2021 NFL Draft: 3 fits for Jaylen Twyman after opting out
New England Patriots
This defense is not what it used to be. The secondary is still as strong as ever, but the front seven has been ravaged by time, an opt-out and free agency. Transitioning to 2020, the team has lost more than half of its 2019 sack total to the latter scenarios. Although the team is young on the edge, the same cannot be said for the interior of head coach Bill Belichick’s defensive front.
The makeup of the interior consists of Adam Butler, Lawrence Guy and Dietrich Wise Jr. While it’s not a poor lineup by any means, depth remains an issue, as well as a true pass-rushing presence to complement a host of promising edge talents. Byron Cowart and Beau Allen will compete in that regard, but are both unproven in the NFL.
Naturally, Belichick’s defense spawned Patricia’s and as such Jaylen Twyman fits here just as well. What the Panther product lacks in length for a traditional 3-4 defensive tackle, he makes up for in explosiveness and quick pass-rushing moves. If we’ve learned anything about Belichick is he puts players in positions to succeed and isn’t married to the idea of fitting positions with physical builds.
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Belichick has built his defenses for the past two decades with overlooked, undersized and unlikely physical makeups. Twyman isn’t an outcast by any means. But, as I alluded earlier, he could be overshadowed by participating players in the 2020 college football season. This potential outcome coupled with a useful skill set that works in the mind of Belichick could lead to a quality marriage in April.