Penn State Football: Yetur Gross-Matos ready to make instant NFL impact

Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos looks to capitalize on his successful Penn State football career. What is his draft stock and outlook at the next level?

Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos was one of the best defensive players in the country the last two seasons. He decided to forego his senior year and declare for the 2020 NFL Draft. It looks to be a good decision as he should be a high draft pick and should make an immediate impact at the next level.

Gross-Matos’ profile started to rise his sophomore season where he recorded 54 tackles, 20 of which were for loss including eight sacks. Last season, he recorded 40 tackles, 15 for loss and 9.5 sacks. Both seasons were good enough to earn him first team All-Big Ten honors.

The young defensive end had a fantastic collegiate career but he has endured tragedy not once but twice in his life. ESPN’s College GameDay profiled him last fall. No matter what NFL team he plays for, the tragedies he has endured just make you want to root for him.

Gross-Matos is highly athletic and will be a huge asset to his pro team. Let’s take a look at his draft profile and where he might land.

Strengths

At 6-foot-5, Gross-Matos is a naturally gifted edge rusher with good size and athleticism. He has great length and a good burst off the ball. He can beat an opposing tackle in two ways, either by bending around them at the edge or has the strength to push them into collapsing the quarterback’s pocket. He has the versatility to even play as a stand up linebacker at the next level if a team wants to utilize him in a different way.

At this year’s NFL combine, Gross-Matos put up 20 reps on the bench press, had a 34-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 120 inches. While he did not run the 40 yard dash, his vertical was the fourth best among defensive linemen and the sixth best broad jump.

Weaknesses

Gross-Matos is still a work in progress with areas to grow at the next level. While he can disengage from a blocker, he often has difficulty when blockers get into his frame. Once he develops a larger array of moves, it will help improve this area of his game. He also needs to develop quicker hands as a pro.

Another area of concern while at Penn State was against the run. No doubt Gross-Matos has a quick burst off the line, but too often he would have difficulty locating the ball. This lack of direction would lead to him running himself out of a play.

Draft Expectations

The surface has merely been scratched with how much potential lies with Gross-Matos. He has all the tools of an excellent edge rusher in the NFL, he just needs to refine his skills. Once in the league, he will be given the opportunity to turn into a top level defensive end.

This year’s draft is short on sure thing edge rushers after Ohio State’s Chase Young. Gross-Matos has the highest potential of all of them. He should be a starter for whatever team that lands him, but once his skills catch up to his sheer athleticism, look for Gross-Matos to become one of the better defensive linemen in the league.

Projection: Late-first round