Gregory Rousseau is a player who has just one full year of college tape playing on the defensive line, and he played just one year on the defensive line in college. He’s underdeveloped but he certainly has the traits and versatility to be one of the best pass rushers in the entire league.

Strengths: 

  • Great Explosive First Step

Greg Rousseau has a great first step. It’s very explosive and allows him to gain a lot of ground quickly. It’s one reason why he’s so good on the interior defensive line as well, because it allows him to really bully interior offensive lineman.

  • Has Amazing Length

Gregory Rousseau has what I think is pretty safe to say the longest arms by far in the edge draft class and he uses them extremely well. He consistently outreached college offensive lineman and he has enough that it should continue at the NFL. Being able to consistently land the first punch with length is a really useful tool for a pass rusher

  • Reacts Well to What He Sees

Rousseau may still be an unpolished prospect but he still has a great overall feel for the position. He reacts well to what’s going on in front of him whether that’s identifying and reacting to the run or understanding what an offensive lineman is trying to do and countering it.

  • Hands Are Effective When Used Right

If Greg Rousseau can consistently use his hands well which he’s shown flashes of being able to do, it’s going to do wonders for him. His hands are active and pack a decent punch, it’s just about him placing them well.

  • Great Dealing With Mobile QBs

Greg Rousseau does an absolutely amazing job of choking off possible escape lanes for QBs. He knows when to cut back and he’ll be a nightmare for mobile QBs who like to escape the pocket like Russell Wilson. He also has great closing speed and agility in pursuit of mobile QBs and RBs alike.

  • Insane Ceiling

Greg Rousseau’s traits are amazing and if he can put it all together if coached up well I think that he could be an amazing player at the next level. He has the athleticism to turn the corner, the frame to become a guy who can push around offensive linemen, and the length to consistently land the first punch. He’s also very versatile and can move inside on passing downs which he’s very good at. This is a deadly combination of traits to have and if his potential is unlocked he’s going to easily be one of the best edge rushers in the league. 

Weaknesses: 

  • High Pad Level Too Often

Greg Rousseau gets his pads up too high all too often and he plays upright which makes it a lot easier for offensive linemen to win leverage battles. This ends up completely taking him out of plays at times.

  • Low Functional Strength

For a guy as big as Greg Rousseau is, his punches should really be more effective and he should never really be moved around by offensive lineman, but surprisingly his functional strength isn’t great. He does have room on his frame to add weight and strength however.

  • Leaves His Chest Open Too Often

Despite his massive reach, offensive linemen are too often able to get into the chest of Greg Rousseau because his hand placement isn’t always great and he leaves his chest exposed all too often as well. 

Player Comp: Danielle Hunter is a super lofty player comparison for Rousseau especially considering that I think of him as easily a Top 5 pass rusher in the league but at his ceiling, Rousseau is Danielle Hunter. Both guys have insane athleticism and size, with amazing explosiveness. Both guys have insane reach that allows them to consistently punch first, and if Rousseau gets a bit stronger which he has room to do and works on his hand placement I think he can have super effective hands similar to Hunter. Coming out of college Hunter was also an extremely underdeveloped player and I’d say that Rousseau is even more polished than Hunter, which is a positive sign if we want to see Rousseau hit his ceiling at Danielle Hunter’s level. 

Final Thoughts: Based on my analysis of Rousseau it may seem like I’m much higher on him compared to others, but drafting Rousseau in the first round means taking an absolutely massive risk. If he’s not coached to have better technique, and if his versatility isn’t used right, Rousseau could end up being a first round bust. It’s a super high risk high reward decision to make with Rousseau and it’s a decision I’d be comfortable making in the later part of Round 1 but even higher if I know I have a good coaching staff that will teach him and use him well. I probably prefer 4-3 for Rousseau because he can play defensive end on first and second down while kicking inside to 4-3 defensive tackle for 3rd down but he’s still a solid player in a 3-4 scheme. The Vikings are the perfect team fit for Rousseau because they did an amazing job of developing Danielle Hunter who was just as raw as Rousseau coming out. They also have a need at the edge across from Hunter and happen to play 4-3. The thought of Hunter, Pierce, Tomlinson, and Rousseau on the same defensive line is an absolutely scary thought.