How Penn State EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos fits with the Kansas City Chiefs

Penn State edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos is still a bit raw, but developing under Steve Spagnuolo, his potential with the Kansas City Chiefs could be immense.

Yetur Gross-Matos - EDGE, Penn State

By the numbers:

6’5”, 266 pounds. No 40-yard dash. 34-⅞” arms. 34-inch vertical jump.

40 tackles (14.5 for loss), nine sacks in 2019.

Positives:

You can’t teach size nor athleticism when it comes to EDGE prospects, and Yetur Gross-Matos has both of them. His long arms and already sturdy frame, combined with good hip fluidity and a high motor, give him a sky-high ceiling. Regardless of how much he improves as a pass rusher, his resume screams disruptive, with 34.5 tackles for loss in his last two seasons. At the very least, Gross-Matos could get in the backfield and break up a ton of plays in year one.

Because of his unique blend of length and athletic ability, Gross-Matos played pretty much everywhere along the defensive line for PSU last year. He could likely add five or 10 pounds of healthy weight to help him overcome the jump from collegiate offensive linemen to NFL ones. He’s essentially a blank slate, which could be music to some defensive coordinators’ ears when taking into account his physical gifts.

Negatives:

While Gross-Matos’ potential is immense, it’s going to take a lot of work in order to reach it. His toolbox of pass-rushing moves is pretty basic and he often relies on a bull rush in hopes of overpowering his assignment. That won’t work at the next level. His hands are quick, and if he can use his long arms to develop more complex moves and counters, it would go a long way for his production.

At this point in his development, Gross-Matos is an upper-body pass rusher. Lowering his pad level and creating more momentum with his legs are two more areas in need of improvement as he enters the NFL. Mentally, he occasionally overthinks misdirection runs or play-action passes. His mental processing speed should improve with time, but if it doesn’t, that may become a minor concern.

How Gross-Matos fits with the Chiefs:

The Kansas City Chiefs clearly want to “run it back” this season. Drafting a raw prospect like Gross-Matos doesn’t exactly fit into that plan, but they could do much worse. His first-year role would likely be nothing more than a situational pass rusher, but in 2021 and 2022, the team could be looking at one of the league’s best young EDGE players. Steve Spagnuolo loves lengthy, athletic defensive linemen and if he’s willing to wait, the reward could be terrific.

Final Thoughts:

Brett Veach is in an interesting situation. Although the Chiefs are certainly in win-now mode, they also want to keep it that way for the next 10-plus years while Patrick Mahomes is on the roster. Gross-Matos’ potential alone should make him a late first-round pick. Could the Chiefs be sold on him lining up across from Frank Clark a year or two from now? Only time will tell.

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