2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Gregory Rousseau

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Gregory Rousseau, 6-6/260 Defensive End Miami

Gregory Rousseau Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Instincts

Very good read-and-react skills

Good vision

Adjusts well to moving quarterbacks

Quick first-step

Speed to get around the corner

Has a burst to close on the quarterback

Functional strength, length

Ability to use hands and feet at same time

Active hands

Able to shed blocks

Has the makings of pass-rushing moves

Can bull rush

Effective rip move

Can rush from the inside

Agile; not stiff

Solid run defender

Upside to get better

Versatile for 3-4 or 4-3 defense

Weaknesses:

One-year wonder

Raw; needs development

Already had a serious ankle injury

Lost experience and developmental time sitting out 2020

Should add to and refine pass-rushing moves

Gets in trouble when he stands up too high

Summary: Rousseau enter the NFL as a 1-year wonder, having shown a brief flash of ability in his short collegiate career. In 2018 as a true freshman, Rousseau played in two games before going down with a season-ending ankle injury. He then was one of the best edge defenders in college football in 2019. The redshirt freshman collected 15.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, 19.5 tackles for a loss and 54 tackles on the year. Rousseau was second to Ohio State's Chase Young in sacks that season. Because of COVID-19, Rousseau decided to sit out the 2020 season and enter the 2021 NFL Draft.

In Jon Gruden's book "Do You Love Football?!," Gruden shared a conversation with the late Al Davis in which they spoke about what they considered the most important positions in football. The two legends agreed that after quarterback, edge rusher was the important position on a defense and the second-most important position on the team. In the passing-driven NFL, players who can get after the quarterback and neutralize an elite signal-caller are always in demand. Thus, Rousseau will have plenty of teams interested in drafting him this April.

Rousseau is a natural quarterback hunter who has a good skill set to go along with a nose for the signal-caller. He is an instinctive edge rusher who shows an excellent ability to read-and-react. With good vision and feel, Rousseau adjusts to the quarterback to chase him down as he moves in the pocket. It was very impressive to see Rousseau in 2019, despite being a young player, keeping his eyes on the quarterback while working through blocks and executing moves to shed blocks. He was a very advanced rusher for a young player with intelligence beyond his years.

From a physical talent standpoint, Rousseau has a very good skill set. He has a quick first-step and a burst to close on the quarterback. While Rousseau is not a blazing fast edge rusher like a Von Miller, he is quick, and when he works himself free he finishes the rush in a hurry. Rousseau also has good size with some functional strength and length, which make it difficult for offensive linemen to sustain blocks. In 2019, he showed a superb ability to use his hands and feet at the same time while also keeping his eyes on the quarterback. Rousseau showed an effective bull rush, rip move, and speed to run past blockers. Even though he is a tall defender, Rousseau is not stiff and has the agility to sink his hips to redirect. Working on refining and adding more pass-rushing moves would help him in his pro career, as that will make him more effective for taking on NFL offensive linemen.

The combination of size, agility, and functional strength allows Rousseau to be a versatile defender. Miami lined him up on the edge and inside at tackle in the sub package. He was very dangerous in the pass rush against guards, and for the NFL, he could provide that added dimension. He also looked pretty good in space, so Rousseau could have the ability to be a 3-4 outside linebacker as well.

In run defense, Rousseau is solid and is at his best when he works upfield to cause disruption in the backfield. Rousseau has the size and strength to hold his gap to stop the run. For the NFL, it would help him to get stronger, and that would improve his ability to defend downhill runs coming straight at him. Rousseau is young, so he has the time and frame to add strength.

Rousseau looks likely to be a top-20 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Some team sources feel Rousseau was overhyped and overrated with projections high in the first round, but he still looks safe to end up as a top-20 selection.

Player Comparison: Montez Sweat. Sweat broke out in his second season with nine sacks and showed his dynamic skill set. Sweat (6-6, 262) and Rousseau are almost identical in size with good speed and athleticism. Sweat could continue to grow into being a double-digit, sacker and Rousseau has that potential as well.

2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville Jhamon Ausbon, WR, Texas A&M Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama Carlos Basham, DE, Wake Forest Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas Jabril Cox, LB, LSU Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Paris Ford, S, Pittsburgh Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State Kenny Gainwell, RB, Memphis Richie Grant, S, Central Florida Najee Harris, RB, Alabama Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State Trey Hill, C, Georgia Jevon Holland, S, Oregon Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State Mac Jones, QB, Alabama Patrick Jones, DE, Pittsburgh Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama Walker Little, OT, Stanford Hunter Long, TE, Boston College Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan Tre' McKitty, TE, Georgia Davis Mills, QB, Stanford Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU Elijah Molden, CB, Washington Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M Dan Moore Jr., OT, Texas A&M Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina Jamie Newman, QB, Wake Forest Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA Azeez Ojulari, LB, Georgia Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington Joseph Ossai, LB, Texas Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah, LB, Notre Dame Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan Ronnie Perkins, OLB, Oklahoma Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota Aaron Robinson, CB, Central Florida Quincy Roche, OLB, Miami Larry Rountree, RB, Missouri Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU Rashawn Slater, C, Northwestern DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama D'Ante Smith, OT, East Carolina Trey Smith, G, Tennessee Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida Kyle Trask, QB, Florida Joe Tryon, DE, Washington Jay Tufele, DT, USC Payton Turner, DE, Houston T.J. Vasher, WR, Texas Tech Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State Rashad Weaver, DE, Pittsburgh Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina Rodarius Williams, CB, Oklahoma State Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

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