Hitting on draft NFL picks is an art, not a science, though metric people will suggest otherwise. Not sure what metrics the Patriots used under Bill Belichick, but a whole host of high and higher round draft picks couldn’t play at all and helped lead to his firing.
Yet ironically, Belichick hit on some rather interesting “finds” in later rounds of the draft and undrafted free agency. One, of course, is the NFL’s all-time best, Tom Brady, a sixth-round pick. None will ever equal that highway robbery, that was due in large part to assistant coach, Dick Rehbein.
Yet, the Pats have had other gems later in the draft. One was guard/center Ted Karras, who was ill-advisedly broomed twice by Belichick. He was a sixth-round pick in 2016. Another sixth-rounder is now garnering high praise from a solid source, as well.
Mike Onwenu tapped as the “biggest gem” in the 2020 draft
The Patriots took a flier on an unheralded guard in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. It was Mike Onwenu from Michigan, and he’s started almost every game since. That’s what should easily be called a “gem”, as Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder calls him.
Holder’s title is reserved for picks in the fourth round and later, and he selected Onwenu as his top selection for the 2020 draft.
“Coming out of Michigan, Onwenu was a hulking offensive lineman who stood at 6’3″ and nearly 350 pounds with 34⅜” arms. He possessed a few dominant traits but seemed to lack the killer instinct to be a highly touted draft prospect…However, the switch quickly flipped for the Detroit native, earning a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie team and becoming a consistent presence on the Patriots’ offensive line over the last five seasons.
Not only has Onwenu received an above-average grade from Pro Football Focus every year, but he’s also posted marks of 70 or higher four times while playing three different positions…That’s a big reason why New England gave him a three-year, $57 million contract extension last offseason and why he got the nod over the players listed below. “
Hitting on a sixth-round pick at all is great, but when he becomes an immediate starter and contributor at more than one position, you’ve really struck paydirt. The Pats did so with Mike Onwenu, and it resulted in that $57M contract extension.
Mike Onwenu disappointed in 2024 but will hopefully rebound in 2025
Having established the unlikely and excelled in his first four seasons, Onwenu was justifiably rewarded with a contract extension. But that’s when the wheels fell off. He showed up to the 2024 camp overweight. For an already big player, that wasn’t a great optic for his new coach, Jerod Mayo.
Onwenu played the season and still manned his starting position mostly at right guard. It was suggested that he be traded. Regardless, the Patriots’ brass, now including no-nonsense Mike Vrabel, won’t be happy at all if he reports out of shape for camp again in 2025.
Reporting out of shape showed disrespect to his coaches, the team, and his teammates. Vrabel won’t countenance that type of attitude in 2025. If he does, his own goose will be cooked, and he’ll flop. It’s not clear what Onwenu’s conditioning will be for camp in 2025, but Patriot Nation can expect Head Coach Mike Vrabel to take a dismal view of any player who isn’t fully ready to play.
Vrabel has worked hard to patch up a porous offensive line, and the only returnee who has the talent to be a regular is Onwenu. It will be a massive disappointment if he again fails to report in shape.
Players who receive contract extensions should be determined to reward the team’s faith in them by going the extra mile, not slacking off.
But if Mike Onwenu shows up for the 2025 summer camp unfit, he won’t fit the model of the culture Vrabel is trying to create, and he should be traded. And that should apply to any other player who thinks he’s bigger than the team. That attitude is for losers.
