Godchaux Still Driven by Draft, 'Ready to Dominate'

New England Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux is hoping to make mentor Vince Wilfork proud

Davon Godchaux isn't shy about saying he believes he's one of the top nose tackles in the NFL and he can't wait to get the chance to prove it.

One of the new members of the New England Patriots, Godchaux met with the media via Zoom this week and talked about his desire to dominate at a position where it's difficult to generate many headlines.

Godchaux joined the Patriots after signing a two-year deal as an unrestricted free agent after spending the past four seasons with the Miami Dolphins.

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His last game with his former team came in Week 5 of the season when Godchaux was sidelined with a biceps injury that would keep him on injured reserve the rest of the way.

I'm just excited man to get back on the field," Godchaux said. "I had a bicep injury week five, against San Fran (with) Miami, so I'm just excited to get back. I feel like when I'm healthy, I mean, I'm one of the best nose tackles in the game.”

Godchaux initially entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft out of LSU.

He's always used his draft position as motivation, so much so that he had it tattooed on his left arm last offseason.

"You bring in guys like Jalen Mills, you bring like (Matt) Judon and all the guys in the (free agent) class, it’s going to be exciting," Godchaux said. "Each one of those guys who we picked up are hungry, they got something to prove, and I definitely got something to prove. I'm just keeping that same mind-set because I know I was drafted in the fifth round, 178th pick. So I keep the same mind-set with me, I keep it every day I go to work.

"I keep that same mind-set and never get complacent, never get relaxed and I keep entertaining myself going onto the field each and every day, but I'm just ready to get out there and just you know, win some football games.”

Godchaux had some prior connections to the Patriots from his time in Miami, playing for Patrick Graham and Andre Carter, the latter telling him he would love playing in the New England defensive scheme.

He's also had interactions with former Patriots great Vince Wilfork, the gold standard at the nose tackle position.

"Big Vince was the masterpiece of that defense for a long time," Godchaux said. "A lot of people don’t really value that position in football because you don’t get the stats, you don’t get accolades, you don’t’ get the numbers that the Aaron Donalds get. You don’t get those numbers, but when it comes down to it in a 3-4 defense, the nose guard in my opinion is the most pivotal position because it sets up everything."

Godchaux understands not just the standards set by Wilfork, but by the entire Patriots organization.

"The standard is already set high just by coming here," Godchaux said. "I'm here to write my own legacy. Big Vince Wilfork, you can’t take for granted what he has done for this program and what he has done for the NFL in general. He dominated the game at that position. Hopefully God blessed me to do the same, to dominate this game at that position. He’s one of the guys that I look up to when I talk about striking them with your hands and things like that.

"He dominated that and I actually had a chance to spend some time with him in South Florida, I think he has a house in South Florida. When I was training down there I actually spent some time with him and he’s like, if you need to reach out to him can reach out to him because I have his number. So he’s kind of like a mentor to me."

Godchaux is hoping to do Wilfork proud.

"I'm just excited," he said. "Just giving me the honor to go out there and compete for the nose tackle position and to play at the highest level, which is the NFL. I'm so excited. I'm just ready to get out there on the field and dominate.”