Atlanta Falcons: DE Gregory Rousseau is an intriguing draft prospect

DE Gregory Rousseau is an intriguing draft prospect for the Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons have a major decision to make later this spring when they’re on the clock in the 2021 NFL Draft with the No. 4 overall pick.

Do they use it on a future franchise quarterback? Do they trade back to gain more draft capital? Do they take the best defensive prospect available? Do they address the offensive line or even go out-of-the-box with a skill position player? All of those options- and more- are on the table.

If you ask 10 different NFL analysts what the Atlanta Falcons will do with their first-round pick, you very well might get 10 different answers. That’s what makes this draft so interesting from a Falcons perspective.

While we’ve heard the ‘big’ names quite a bit here just a couple of months out from the draft, there is one name that we keep circling back to who might be of major interest depending on his Pro Day next month: Former Miami DE Gregory Rousseau.

Rousseau hasn’t played football in a year and that might be a concern for the Atlanta Falcons, but he addresses one of the team’s biggest issues

Rousseau opted out of the 2020 College Football season after posting a spectacular redshirt freshman season. He was a first-team All-ACC defensive end who totaled 15.5 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss and he was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

He showed great explosiveness off the edge and, honestly, had he played his redshirt sophomore year this past fall and posted similar numbers, he’d likely be considered a guaranteed top-seven draft pick and the consensus best edge-rusher in the draft.

The problem is that we just don’t enough about Rousseau.

He shows all the explosiveness, athleticism and quick burst to be an elite pass-rusher at the next level, but we’ve only seen him play basically one season.

That’s what makes him so intriguing. Is he the next Vernon Gholston or he is a Pro-Bowl caliber player? That’s the question.

Perhaps it would be too big of a risk for the Falcons to take him with the No. 4 overall pick, but trading back might give them the option to take a gamble on him while earning more draft capital in the process.

We’re not saying he’s the pick by any means, but Atlanta Falcons fans should at least keep their eyes peeled on Gregory Rousseau notes and analysis as we head closer to the draft.