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Overview
Steve Rochell drives a truck for a living, which has helped him see his two young sons play college football in different parts of the country. Matt Rochell, was an offensive lineman at the Air Force Academy, but Isaac found his calling on the defensive side of the ball in South Bend. He played in 11 games as a freshman, making 10 tackles as a reserve. Rochell started all 13 games the following season (39 tackles, 7.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks, three pass breakups, blocked field goal in bowl game) and 12 of 13 games in 2015 (63 tackles, 7.5 for loss, one sack). He started off his senior year strong against Texas, getting nine tackles, 2.5 for loss. Rochelle didn't have any tackles for loss in the last month of the season, finishing the year with 56 stops, seven for loss, and one sack.
Analysis
Strengths Named team captain as a senior. Dependable and durable. Played in over 83 percent of team's defensive snaps over his last three seasons. Experienced pass rusher in T/E and E/T twist games up front. Has some bull-rush capability if his pad level is right. Gets good arm extension after contact. Has upper body strength to jolt blocker with his violent hands. Comes off ball with good bend and aggressiveness. Not easily out-leveraged against run blockers. Has enough natural power and anchor to play 5-technique in the pros. Length and upper body strength help his ground at point of attack. Shows ability to restrict his gap against the run. Tackle finisher when he gets to it.
Weaknesses One-speed pass rusher with very limited juice upfield. Despite high snap counts over final three seasons, produced minimal sack totals. Effort rusher with dull, predictable approach at times. Too content after initial rush thwarted. Fails to activate skilled counter rushes. Will present "tweener" concerns between defensive end and defensive tackle positions. Might be 2-gap only. Fails to see blockers in front of him. Gets too bogged down with oncoming collisions rather than stacking, shedding and making the tackles. Heavy punch needs to be followed with quicker disengagement. Low number of early wins at point of attack.
Draft Projection Rounds 6-7
Sources Tell Us "Just kind of a guy for me. He can't play defensive end in an even front (four down linemen) and he can't play on third downs. Just not a fit for what we do." -- AFC East scout
NFL Comparison Lawrence Guy
Bottom Line Lunch-pail player from a blue-collar background whose effort and motor will make him a favorite of coaches he plays for. What Rochell offers in effort, he lacks as a skilled pass rusher, and his inability to get after the quarterback will create a difficult challenge for him. While his best fit might be a 3-4 defensive end, he could be viewed as rotational defensive lineman with little to no third-down value. Rochell has third-day draft value with eventual starter potential if he can sharpen his pass-rush tools.
Steve Rochell drives a truck for a living, which has helped him see his two young sons play college football in different parts of the country. Matt Rochell, was an offensive lineman at the Air Force Academy, but Isaac found his calling on the defensive side of the ball in South Bend. He played in 11 games as a freshman, making 10 tackles as a reserve. Rochell started all 13 games the following season (39 tackles, 7.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks, three pass breakups, blocked field goal in bowl game) and 12 of 13 games in 2015 (63 tackles, 7.5 for loss, one sack). He started off his senior year strong against Texas, getting nine tackles, 2.5 for loss. Rochelle didn't have any tackles for loss in the last month of the season, finishing the year with 56 stops, seven for loss, and one sack.
Analysis
Strengths Named team captain as a senior. Dependable and durable. Played in over 83 percent of team's defensive snaps over his last three seasons. Experienced pass rusher in T/E and E/T twist games up front. Has some bull-rush capability if his pad level is right. Gets good arm extension after contact. Has upper body strength to jolt blocker with his violent hands. Comes off ball with good bend and aggressiveness. Not easily out-leveraged against run blockers. Has enough natural power and anchor to play 5-technique in the pros. Length and upper body strength help his ground at point of attack. Shows ability to restrict his gap against the run. Tackle finisher when he gets to it.
Weaknesses One-speed pass rusher with very limited juice upfield. Despite high snap counts over final three seasons, produced minimal sack totals. Effort rusher with dull, predictable approach at times. Too content after initial rush thwarted. Fails to activate skilled counter rushes. Will present "tweener" concerns between defensive end and defensive tackle positions. Might be 2-gap only. Fails to see blockers in front of him. Gets too bogged down with oncoming collisions rather than stacking, shedding and making the tackles. Heavy punch needs to be followed with quicker disengagement. Low number of early wins at point of attack.
Draft Projection Rounds 6-7
Sources Tell Us "Just kind of a guy for me. He can't play defensive end in an even front (four down linemen) and he can't play on third downs. Just not a fit for what we do." -- AFC East scout
NFL Comparison Lawrence Guy
Bottom Line Lunch-pail player from a blue-collar background whose effort and motor will make him a favorite of coaches he plays for. What Rochell offers in effort, he lacks as a skilled pass rusher, and his inability to get after the quarterback will create a difficult challenge for him. While his best fit might be a 3-4 defensive end, he could be viewed as rotational defensive lineman with little to no third-down value. Rochell has third-day draft value with eventual starter potential if he can sharpen his pass-rush tools.
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