The Saints drafted their second defensive end of the draft, Greg Romeus out of Pittsburgh. Romeus is a player with tons of potential and ability, but his injury history is what hurt his draft stock. My opinion on this pick is – sure, why not? The Saints aren’t likely to find a difference maker at this point in the draft so you have to take a chance on someone. At 6’5″ 264lbs, there’s no denying this guy is a beast in size.
Here’s Romeus’ write up on NFL.com:
Overview: “Romeus missed nearly his entire senior year dealing with back and knee injuries, but he has excellent size and the athleticism to contribute at the next level. He is a powerful rusher with good speed that will be even more effective once he adds more counter moves to his repertoire. He is very strong and difficult to move in the running game and shows the agility to make tackles from the backside. He lacks the fluidity to make plays in space, but he has a very high ceiling and should be a middle round pick in spite of his injury concerns.”
Strengths:
“Romeus has a monster frame and a good closing burst. Powerful pass rusher that uses long arms to keep blockers at bay and flashes an effective swim move. Sinks hips and holds the edge against the run and shows the ability to take on double teams. Disciplined player that consistently keeps contain.”
Weaknesses: “Does not show the explosive first step to be a true edge rusher. Needs more polished counter moves. Lacks the lateral agility to break down ball carriers in the open field and struggles to drop in coverage on zone blitzes. Disappears at times during games. Missed most of senior season due to injuries”
My personal opinion on this kid is he can be a player if he stays healthy. His write up reminds me of Bobby McCray, or at least he has the potential to be that good. If history repeats itself, Romeus could be more like a Cie Grant or Stanley Arnoux – in other words, a player that never lives up to his potential because he can’t get on the field. If he can straighten out his health problems, though, I have no doubts he can make the team and contribute.
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