Sleeper
In a four-man draft class it’s extremely difficult to identify a sleeper. Each one of these players will have a great chance to make the roster and see some action. However, Deatrich Wise Jr. is someone that could surprise a lot of people.
Heading into last year, I had Wise rated as a potential 2nd-round pick. He’s a long and athletic edge defender capable of generating some pressure on the quarterback. Wise also plays the run with integrity which makes him a well-round defender.
The reason he fell a little in the draft is because he didn’t take a step forward in his development. It’s not a great sign to see a prospect level off as a player. However, Wise still flashes the natural talent needed to be a major contributor.
He will likely be worked in at defensive and given a chance to earn some reps. It may take a couple weeks before he cracks the rotation, but if the light comes on he has a chance to be special. There just aren’t a lot of individuals with his combination of size, quickness and length.
One reason he may not make much of an impact this year is the Patriots depth chart. Wise will need to leapfrog the likes of Kony Ealy, Trey Flowers, Geneo Grissom, Lawrence Guy and Derek Rivers.