The Countdown to Kickoff series continues on with a look at exciting New England Patriots rookie linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill who may prove to be the biggest steal of the 2016 NFL Draft.
There are exactly 48 days until the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers open up the 2016 NFL regular season with a Super Bowl rematch. In the meantime, we at NFL Spin Zone are going to profile a player each day as we countdown the days to kickoff.
The Countdown to Kickoff series began with a look at No. 99 Joey Bosa and has continued on everyday since (check out all of the posts here).
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There some interesting underrated options to choose from at number 48. Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Bud Dupree immediately came to mind, as did rookies like Vonn Bell, Jordan Jenkins and even Glenn Gronkowski, but it is an even more unknown rookie who became the choice.
Let’s take a look at talented New England Patriots rookie defender Kamu Grugier-Hill.
The Patriots drafted the little-known Grugier-Hill out of Eastern Illinois in the sixth round (208th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. Grugier-Hill was primarily a linebacker in college, and is listed as an outside linebacker by the Patriots, but he has an extremely versatile skill-set that could have him playing a variety of roles.
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Grugier-Hill is an incredibly fast and athletic defensive player who moves like a cornerback, looks like a safety (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) and plays like a linebacker. He is an extremely aggressive player who shines as an in-the-box run defender who can make plays from sideline-to-sideline.
It will be extremely interesting to see how the Patriots plan to use Grugier-Hill. His play-making ability on the field is undoubtedly legitimate, but he is a bit of a linebacker/safety tweener. In the past, that may have been looked at as a negative, but in today’s NFL, teams are learning how to use these kind of players extremely well.
Grugier-Hill does not have the clearest path to a spot on the Patriots’ active roster, but if he can impress enough in training camp, his play-making ability on the field will likely make him an impact player for the Patriots, even if it is in a limited role.
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While he may eventually become an impact defender for the Patriots, Grugier-Hill will likely have to earn his way on to the field as a special teams player. That being said, his aggressive style of play and obvious speed and athleticism on the field makes him a perfect special teams player.
Belichick always highly values a player who can make a strong impact on special teams, and I think Grugier-Hill has a chance to be one of his best. His raw ability as a player should make him a legitimate special teams ace.
The Patriots may have found a major steal here in this sixth-round pick. If nothing else, Grugier-Hill should be able to make an immediate impact on special teams. However, he also has the raw upside to be a legitimate impact player as a hybrid linebacker/safety on defense.
Grugier-Hill is a completely unpolished talent, but his upside is absolutely massive. I love the way he plays the game, and think Grugier-Hill will make an immediate impact for the Patriots on special teams if nothing else.
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He has the raw ability to be the Patriots’ best late-round pick since taking Tom Brady at number 199.