Gregory Rousseau 2021 NFL Draft Scouting report

Name: Gregory Rousseau

College: Miami

Height: 6065

Weight: 266

Overall Rank: No. 41 overall

Position Rank: EDGE7

Strengths: Gregory Rousseau has the length, power, speed, and burst – all the physical traits NFL teams like to see in an edge rusher. Rousseau is a twitchy athlete with excellent agility and burst at the snap. He has an incredible natural feel for extending his arms and utilizing his length to win matchups with offensive linemen. At 83 ¼ inches, his wingspan is spectacular, and it shows out on tape. Rousseau has the speed and explosiveness to cause problems for blockers who aren’t as agile as he’s quickly won matchups in college, leading to racking up sacks consistently. Rousseau displays great hand speed and superb intelligence on utilizing power moves to his advantage.

Weaknesses: Rousseau only played one season as a full-time starter at Miami. He’s a natural pass rusher who understands the game well, but he’s often been caught playing off balance; leading him to be overpowered. Rousseau has a frame that could build up more weight once he gets accustomed in the NFL. Rousseau is sort of your classic boom or bust candidate as a pass rusher. He has so many natural abilities that you can see him having some level of success at the NFL level, it’s just a matter of how much success. He has a high ceiling as a prospect, but also a dangerous floor mainly based on his lack of playing experience.

What I Love: The upside with Rousseau is tremendous. Only a one-year starter in college, Rousseau still possess the elite upside teams look for because of his athletic profile. He can do a lot of things well enough to contribute his rookie year. Rousseau is a classic example of an NFL prospect that could be a lot better as a pro than he was as a college player. The upside of adding a dominant double-digit sack defender to an NFL defense is too juicy for teams to pass up on with Rousseau. While he does carry risk from lack of in-game experience, the upside will have teams racing to the podium in round one, or at the very latest, early in round two.

NFL Comparison: Marcus Davenport

Grade: 84/100

Position Specific Traits:
(key: +, ++, +++ positive scale | -, - -, - - - negative scale)

Athletic Ability: +++

Pass Rush Power: +

Pass Rush Speed: +++

Run Support: +

Speed/Burst: ++

Strength: +