Quincy Roche NFL Draft Overview
Position: Edge Rusher
Height: 6’-3”
Weight: 240 pounds
School: University of Miami
Quincy Roche Draft Profile
Quincy Roche had one of the most productive college careers of any edge rusher entering the 2021 Draft. Roche spent his first three seasons with Temple before transferring to Miami for his senior season. He racked up 30.5 career sacks in four seasons across the two schools. However, most scouts have projected his Miami edge rusher teammates Greg Rosseau and Jaelan Phillips ahead of Roche prior to the draft.
Roche attended New Town High School, Maryland, where he played defensive end and tight end. Several colleges recruited Roche out of high school and he committed to play football at Temple University.
He dominated the American Athletic Conference. In three seasons with the Temple Owls, Roche had 26 total sacks. As a junior, he earned a career-high 13 sacks and AAC Defensive Player of the Year. Roche announced his transfer to the University of Miami in January 2020. Roche made 4.5 sacks and an impressive 14.5 tackles for loss in his one season with the Hurricanes.
Strengths
- Explosive off the snap – can blow right by offensive tackles;
- Lower body provides good bend off the edge – bursts off the edge
- Quality production at a power five school;
- Has a good feel for pass-rushing – great vision and uses his hands effectively;
- Consistent pass-rushers difficult to find – plays a premium position.
Weaknesses
- Lack of versatility – pure speed rusher, lacks in size to compete as 4-3 defensive end;
- The initial burst is great, but doesn’t maintain that speed through the rep consistently;
- Smaller wingspan – will have to overcome bigger, lengthier linemen at the pro level;
- Needs to add weight and build strength – very doable with an NFL conditioning program;
- Potential liability in the run game at his current size.
NFL Comparison: Yannick Ngakoue
The measurables between Roche now and Ngakoue coming out of college are very similar. Ngakouse has since added 10-15 pounds onto his frame, which has allowed him to stay on the field for all three downs. It’s the initial burst each player has that catches the eye. Ngakoue is lightning fast off the snap and Roche possesses a similar burst, snap anticipation, and vision as a speed rusher.
Teams With Need at Position: Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens.
Projection: Round 4-5
Bottom Line on Quincy Roche
There’s a lot to like about Roche. He’s smart, shows good anticipation, and has a great feel for pass-rushing that is hard to coach. His pass-rush sets jump off the screen as scouts will be drawn to his get-off. Roches’ skillset might only translate to the NFL as a pass-rushing specialist but if he’s consistent in that role, NFL teams will find a spot for him on the roster.
All of his negatives largely stem from his lack of size that makes him a potential liability in the run game at the pro level. It’s possible Miami liked him at this size for the college level and an NFL conditioning program should build Roches’ size. However, will he be able to carry the weight? Will the get-off burst be the same with another 10-15 pounds of muscle? These are questions that NFL scouts and coaches won’t know until they have him in their building, making him a risky prospect to be taken with an early-round pick.
While Roche has his doubters, edge rusher is a premium position in the NFL and production in a power five conference talks. He has the initial burst that could wreak havoc on offensive lines at the pro level. In the right scheme, Roche can be very productive at the next level. He likely needs to work on the same side as a solid five-technique who can occupy blockers on passing downs. Because of the production and the upside, don’t be surprised if a team takes a swing on Roche in the third round. However, the boom or bust nature of his skill set probably lands him in the fourth or fifth round.
[pickup_prop id=”5616″]
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
