Here's why the Patriots believe they have a hidden gem in linebacker Cameron McGrone

FOXBORO — It felt like a foregone conclusion that the Patriots would select a linebacker in the 2022 NFL Draft. Take one look at their roster and you’ll see why.

Names that were staples in the past — Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins — are gone and replaced by lesser-known newcomers or backups from a season ago. As the draft unfolded and pick after pick went by, however, the Patriots avoided selecting a linebacker with any of their 10 picks.

When Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh was asked about the position, he spoke with optimism. Not only do the Patriots like their depth but they’re excited about a prospect many fans haven’t heard about in New England.

“Really excited about that group," Groh said. "Excited to see Cam McGrone. [He] was able to get on the field a little bit last year. Excited to see him be in an expanded role. He's kind of an additional draft pick. You can kind of put him along there with the three guys that we've been able to add here today along with some of the other guys from last year. That all kind of counts to getting younger, getting faster, being a tough team.”

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For a team that doesn't reveal much, the Patriots have not been able to hide their excitement about Cameron McGrone. A fifth-round pick in 2021, this linebacker out of Michigan enters the 2022 season with lofty expectations despite not playing a down in the NFL or being a high draft pick. In this case, there’s a unique sense of optimism that the Patriots found a gem in the 2021 draft.

Following a standout sophomore year at Michigan, McGrone suffered a torn ACL as a junior. The projected third-round pick fell in the draft because of the injury and spent most of last season on injured reserve.

With organized team activities starting up this week, McGrone was back on the field as a limited participant. This 21-year-old is eager to bring some much-needed speed to the Patriots' defense.

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“I’m very excited,” McGrone said this week. “There’s no nervous bone in my body. I know what I have to do. I know the time’s coming. I just have to wait for that time. Every day, I’m just going to keep working until that point.”

Cameron McGrone impressed during his redshirt rookie year

It’s understandable if Patriots fans had forgotten about McGrone.

As the Pats' 2021 season started up, the rookie was nowhere to be found. He wasn't visible at OTAs, minicamp or training camp. Instead, McGrone worked with the team's training staff to rehabilitate his knee.

But that wasn’t all he did. McGrone spent his time studying the Patriots' playbook, game and practice film. If he wasn’t able to participate, he wanted to be up to speed mentally.

“I could spend a lot more time watching film, sitting on the couch while they’re out playing the game, and just really dissect from that point of view,” McGrone said. “And with all that knowledge, I was really ready to put it back onto the field myself.”

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After starting the season on the non-football injury list, McGrone returned to the practice field on Nov. 23. That gave him a 21-day window to practice with the team. Although he was never placed on the 53-man roster, that brief practice window left coaches impressed.

"It was exciting to have him on the field last year for those couple of weeks," said Patriots outside linebackers coach Steve Belichick. "One thing I noticed — all the other guys on the field had been playing football for months and he had been coming off a year of not playing football. But he didn't look, in any sort of way, out of place on the field. I thought that was impressive."

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Belichick noted that McGrone was fast and displayed good instincts. The rookie didn’t look out of place, either.

“What I did see out there last year was a guy who could fly around, make a lot of plays in the run game and the pass game,” said Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo. “We'll have to see how it goes, but at the end of the day, we're expecting him to help the [linebacker] room.”

How Cameron McGrone will help the Patriots

Bill Belichick predicted this.

After drafting McGrone in 2021, the Patriots head coach noted that the team wasn’t expecting the linebacker to play during his rookie season. “There are no false expectations here,” Belichick said. “He should have a good recovery and be a good player.”

As a sophomore in 2019, McGrone played middle linebacker at Michigan. He finished with 66 tackles, 9.5 for loss, four sacks and one forced fumble. That earned him honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. The performance caught the attention of NFL scouts. Now, he heads into 2022 with lofty expectations.

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As a 6-foot-1-inch, 236-pound linebacker, McGrone is expected to add speed to a defense that desperately needs it. He’s smaller than your prototypical linebacker, but when you need your team to play faster, you’re no longer looking for a hulking linebacker. Instead, McGrone should have the ability to drop into coverage and sprint to wherever the ball is on the field.

"I definitely believe my strong suit is speed," McGrone said. "I think anywhere the ball is on the field, I can get there. … Anything my coach needs me to do, I can do.

“Last year, I was able to watch a lot of film, hear a lot of knowledge from older guys and the main thing was really kind of knowing what was coming before it comes, so that knowledge, knowing your opponent. Once you're able to anticipate, you can play as fast as you want."

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With Van Noy, Hightower and Collins not on the roster, the Patriots' linebacker room looks different from past seasons. Ja’Whaun Bentley is the veteran of the group. The team also will rely on Mack Wilson and Raekwon McMillan.

McGrone said he learned a lot from Patriots veterans in 2021 but is looking to bring something different to the defense.

“I’m not really trying to be like anybody else. I’m trying to be like myself,” McGrone said. “When I go out on the field, I’ll take all that knowledge.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Patriots linebacker Cameron McGrone primed to make a leap in Year 2