Gregory Rousseau 2021 NFL Draft Profile

It is no surprise that Gregory Rousseau will be one of the most coveted players later this month during the NFL draft. The 21-year old defensive end from Miami has the look and production of a high-end defensive end. As a redshirt freshman in 2019, Rosseau finished second in the nation with 15.5 sacks behind only Chase Young. In a two-week span against Florida State and Pittsburgh, Rosseau racked up a total of seven sacks. He was named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year for his performance and the Football Writers Association of America named him second-team All-America.

Unfortunately, Rosseau was never able to give the Hurricanes an encore as he opted out of the 2020 season due to Covid-19. Still, he remains an intriguing prospect. He possesses a wingspan of 83 inches and has all the athleticism NFL teams want. On top of being a four-star recruit as a defensive end in high school, Rousseau also dominated on the offensive side, earning second-team All-State in Florida as a receiver in 2016. And with only one season as a starter in college, Rousseau still has a lot to learn in the technical aspect of being a defensive end. This means teams can coach him up at the next level and unleash the rest of his potential.

Strengths

Physical freak;

“Long” with an 83″ wingspan;

Makes plays up and down the field due to hustle and motor;

High-end production in his one season as a starter;

Can line up all over the defensive line and produces at all of these spots;

Disciplined in the run game;

Just turned 21.

Weaknesses

Still has room to grow his frame as he appears a little too light;

Can get stuck on blocks, although some of this could be attributed to defending read-option;

Not much technicality to his game while rushing the passer;

How will he translate to the NFL after missing the 2020 season after only one year of starting?

Projection: First round

Bottom Line on Gregory Rousseau

Rousseau brings a fantastic blend of size, youth, athleticism, and power to the table. He may still be raw, but he looks the part of a pass-rushing EDGE defender that NFL teams fall in love with. He appears a bit thin on tape, but he also hasn’t been on the field in over a year. If he comes in at a good weight and has the strength to hold his own, he could be a day one starter in the NFL. But with an abbreviated off-season ahead once again, Rousseau may begin the 2021 season in a rotational role and pass-rushing situations, which is far from a bad thing. If the right coaching staff gets their hands on him, he could be molded into a perennial Pro Bowler that terrorizes quarterbacks for a decade.