Scouting the 2020 NFL Draft: Yetur Gross-Matos, Edge, Penn State
By Bryan Perez
Penn State edge defender Yetur Gross-Matos will be one of the more exciting defensive prospects available for the 2020 NFL draft.
The 2020 NFL draft will be dominated by talk of the talented — supremely talented — wide receivers and first-round worthy running backs, not to mention two quarterbacks who are worthy of legitimate No. 1 overall discussion. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a handful of talented defensive prospects who warrant early first-round consideration.
One of those prospects is Penn State edge defender Yetur Gross-Matos.
Gross-Matos started 13 games as a sophomore and finished the year as a 1st Team All-Big 10 defender. He finished 2018 ranked 12th in the nation with 1.5 tackles for loss per game.
Gross-Matos ended his first full season as a starter with eight sacks, 54 tackles and 20 tackles for loss. His production was great evidence of development from his freshman season when he appeared in 13 games with 17 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss.
And the good news? He can get even better.
Gross-Matos still has room for growth as a pass rusher. He has ideal size (6-5, 265 pounds) and length and possesses a really impressive first step. He has above-average change of direction skills, too, which really help set him apart as a strong run defender.
His biggest weakness right now is his limited pass-rush arsenal. If he doesn’t win off the snap, he simply doesn’t win. But that’s not the worst position to be in as an ascending prospect. He can get better, and I expect he will.
His hands are powerful, and that’s a critical building block for any good pass rusher. Once he learns how to use them better, he’ll be a star.
Next. Travis Etienne nervous catching the football?. dark
Gross-Matos has top-10 potential, assuming he continues the development he started in 2018. He’s not quite a sleeper at this point; most draft analysts have Gross-Matos on their first-round radar. That said, he has the kind of upside to shoot into the top-10 discussion if he posts double-digit sacks this fall.