CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
JOSHUA UCHE
HEIGHT/WEIGHT/AGE
6-foot-1
245 pounds
21 years old
BIG PICTURE
Former three-star recruit Joshua Uche is all about upside. Even as a senior, he found himself in a rotation on the defensive line despite starting nine games. But in just over 300 pass-rush snaps between 2018 and 2019 he tallied 14.5 sacks, leaving most to wonder what he could do with a bit more seasoning. Won Michigan’s defensive player of the year honor. His analytics, per PFF, are outstanding. Participated in the Senior Bowl, but a hamstring injury there kept him from doing anything but lift at the combine.
COMBINE NOTABLES
18 bench reps
VIKINGS COMPATIBILITY RANKING
3 out of 5. If there’s any coach equipped to get the most out of an untapped pass rusher, it’s Vikings defensive line coach Andre Patterson.
HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT DRAFT EXPERTS SAY
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: “Balancing Uche’s skill set and athletic potential against his inexperience and lack of instincts makes him a challenging evaluation. He’s unlikely to find sustained success as a situational rusher, but it should be in play for a team to turn loose his rush instincts and agility inside the pocket as a blitzer. He plays with closing burst, can tackle and is smoother in coverage than expected, but the difference in becoming a pro linebacker instead of a short-term, hybrid athlete will depend largely upon improving his second-level instincts and finding an eclectic defensive mind to unlock his potential.”
Kyle Crabbs, Draft Network: “Josh Uche is a fascinating defender who brings ample versatility to the NFL field. Any defense that can carve out an attack role in their front seven without the labors of consistently stacking the LOS will have the most success with Uche. Versatile enough to drop into the shallows in zone and explosive enough to win off the edge, Uche projects best as an Anthony Barr type athlete as a WILL linebacker who can roll onto the edge and attack as a rusher.”
WHAT PFF SAYS
28.2% win-rate in 2019 (2nd)
Only 325 career pass-rush snaps
68.4 run-stop grade (below average)
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
