After a tremendous redshirt freshman season recording 15.5 sacks, Gregory Rousseu decided to opt out of the 2020 season and prepare for the draft. This was a decicion that, from a football perspective, brought very mixed feelings around the media. He was incredibly productive but it was also evident that he was raw and needed another season to really cement his draft stock. With the rise of the two transfers at Miami in Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche, Rousseau has been somewhat forgotten overall. His tape from 2019 peaks really but there are some issues.

Gregory Rousseau

Height: 6’7″

Weight: 265

Strengths: Incredible first step. His top-end athleticism flashes all over his tape. Does a great job winning with quickness on the inside. Able to play both inside and on the edge with success. Uses his length to his advantage. Good run defender who isn’t afraid to take on an incoming back. Has a high motor that helps him produce defending the run and rushing the passer.

Weaknesses: While the athleticism is evident, the technique isn’t. Rousseau doesn’t have a plan of attack when rushing the passer. He doesn’t have any pass-rush moves. His counters are also non-existent. Once a lineman gets his hands on Rousseau, it’s over. Leverage is also an issue as he gets stood up far too often. At 6’7″, this could be a long lingering issue.

Overall, Gregory Rousseau is beyond intriguing as a prospect. While he doesn’t have any technical element to his game yet, the raw athletic upside is through the roof. Pairing him with the right team and defensive line coach will be incredibly vital to unlocking his true potential. If Rousseau fills out, his ceiling is as high as a Julius Peppers, but if he doesn’t figure it out he could be the next Jamaal Reynolds. While I initially had him as a first-round player because of his traits, the lack of any pass rush moves or counters is a tough sell for me in round one. Someone is going to convince themselves that they can make Rousseau into a great EDGE rusher. It would go against the Vikings recent draft history, it would go against the grain, but Andre Patterson would be the perfect coach to get the most out of him.