New England Patriots: 6 potential first time Pro Bowlers in 2021

2. New England Patriots surprise rookie standout Michael Onwenu will continue to shine

The New England Patriots offensive line is one of the strengths of the roster mostly because of a sixth-round pick who served as the team’s most impactful rookie in 2020.

As perhaps the biggest steal of the 2020 NFL Draft, Michael Onwenu figures to be a big part of the offensive line in his second season in the NFL and a major reason the team was able to part ways with veteran right tackle Marcus Cannon.  He is also a reason why the team will be okay after watching All-Pro guard Joe Thuney walk away in free agency.

In starting all 16 games in 2020, Onwenu’s ability to play either tackle or guard is what makes him so valuable entering the 2021 NFL season.  That versatility as well as his reliability along the Patriots offensive line is what will propel him from the PFWA All-Rookie Team to the Pro Bowl.

With the return of the massive Trent Brown at left tackle, the emergence of Onwenu at either tackle or guard allows for the team to kick Isaiah Wynn inside to with Shaq Mason and center David Andrews to form a very physical interior of the offensive line for the running game.  Brown and Onwenu at tackle help protect the quarterback, but also makes the Patriots offensive line just that more physical.

Above all, it is how Onwenu approaches the game that makes him one of Bill Belichick’s biggest draft steals.

"“I just approached the offseason doing the basics,” Onwenu said back in May, as transcribed by Boston.com.  “The general rules will lead you and carry you along in the season, whatever [you play] position-wise.  As long as I’m doing the technique my coaches are teaching, I think anywhere that I am, I’ll be pretty good.”"

Just doing what the coaching staff asks him to do is exactly why Michael Onwenu ends the year as a Pro Bowl selection.