First Round (No. 14 overall)
Gregory Rousseau – DE (Miami-FL)
The most disappointing thing about the Minnesota Vikings during the 2020 season was their inability to sack opposing quarterbacks. Going from 28 sacks in 2019 to only 23 in 2020 has to open some eyes as to the talent available behind superstar pass rusher Danielle Hunter.
Although Hunter should be back, finding a long-term answer on the other side of the defensive line should be a priority. For most experts, the top two defensive ends available in this draft are Michigan’s Kwity Paye and Gregory Rousseau of the Hurricanes.
Rousseau would be an excellent fit for the Vikings due to his limited experience and huge upside. The fact that he only played one season will scare some teams away that want a more established presence on the edge, but Minnesota has proven itself to be able to develop talented young pass rushers, especially those with exceptional physical talents.
The stats from 2019 on Rousseau are exceptional. In 13 games played, he registered 19.5 tackles for a loss with 15.5 of those being sacks while adding two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and one pass defense.
Missing the 2018 campaign after suffering a broken ankle in the first game and then sitting out 2020 due to the pandemic may keep Rousseau from being a top-five to top-ten pick in this year’s draft, but instead, he seems like a great candidate to land with the Minnesota Vikings and help the defense become a great pass rushing squad again.