New England Patriots: 5 rookies who will make headlines in 2021

3. Joshuah Bledsoe is the kind of player New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick loves

The New England Patriots had great luck last season with late-round pick Michael Owenu who was a surprise steal in the draft along the offensive line.

They could have similar success with sixth round pick Joshuah Bledsoe out of the University of Missouri.

Name aside, Patriots fans will come to love Bledsoe because of his competitive nature.  Not only is he a strong defensive back who competes against the pass, he is capable of being a physical presence in the box against the run.

Furthermore, his hard nose style of play and work ethic will make him a Belichick favorite as the season goes along.

Following the draft, Belichick talked about what the 6-0, 201-pound physical safety brings to the table.

"“Joshuah] Bledoe’s a versatile player at Missouri, did a lot of different things for their football team,” Belichick said, via Patriots.com.  “Was in a couple different systems, defensive staffs out there, but through it all, he’s a very athletic player, high school quarterback, point guard, defensive safety, very, very instinctive player.”"

Could the Patriots have their Patrick Chung replacement?

Time will tell, but his versatility and instincts on defense will earn him some snaps eventually.  Until then, look for Bledsoe to not only make the 53-man roster, but quickly become contributor on special teams.