Draft Profiles: Randy Gregory

Rebecca S. Gratz/THE  WORLD-HERALD

Rebecca S. Gratz/THE WORLD-HERALD

Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory has been a hot name among the top draft picks in this year’s upcoming NFL draft. The 6’6″ 240 lb. junior had a very impressive season last year for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Gregory is a threat that offensive lineman hate to guard against. He will find a way to the ball and disrupt the play in any way possible. The Huskers star is going to be a very exciting player in the NFL and whichever team drafts him, will be very happy.

Gregory was the leader of the Huskers’ defense last year. He recorded 54 total tackles, seven sacks, and blocked two kicks over the course of the season. He was the most dominant player on the Husker defense since Ndamukong Suh back in 2009.

Gregory should be about as dominant as Suh is right now with the Lions. He is a very electrifying player and is one to be considered building a defense around.

While he has many strengths, he also has weaknesses. Gregory fell to the ground, injured many times over the course of the season, a bad ankle and knee injury caused him to miss two games this season and limited in many more. Gregory needs to be careful and make sure his injuries are fully healed before lining up on the line in the NFL. He has a very high ceiling as far as potential, but him being injury prone, could weigh down on his performance.

I expect him to be about a top five pick this year, and I believe he will be successful in the NFL. One of the first things that trainers will do with him in the NFL is bulk him up. Gregory is very slim when it comes to that matter. As strong as he is, he will need to bulk up a little more to find himself dominant. Gregory reminds me of New York Giants defensive end, Jason Pierre-Paul. They have a similar frame and they both are equipped with disruptive pass rush skills.  They are both very impressive defenders that have found dominance in their collegiate and professional careers.

Randy Gregory is a very impressive young athlete who will be a threat to opposing offenses around the NFL.