Chase Winovich’s journey to the NFL was long and full of twists and turns — and ended Friday night, when the Michigan defensive end was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round, 77th overall, in the 2019 NFL draft. He's the third Wolverine drafted this year, behind fellow defenders Devin Bush (10th overall) and Rashan Gary (12th overall). Winovich, a 6-foot-3, 256-pound defensive end, was commonly projected as a second-round pick leading into the draft after a stellar senior season with the Wolverines this fall. He improved his draft stock this winter after participating at the NFL combine, where he ran a 4.59 second 40-yard dash and put up a 4.11 second shuttle time. At the next level, Winovich projects as a potential stand-up outside linebacker who can rush the passer. Few could have predicted this several years ago, when Winovich was a converted tight end who struggled to earn playing time on special teams, let alone make the depth chart. Winovich, a former 4-star recruit from Thomas Jefferson High School in Clairton, Pennsylvania, signed with Michigan in 2014 as part of former coach Brady Hoke’s final recruiting class. In his first year on campus, Winovich struggled to keep weight; in an interview with ESPN this past fall, he recalled he was so light by the end of his freshman year that he nearly weighed less than the minimum required to participate in a team workout. More:Chase Winovich displays versatility at Pro Day Winovich’s second year on campus was hardly more successful. At the request of the new coaching staff, Winovich switched to tight end and spent most of his time on the scout team. He found a sliver of playing time on special teams later that season, before seeing several snaps at tight end in Michigan’s 41-7 blowout victory over Florida in the Capital One Bowl. That offseason, Winovich once again switched positions, this time finding a permanent home at defensive end. He was a rotational player during the 2016 season, tallying 32 tackles (8 for loss) and 5.5 sacks despite playing limited snaps. As a redshirt junior in 2017, he took over the starting role and was named to the All-Big Ten team while recording 73 tackles (19 for loss) and 8.5 sacks. Following his fourth year at Michigan, Winovich chose to return for a fifth year over going pro. In his final season, he was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten nominee and tallied 59 tackles (15.5 for loss) and 5.0 sacks while battling injuries toward the end of the year. While Winovich was at times a dominant player whose production the past two seasons shot him up Michigan’s record books, he may be just as well known for his conduct off the field. Winovich became instantly recognizable due to his shoulder-length blonde hair; he dyed his hair orange in 2018 for a fundraiser for the ChadTough Foundation, helping raise $211,246. More:Chase Winovich proves he's more than a motor guy Winovich was also an outspoken player who coined phrases such as "revenge tour," which described Michigan’s approach to a three-game stretch this past season against Wisconsin, Michigan State and Penn State — all teams that beat the Wolverines in 2017. And after Michigan beat the Spartans this past October, Winovich called Michigan State "little brother." Combine everything that made Winovich who he is — the confidence, bluntness, motor, all of it — and you have one of the more recognizable players of the Jim Harbaugh era. Not bad for a former scout team tight end. “I love Michigan, the school, so much,” Winovich told reporters in December. “It’s literally the first thing that I have loved outside of my family.” Contact Orion Sang at osang@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter.<doc-sep>With the 79th-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams select CB David Long from the Michigan Wolverines. Here is my write-up from Long after watching his tape (which was fantastic): Long is one of the best press-man cornerbacks in this draft class. He’s physical, does a great job pressing at the line of scrimmage, has great football intelligence, is sticky in coverage, and does a good job staying on a receivers hip. He turns his head and plays the ball when in coverage. Decent tackler. Long also tested as an elite athlete at the NFL Scouting Combine when he destroyed the short shuttle and 3-cone drills. Not only that, but Long visited the Rams on a pre-draft visit. The Rams are slated to select next at pick #101. This pick (#79) was acquired from last night’s trade with the Atlanta Falcons. Long was #81 on Mocking the Draft’s Dan Kadar’s rankings of the best players available after Round 1.<doc-sep>Not only is the nightmare over, it’s something of a dream scenario. Former Michigan defensive end Chase Winovich was certainly a fan favorite in Ann Arbor, which is what made it heart-wrenching to see the projected second-round NFL Draft pick slide out of the round entirely. The third-round started, and it took a minute, but then Winovich got the call — from perhaps the best destination in the entire NFL. The New England Patriots came calling, and Twitter absolutely exploded with the news that Winovich would be playing for Bill Belichick at Foxboro on Sundays. From current and former Michigan to former New England players, there was a lot of excitement about the pick. Also a multitude of media members weighed in, praising Winovich’s selection by the Pats. WolverinesWire has compiled some of the best reactions, which you can check out below: Michigan LB Josh Uche Winoo ❤️✊🏾📈 @Wino congrats my boy — Josh Uche (@_Uche35) April 27, 2019 Michigan VIPER Khaleke Hudson @Wino and @dljxxii I’m so proud of my brothers man. This is a dream come true for them! Life changing moment just now for both of them ❤️ — "Hit-Man" (@KhalekeHudson) April 27, 2019 Former Michigan LB Mike McCray Michigan LB Cam McGrone MICHIGAN EATIN THE DRAFT‼️ — Cam McGrone 💪🏽 (@McGrone_Strong) April 27, 2019 AP writer Matt Schoch Two picks after Michigan teammate Chase Winovich goes to the Super Bowl champs, David Long goes to the Super Bowl losers — Matt Schoch (@Matt_Schoch_) April 27, 2019 MORE on the next page!<doc-sep>
Former Michigan cornerback David Long was taken by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft on Friday night. Long, who declared early for the draft this offseason after three years at Michigan, becomes the fourth Wolverine taken at 79th overall. The 5-foot-11, 196-pound cornerback was one of the steadiest players on Michigan's defense the past two seasons. Long, a former 4-star prospect, signed with the Wolverines in 2016 after being previously committed to Stanford earlier in the recruiting cycle. He battled injuries and inconsistency early on in his career before emerging as one of Michigan's starting cornerbacks as a sophomore. Along with Lavert Hill, who returned to U-M for his senior year, Long formed one of the top tandems in the nation, anchoring Michigan's pass defense. As a sophomore, he recorded 21 tackles, two interceptions and eight passes defended. This past fall, he tallied 17 tackles, one interception and nine passes defended. Teams rarely targeted Long, who thrived playing press-man coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, Long played 595 coverage snaps at Michigan; he was targeted 60 times and gave up just 18 receptions for 130 yards. Long projects as a solid cover corner who could play on the outside or in the slot. Athletically, he compares very well to other cornerbacks in his class and posted a 4.45 second 40-yard dash, 6.45 second 3-cone drill and 3.97 second shuttle time at the NFL Combine. Contact Orion Sang at osang@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter.