2019 NFL Draft Profile: San Jose State DT Boogie Roberts
The dynamic Spartan quietly had a very good senior year, but what will he bring to the NFL table?
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Boogie is ready to dance on the biggest stage.
The beginning of the Brent Brennan era hasn’t exactly paid off in the win column yet, but the San Jose State football program saw Jermaine Kelly get selected in last year’s NFL Draft and will probably see Josh Oliver selected within the first couple days later this week. Could the Spartans improve upon that trend?
If they do, Boogie Roberts would appear to be the best such bet. What does he bring to the table?
Measurables (from DraftScout.com)
Height – 6′
Weight – 298
Wingspan – 79 3/8″
Arm Length – 33″
Hand Size – 10 5/8″
40-Yard Dash – 5.34
Vertical Jump – 27″
Broad Jump – 108″
3-Cone Drill – 7.95 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle – 4.9 seconds
Bench Press – 22 reps
Strengths
Putting up numbers at nose tackle in a true 3-4 defense is crazy and he’ll play 3-tech in the league. Explosive, very good football IQ. Does very well holding ground on, or splitting, double teams. Keeps linebackers very clean and holds his weight very well.
Roberts got high marks coming out of the Tropical Bowl in January, as well, with NFL Draft Blitz noting that he leveraged his low center of gravity efficiently to win one-on-one battles. For someone who saw more work than just about anyone in the country as a pass rushing nose tackle last fall, it’s an intriguing profile for savvy teams to integrate.
Weaknesses
One thing that he could work on is having more moves when rushing the quarterback which include always moving and keeping contact with the offensive lineman. Also, he could fill out a bit more in the upper body to add some bulk.
In a draft class that’s particularly rich with interior defensive line talent, another significant question is whether Roberts is undersized for the NFL. As he notes above, learning the nuances of how to maximize that physical profile will be key.
Draft Prediction
Recently, there have been more and more examples of prospects defying questions about their stature to craft productive roles on both sides of the ball. Casual fans might hear Roberts’s name late on Day Three, who showed year to year growth in multiple years as a starter, and take it as surprise. Don’t. The profile has enough that he should earn a shot in an NFL rotation.
