Jaquelin Roy, IDL LSU: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Roy was a four-star recruit from University Lab High School in Baton Rouge, La. in the class of 2020

LSU interior defensive lineman Jaquelin Roy was a hot prospect coming into the 2022 college football season, but he’s failed to match his production from last year. Roy projects as an early Day 3 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Jaquelin Roy, IDL LSU: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior defensive tackle from Baton Rouge, La.

Background: Roy was a four-star recruit from University Lab High School in Baton Rouge, La. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 42 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 75 for Rivals, and No. 55 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 37th in the nation with an 86 grade out of 100. Roy won back-to-back state titles in 2017 and 2018 with undefeated University Lab High School squads. As a high school senior, he amassed 96 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and nine sacks. Roy committed to LSU over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and other Power Five programs.

2021 Production: 13 games, 30 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 32 pressures, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries

2020 Production: 9 games, 18 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 19 pressures, 2 sacks

Injuries & Off-Field: Played through a back injury in 2022

Awards: N/A

Pros: Special teams experience on the punt return and field goal block units, good reaction time to the snap, hands are active early in the rep, swim move, push-pull move, club move, rip move, leg drive to walk back linemen, well-proportioned frame, holds the point of attack against one-on-one blocks, examples of penetrating with his initial quickness, looked more explosive and fluid in 2021, upper body strength to displace linemen

Cons: Missed tackles, offers nothing against double teams, hands lack violence, not twitchy or sudden, lacks explosiveness, arm length appears adequate but not elite, displaced downfield against the run, rush stalls after his initial move, lacks a developed bag of pass rush moves and counters, struggles to disengage from blocks, allows offensive linemen into his chest, lacks high-end speed, no pursuit speed, pocket pusher instead of pocket collapser, frequently loses the leverage battle, ends up on the ground too often, lacks the agility for quick turns and open field tackles, bull rush doesn’t consistently generate displacement

Overview: Roy is unofficially listed at 6'4", 315 lbs. He applied pressure on 11.2% of his pass rush attempts in 2021 and 7.2% during the 2022 regular season. Roy has experience playing 0-tech, 1-tech, 2-tech, and 3-tech. He offers special teams experience on the punt return and field goal block units. Roy times the snap well, and there are examples of him penetrating with his initial quickness. The junior activates his hands early in the rep and knows how to use them in the pass rush. He uses swim, push-pull, club, and rip moves. Roy’s leg drive allows him to walk linemen back to the quarterback, but his bull rush doesn’t consistently generate displacement. He has a well-proportioned frame and good but not elite arm length. Roy holds the point of attack against one-on-one blocks but is displaced by double teams. Missed tackles remain a concern for the former four-star recruit. He lacks explosiveness and isn’t twitchy or sudden. Roy lacks high-end speed and doesn’t offer much in pursuit. He lacks the agility for quick turns and open field tackles. Roy frequently loses the leverage battle and ends up on the ground too often. He has impressive upper-body strength that displaces linemen. However, he struggles to disengage from blocks, allows offensive linemen into his chest, and his hands lack violence. Roy is often displaced downfield against the run. As a pass rusher, he lacks a developed bag of pass rush moves and counters. Roy’s rush stalls after his initial move. He’s more of a pocket pusher than a pocket collapser. The Louisiana native looked more explosive and fluid in 2021 than in 2022.

Overall, Roy is a powerful junior who posts most of his wins with quickness and a developing bag of pass rush moves, but he lacks high-end athleticism and frequently ends up displaced downfield. Roy’s tape in 2021 was more impressive than in 2022. Playing snaps more exclusively at 3-tech in the NFL should improve his production.  

Role & Scheme Fit: Rotational 3-tech in an even front

Round Projection: Mid Fourth to Early Fifth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 12-30-22