The Buffalo Bills addressed one of the few needs the team had in Round 1 of the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday, selecting Miami edge rusher Gregory Rousseau with the 30th overall pick.
A three-star high school recruit out of Champagnat Catholic in Hilaleah, Florida (a Miami suburb), Rousseau burst onto the scene with an emphatic 2019 campaign for the Hurricanes, logging 15.5 sacks as a red-shirt freshman, second in the nation behind only eventual second overall pick Chase Young of Ohio State (16.5).
He opted out of 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns, instead using that time to prep for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Rousseau clocked a respectable 4.68 at his March Pro Day, cementing the 21-year-old’s place among the top pass-rushers in this year’s class.
Measurables: 6-foot-6/260 pounds
School: University of Miami
2019 stats: 15.5 sacks, 54 tackles, two forced fumbles
Accolades: Second-Team All-American (2019), Freshman All-American (2019), First-Team All-ACC (2019), ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year (2019)
Strengths: A versatile pass-rusher equally adept as a zero-technique as he is on the edge, Rousseau’s length and athleticism make him a near-impossible assignment, particularly on the interior, where he dominated throughout 2019. Instinctive with a nose for the ball, what Rousseau may lack in off-the-line burst he more than makes up for by outworking opponents. The 6-foot-6 disruptor simply refuses to give up on plays with many of his sacks the product of sheer determination. It’s still early in Rousseau’s development, but if he was that productive as a redshirt freshman in a Power-5 conference (his 15.5 sacks were the most by a Miami player since Greg Mark in 1989), just imagine his ceiling.
Weaknesses: Rousseau has injury questions to answer for (a fractured ankle cost him all but two games as a true freshman in 2018) and appears stiffer on tape than his 40-time would suggest. A former high-school receiver with only one full season at the collegiate level, Rousseau’s lack of experience has raised concerns with some scouts projecting him as a better long-term fit at nose tackle than at edge rusher. Rousseau disappointed at his Pro Day, underwhelming with a tepid 30-inch vertical and an equally lackluster 9-foot-7 broad jump.
NFL comparison: Chandler Jones
Rousseau boasts similar measureables to Cardinals pass-rusher Chandler Jones and might even be a step quicker than Jones was coming out of Syracuse.
What experts are saying:
“He won a lot in college against sub-par offensive guards when kicked inside — I don’t think that’s as sustainable at the NFL level.” – Nick Falato, Sports Illustrated
“He carries a bit of a boom/bust profile, but also has the makings of a player who can become a quality 4-3 end within his first three seasons.” – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
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