2020 NFL Draft: Yetur Gross-Matos hit with suspension
Yetur Gross-Matos is expected to be one of the better edge rushers in the 2020 draft, but will have questions to answer after being suspended by Penn State.
Yetur Gross-Matos’ junior season has not gotten off to the best of the starts, with the Penn State defensive end hit with a suspension for a violation of team rules until August 1.
There has yet to be any comment on whether Gross-Matos could be suspended for any games in his junior year as a result of the violation but, regardless of whether he is forced to watch from the sideline at any point, the news will come as a concern to NFL teams as they run the rule over a player considered likely to be one of the better edge rushers in the 2020 draft class.
Gross-Matos had eight sacks and 20 tackles for loss along with two forced fumbles as a sophomore for the Nittany Lions.
That kind of production in a Power 5 conference will never go ignored but, even if he builds on that as a junior, Gross-Matos can now expect to field questions about his suspension in the pre-draft process should he declare for 2020.
He cannot have any control over that. What he can control is his response both on and off the field.
Gross-Matos has become a popular name in the draft community because of his stellar 2018 season. If he replicates and improves on that campaign while avoiding any further indiscretions, then the questions surrounding this suspension may become less pressing.
Next. Tua Tagovailoa healthiest he’s felt since arriving at Alabama. dark
The optics of getting suspended before the season has even begun are obviously far from good. However, if Gross-Matos learns from this episode and puts together another eye-catching year, it could be just a minor footnote in a 2020 draft success story.