Positional ranking: #5
Big Board ranking: #30
Overview
Position: EDGE
College: Miami
Class: Sophomore (RS)
Age: 21
Measurables
Height: 6’6 5/8”
Weight: 266 lbs.
Arm length: 34 3/4″
Hand size: 11″
Athletic testing
40-yard dash: 4.69 sec.
Vertical jump: 30.0″
Broad jump: 115.0″
Bench press: 21 reps
3-cone drill: 7.50 sec.
Short shuttle: 4.45 sec.
Strengths
Extremely long edge defender. Strong and well-built frame despite combination of youth and length. Tremendous range as a tackler. Very smooth overall for a player his size. Size and athleticism allows him to quickly cover gaps. Gets upfield in a hurry and uses effective swipe move. Reliable wrap-up tackler. Engulfing when he gets to the quarterback or ball-carrier. Great pursuit. Closes extremely fast when target is in his sights. Willing to get in on gang tackles. Knows how to use length to keep blockers off his frame and easily set the edge. Excellent feel for quarterbacks moving/escaping and taking them down. Very impressive bend for a big defender. Has lined up over the center and shown good ability to push the pocket with power. Ideal play discipline as a backside defender and against zone-read plays. Length should allow him to disrupt passing lanes more at the next level. Experience dropping in short zone coverage. Looks comfortable covering out in space. Very productive with 15.5 sacks in 2019.
Weaknesses
Can improve taking on down blocks with more physicality. Could see him use his power more to go through blockers. First-step quickness is a bit lacking in space. Opted out in 2020 and only had one season as a significant contributor.
NFL comparison
Carlos Dunlap
Conclusion
Overall, Rousseau is a well-rounded defensive lineman with tremendous length that can impact the game as both a pass rusher and run defender. He might not quite have the elite-level explosiveness of some stars currently in the NFL, but Rousseau has the potential to be a monster on the edge in a 4-3 defense.
Hm let’s see if he’s hurt by holding out. Was formerly top 10 last preseason..