Buffalo Bills select Gregory Rousseau with the 30th overall pick
With the 30th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills selected defensive end, Gregory Rousseau, out of the University of Miami.
Rousseau, whose mother is a nurse battling the covid-19 Pandemic, became the second player to opt-out of the 2020 college football season, following Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley.
During his 2019 season, playing in his home state of Florida, the Coconut Creek native was regarded as one of the best pass rushers in the nation. Leading the ACC in sacks with 15.5, Rousseau tied the program’s highest single-season mark. Rousseau also led the ACC in tackles for a loss with 19.5 which earned him a nomination to the ACC’s First-Team along with being named the conference’s Player of The Year in 2019.
Though the towering 6’7″, 265 pound talent had an incredible ’19 season with the Hurricanes, his Pro Day left many talking about Jaelen Phillips, who was selected 18th overall, then himself. With that, Rousseau is full of elite potential but is by no means a finished product.
Rousseau’s selection to the Buffalo Bills marks the second time in as many years that the franchise opted to address their pass rush. With their last year’s first-round pick sent to the Minnesota Vikings in the trade involving Stefon Diggs, the team had to wait till the second round to pick. There, they took A.J. Epenesa out of Iowa who was also revered as one of the best pass rushers in the class and a projected first-rounder. That selection has not yet panned out as Epenesa struggled to make an impact in his rookie year and looks to bounce back.
As the Buffalo Bills continue to make roster moves to keep up with the Kansas City Cheifs, evolving their pass rush early in the draft was a must. With Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison climbing up in age at 32 and 33 years old, respectively, Rousseau brings youth to the position.
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As the team continues to find out what they have in Epenesa, bringing in another project defensive end could result in great things for the Bills’ defensive line.