Sam Roush

The Player

Roush is a versatile Y tight end with legitimate in-line capability. He brings a level of physicality and core strength as a blocker that few tight end prospects possess. He also has the flexibility to be an aggressive and smart route runner, with reliable hands and impressive contact balance after the catch. In his final two seasons at Stanford, he totaled 89 catches for 879 yards (9.9 yards per catch) and four touchdowns. He’s smart and durable, finishing his college career with 30 consecutive starts. He won multiple academic honors and comes from an impressive athletic family—his great uncle Merlin Olsen is a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Roush is not a seam stretcher, and his short arms are cause for some concern. But his combine workout displayed some untapped explosive athletic traits that can be nurtured in the NFL. While he’s not a burner, he runs physical, crisp routes and exhibits some good acceleration out of his cuts. His body control and stop-start ability (both impressive for a 6-foot-6, 267-pound player) really show up on tape, and they were further confirmed by a three-cone of 7.08 seconds, best among tight ends, and a good short shuttle of 4.37 seconds. 

He has good but not elite skills. He plucks the ball and seamlessly transitions upfield. He didn’t get many downfield catch opportunities in college, but when he did, I really liked his tracking ability and his confidence attacking the ball. He shows good focus and will make some tough contested catches while securing the ball in traffic. However, his shorter arms show up in two areas: First, when the ball is low and/or behind him in the quick game, he has difficulty adjusting to it. Second, he failed on a couple of opportunities to reach back over and head-top smaller defensive backs. There are only a few examples of those two limitations on tape, but there will be some concern about his smaller-than-ideal catch radius. 

Roush is really strong after the catch. He runs with good contact balance and bounces off tackles. He also displays excellent ball security, with only one fumble on 119 career receptions, which he recovered. And he’s one of the best blocking tight ends in this class. Yes, his short arms show up on tape, and he fails to sustain at times, but his effort is awesome, he takes good angles, he shows good pop at the point of attack, and he fights to the finish. 

The Draft

Roush is an underrated talent who was overlooked while playing for a dismal Stanford offense (ranked worse than 105th nationally in scoring offense each of the past two seasons). This is a deep but back-loaded tight end class after Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq and Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers. Roush is one of several tight end prospects who should come off the board in the third or fourth round.

The Projection

Roush should immediately contribute as a rookie and emerge as a 12-personnel starter early in his career (he’s the type of player who should get 55-65 catches, 600-750 receiving yards, and five to seven touchdowns). Roush’s game and traits compare favorably to those of Pat Freiermuth and Cole Kmet.