ROOKIE OL MIKE ONWENU FITS PATRIOTS PROFILE
The nickname came easy. One look at Mike Onwenu, and the seed was planted.
Given his size, and not knowing how to pronounce his last name (it’s on-WHEN-you), “Big Mike” seemed like the perfect handle for coaches, friends or acquaintances when it came to addressing the Patriots’ sixth-round pick.
At least, that’s how
Michigan offensive line coach Ed Warinner explained the story.
“You hate butchering a kid’s name, so we just shortened it to
‘Big Mike,”’ said Warinner, “because the first impression when you see him is, ‘Wow, he’s big ... he’s massive’ ... so it’s a good thing he’s a lineman. Because he can really move people.” And knock them over like bowling pins. Warinner couldn’t say enough about Onwenu’s ability to flatten opposing linemen, leaving human pancakes in his wake. At 6-foot-3, 344 pounds, Big Mike packs a wallop. He’s been a fortress at right guard for the Wolverines, especially the past few seasons. “You’re not going to get very far with a bull rush,” said Warinner. “Once he gets his arms locked out, it’s over. They’re pretty much done. He’s just super strong. He has a good low center of gravity, a wide base ... his strength numbers are ridiculous, especially in the lower body.
“So he’s going to be able to control people at the line of scrimmage that are going to try to use their power and push against him.”
Judging by Warinner’s description, when opposing players have challenged Onwenu in the trenches, or he’s been out in space leading a running back, the end result is much like what happened to Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner in those famous cartoons: Splat!
“When the DBs see him coming, they just hit the dirt,” Warinner said, chuckling at the thought. “You don’t want to be hit by him. When he hits you, you get knocked off your feet. He’s not 310, 315 hitting you. It’s all 360 solid-as-a-rock when he hits you.” Now, Onwenu is far from being a finished product. He might be strong as a bull, and a giant roadblock, but there’s still work to be done on hand technique, footwork, and movement. He’s still considered a work in progress. But Onwenu’s physical traits and upside were appealing enough, the Patriots traded up in the sixth
round, making sure to land the Michigan hulk.
He was the first of three interior linemen the team drafted in the later rounds as possible depth pieces behind the starters.
Given his size and strength, Onwenu might help as a force in a power running attack, overwhelming defenders in front of him.
Charles Davis, a draft analyst for NFL Network, admits he’s intrigued by the player.
“As big and as thick as he is, he kind of reminds me of a bigger Shaq Mason,” Davis said when reached recently. “Getting the running game going, that fits him to a T.
“Power football still has its place in the NFL,” Davis added. “I’m eager to see how he adapts.”
With a young and inexperienced quarterback, the Patriots figure to rely quite a bit on their running game. So the men up front are going to be important.
Warinner said Onwenu’s playing weight was in the 360-pound range with the Wolverines. And while that seems a bit too hefty to maintain effectiveness, it worked just fine for the mountainous man in college.
“He’s a house. The weight is not coming over the belt buckle,” said Davis. “The weight is the bottom part, his backside and thighs. That’s a lot of young man. So I’m eager to see how he develops.”
Warinner admitted to having questions about Onwenu’s weight when he took over as the line coach at Michigan two years ago. So he made sure to have the lineman’s body fat and mass measured.
The result?
It was determined that Onwenu was just fine playing at 360 or a few pounds over.
“Our nutritionists and our strength coaches felt like that was a good weight for him. They felt his efficiency ... his bone structure and his muscle mass, he wasn’t carrying any higher percentage of bad weight than any other lineman,” said Warinner. “He just happened to be a thicker, bigger, genetically inclined human being.”
One who could have a bright future in the NFL with the Patriots if he progresses and lives up to projections.
Heading into the NFL’s scouting combine, Onwenu wanted to show he was committed to keeping his fitness, and maintaining his quickness. So he dropped about 20 pounds, weighing in at 344.
During a conference call with the media after being drafted, Onwenu said he felt better being lighter, but would play at whatever weight the Patriots desired.
“Last season, I played around 368.
I’m liking being lighter,” he said.
“But wherever the coaches ask me to be is where I’ll be.”
Onwenu, who was primarily used at right guard, does have some flexibility to play other positions. During his freshman season in
2016, he was even flipped to the defensive side, used part-time as a defensive lineman.
Since then, Onwenu has made his home on the offensive line.
The Detroit native believes he could move over and play center, if that’s what was needed. Coaches have cited Onwenu for having a high football IQ , so he could probably learn how to play another position in a pinch. Guard is probably the best spot to start. Joe Thuney’s future with the team is unsettled, while Mason seems to deal with nagging injuries every year.
Warinner also praised Onwenu for his preparedness and professionalism. Every Friday the offensive line coach would give his players a test, and his starting right guard always had his assignments down, passing with flying colors. Onwenu has also experienced several different offensive systems during his four years at Michigan, which should benefit him going forward. He’s been in a pro-style offense, and more recently, the spread offense.
“He’s been exposed to everything I think the Patriots run, in terms of inside zone, outside counter, power,” said Warinner. “I think he can do all of those. I know he can do all of those.” of the rookies will be at a bit of a disadvantage not having OTAs, and on-field work and instruction that is provided during early camps. That’ll make it harder. But they’re all in the same boat given the pandemic. Onwenu, and fellow Patriots rookies, just have to learn most of it virtually early on. “He has the tools and the skills to do anything. It’s just learning what to do so he can focus on how to do it,” said Warinner. “In that regard, when Mike has good footwork, when he has consistency in his footwork, he is a tremendous player. He can be as good as anybody we had ... in my mind, as many as I’ve coached that play in the National Football League, there’s no doubt he can play, and become a starter.”
One thing Onwenu had to learn was to stop being so polite on the field. According to Warinner, he’d knock guys over, then help them up. While it’s OK to be a gentle giant off the field, that’s not the best description for a player in the trenches.
“He knocks a lot of people over,” said the O-line coach. “So I told him he didn’t have to help anyone up, especially after he knocked them down.”
Ben Bredeson, one of Onwenu’s Michigan linemates, and the Wolverines starting left guard, was taken by the Ravens in the fourth round. Big Mike fell a bit under the radar, as weird as that might sound for someone so huge.
But with the pandemic, teams couldn’t go to pro days, or have private workouts. Warinner believes that might have hindered his stock, leaving him to go in the sixth round.
“I mean, every day at practice, I’d have ‘Oh my god’ moments. Like, ‘Oh my god’ I have 15 guys in the NFL, and none of them can do that,” Warinner said of Onwenu. “Physically, he has freaky talents. People get distracted by, ‘Oh he’s so big, he just gets in people’s way.’ He doesn’t. He can do some things ... and if teams got to work him out, he might have climbed the board a little bit. So I think he’s a great value pick for the Patriots ... which is one of their fortes.
“I think he’s going to be a 10-year-guy in the league,” Michigan’s offensive line coach added. “I think he’ll be around for a couple contracts.”
Warinner indicated he had contact with Carmen Bricillo and Cole Popovich, who both figure to be involved with the Patriots offensive line, replacing the legendary Dante Scarnecchia, who retired. Warinner believed the Patriots did as much homework and research on Onwenu as they could under the circumstances.
“Mike will fit into the culture of the Patriots,” said Warinner. “He’ll come into work, be there on time, sitting in meetings, being prepared, having a notebook out, writing down notes, paying attention, sitting up straight in his chair. He’ll be a pro, which they love in that building.”