2015 NFL Draft: Evaluating Roster Chances of Every New England Patriots’ Pick
Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Round 3, 97th Overall: DE Geneo Grissom
Roster chances: 8.87/10
Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops heaped praise on Grissom earlier this week, citing the defensive end’s athletic ability, versatility, and enormous wingspan. Those traits should serve Grissom well as he vies for a job in training camp.
Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones and Jabaal Sheard head the Patriots’ pack of defensive ends right now, so Grissom’s main competition will consist of veterans Michael Buchanon, Jake Bequette and Zach Moore in addition to fellow rookie Trey Flowers. Buchanon is one of the hardest workers on the team, so he will be tough to unseat from the roster, but Bequette and Moore are under threat after the selection of Grissom.
Labeled as a “tweener” during the draft process because he doesn’t fall under a specific position description, Grissom will rely on his versatility to make the team. Being able to drop into shallow coverage is something that not all defensive ends can do, but Grissom certainly can. It’s pretty likely he’ll find himself suiting up for the Pats in Week 1.
Next: Trey Flowers