Randy Gregory is regarded by many as a top 5 prospect in the 2015 NFL draft class. We here at JKSN are not so convinced. Gregory is a very raw prospect that will have a lot of work to do once he reaches the NFL. Drafting a raw prospect high in the draft is always risky. Every year there is a raw prospect that teams fall in love with, and every year there is a raw prospect who fails. Gregory is already getting compared to Dion Jordan of the Miami Dolphins. That is not flattering.
We are not saying that Gregory will fail. Not by any stretch. His ceiling is definitely high. We believe he will be as good as the team who drafts him will allow him to be. He must gain weight and he must be used properly. His best fit in the NFL is as a 3-4 edge rusher. However, whoever drafts him will have to be patient and be willing to put in a lot of work with him.
Gregory is only 238 pounds. He is a speed rusher with long arms, quick hands, and quick feet. He often gets a good jump off the snap as well. He has shown some flashes of power, but he will need to gain weight and be taught how to use leverage in order to create power. Adding power to his pass-rushing arsenal will greatly help his chances in the NFL. Gregory does have a good swim move that he likes to use, but other than that his pass-rushing moves are limited.
Gregory is not much help vs the run game. He certainly could improve vs the run down the road, but as of right now that area of his game is not polished.
Bottom Line: Whoever drafts him will be taking on a risky project. It will most likely be 2-4 years until Gregory starts making a regular impact in the NFL. The team who drafts him will have to be patient with him as well as be willing to put a lot of effort into coaching him.
Projection: Top 5 pick
Grade: Round 1
NFL: Slow-developing player