2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Gregory Rousseau

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Gregory Rousseau, 6-7/265 Defensive End Miami

Gregory Rousseau Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Excellent length

Keeps blockers away from him with long arms

Has some instincts

Read-and-react skills

Good vision

Adjusts well to moving quarterbacks

Functional strength

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:

Serious bust potential

Not explosive

Lacks speed around the corner

Not physical

No speed to power

Needs to become a power player

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 after a brief flash of ability in his collegiate career. In 2018 as a true freshman, Rousseau played in two games before going down with a season-ending ankle injury. Despite being a redshirt freshman, Rousseau was one of the most productive edge defenders in college football in 2019. He collected 15.5 sacks with two forced fumbles, 19.5 tackles for a loss and 54 tackles on the year. Rousseau was second in the nation to Ohio State’s Chase Young in sacks that season. Because of COVID-19, Rousseau decided to sit out the 2020 season before entering the 2021 NFL Draft.

Rousseau was a very good pass rusher in college, but for the NFL, he lacks explosion and is not a speed rusher. He is a bit of a one-trick pony for the next level because he relies on his length to make up for not being a fast defensive end. Rousseau is not going to blow by pro tackles because he lacks the burst to run by them. What made Rousseau effective in 2019 was his length. He kept blockers away with his long arms and made the most of sack opportunities. NFL offensive tackles, however, are longer, so he won’t be able to rely on just being a long defender.

In 2019, Rousseau showed an ability to use his hands and feet at the same time while also keeping his eyes on the quarterback. He demonstrated an effective bull rush and a rip move, and length to get off blocks, but he will need to grpw stronger for those moves to be effective against pro tackles. Some team sources think Rousseau will have to become a power player to be a good pro, and he might need one or two years of development in a strength and conditioning program before that happens. Rousseau will also have to show serious dedication and work ethic to make that happen. While Rousseau flashed somewhat, down in and down out he is not a physical player, and team sources are disappointed in his lack of consistent physicality.

Rousseau has some instincts as an edge rusher and an ability to read-and-react. Using good vision and feel, Rousseau adjusts to the quarterback to chase them down as they moves in the pocket. Rousseau was very impressive in 2019 with how he kept his eyes on the quarterback while working through blocks and executing moves to shed blocks despite being a young player. Even though he is a tall defender, Rousseau is not stiff and has the agility to sink his hips to redirect.



Rousseau’s combination of size and length give him versatility as a 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 he could have the ability to be a 3-4 outside linebacker as well.

Rousseau is solid in run defense, and he is at his best when he works upfield to cause disruption in the backfield. Rousseau has the potential to develop into a pro defender who can hold his gap to stop the run. For the NFL, it would help him to get stronger, and more power 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. As stated above, he needs to get stronger and become a power player to make up for his lack of speed.

Rousseau looks likely to be a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. A survey of team sources, however, came back with Rousseau more than any other player as the most overhyped and overrated player in this year’s draft. A number of team sources think Rousseau is going to be a bust. Some teams have him graded in the second and third rounds, but Rousseau looks likely to be selected in Round 1.



Player Comparison: Vernon Gholston. In some ways, Rousseau reminds me of Gholston, who was a mega bust for the Jets after being sixth-overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Gholston put up a big season of sack production at Ohio State but lacked speed for the NFL. I think Rousseau could be overrated and possesses bust potential similar to Gholston.

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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