Aaron Rouse S/LB 6'4 223 Virginia Tech 4.55

Aaron Rouse earned Freshman All American honors in 2003, finishing the year with 46 tackles from his linebacker spot. As a sophomore, he had 37 tackles, 2.5 for loss. As a junior, the staff moved him back to safety, and Rouse came through with a career year. He had 77 tackles, five for loss, and four picks on the year. Rouse closed out has Va Tech career with 51 tackles, 1.5 for loss and an interception.

Rouse has an incredible package of size and speed. He has excellent height at 6'4, and is a lean 220lbs. He has great speed and shows the ability to chase plays down all over the football field. He has experience at both linebacker and safety, and could project to the NFL at either spot. Rouse is tough and will attack the line of scrimmage in run support and stick his nose in amongst lineman. He’s also a good athlete, and has all the skills to develop into a playmaker in pass coverage.

Rouse may be a tweener between linebacker and safety, and is a work in progress at either spot. As a linebacker, he must bulk up and get stronger to be able to hold up at the point of attack better. As a safety, he is raw in coverage and can get sloppy when asked to cover one on one.

Aaron Rouse brings a great deal of upside to the table because of his physical gifts. He has all the talent to be a standout safety, but needs work in deep coverage. Some teams may select him with the idea of adding some weight to his frame and play him in the front 7. Where he lands, Rouse has all the tools to develop into a quality NFL player, but he will probably need some seasoning at the next level before reaching his potential.