help his team win. Winovich showed this many times in college as he played through injuries. He even put off surgery so that he could play in Michigan's bowl game. I also like his quickness of the edge and his ability against the run. He was a force against the run this year and it shows in his amount of tackles for loss.
WEAKNESSES:
One thing that Winovich may have to adjust to at the next level is playing as a stand up outside linebacker. With his size, that will likely be what coaches ask him to do. This will be something for him to get used to as he mainly played in a three-point stance at defensive end for Michigan. Playing outside linebacker would also require him to work on his skills in coverage which he very rarely had to do in college. Another thing to monitor with Winovich is injuries. Although he was tough enough to play through them in college, they can still raise some concerns.
BIG PICTURE:
Chase Winovich is a name that has risen up the charts in the past two years. The fifth-year senior came onto the scene late but has taken advantage of every opportunity. Winovich saw some special teams time as a sophomore but finally started to get his opportunity as a junior. In his junior season, Winovich played in all 13 games and started two games, finishing with 32 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks. He truly stepped into the spotlight as a senior, putting up huge numbers. As a senior, Winovich finished with 73 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks on his way to earning First Team All-Big Ten honors. Winovich contemplated going into the draft but decided to use his extra year of eligibility and return to Michigan. In his final season, Winovich helped lead one of the top defenses in the country, finishing with 59 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and five sacks. These numbers helped him receive Third Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten honors. He was also a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award and was invited to play in the Senior Bowl. At the next level, I see Winovich being an edge rusher/outside linebacker. He will be a Day 2 selection for a team that needs help off the edge. Even being taken outside the first round, I could see Winovich quickly becoming an NFL starter and having an outstanding career.
Projected Round: 2-4
Team Fits: Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks
Pro Comparison: Clay Matthews III