2020 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State
Career Snapshot
Two-year starter who earned First Team All-Big Ten honors and made 40 tackles (15 for loss) with 9.5 sacks as a junior in 2019. Named Third Team All-Big Ten, finished second in the conference with 20 tackles for loss and made 54 tackles with eight sacks as a sophomore in 2018.
Positives
Very athletic, explosive pass rusher who can be used out of a three-point stance or standing over tackle. Plays with terrific pad level, gets leverage on opponents and shows great quickness. Easily changes direction, displays speed out into space and effectively pursues ball carriers down the field. Slices to the inside of bigger tackles, works his hands throughout the action and has a closing burst of speed. Immediately alters his angle of attack, redirects to the action and shows the ability to bend off the edge. Gets a lot of momentum going up the field and can be tough to stop. Resilient and works hard. Rarely off his feet.
Negatives
Lacks bulk and gets outpositioned from the action by a single blocker. Often too intent to rush up the field and overruns the action. Will struggle to stack against the run early in his NFL career.
Analysis
Gross-Matos is an explosive pass-rushing prospect with a high upside, but he needs to round off the edges of his game. He shows terrific movement skills to make plays in space as well as bend the edge, but he must get stronger and consistently play at a high level. Gross-Matos comes with tremendous upside, though there may be bumps in the road early in his NFL career.