Elijah Roberts, EDGE, SMU
Size:
Height: 6035
Weight: 285
Arm: 33 ⅝”
Hand: 10 ¼”
Accomplishments:
All-ACC Honorable Mention (2024)
“Elijah Roberts is a rugged, versatile defensive lineman whose impact on all three downs was impressive to study as such a large, yet nimble athlete.”
Strengths:
Overpowering strength
Bend
Speed to power
Hands
Range in the ground game
Concerns:
Mass to live inside
Tweener
One-on-one tackling
Film Analysis:
Elijah Roberts is a rugged, versatile edge defender whose impact on all three downs was impressive to study as such a large yet nimble athlete. A transfer to SMU in 2023 after three campaigns at Miami, Roberts was a highly impactful defender amassing 17.5 sacks and 23.5 TFLs the last two seasons combined.
Against the run, Roberts plays with good leverage and heavy hands. His ability to set the edge is present, but more consistency is warranted. He can become more of a slasher and get caught on top of blocks rather than being a stack-and-shed defender who can outman blockers. He’s well-built and uses his natural strength and stout base to hold his ground against offensive tackles. His hand usage is effective in shedding blocks, and he plays with a relentless motor in pursuit, often making backside plays due to his effort. High football IQ is also evident where he can diagnose plays quickly, rarely getting caught out of position.
As a pass rusher, Roberts displays flashes of dominance from a variety of alignments. He’s more of a power rusher at this point in time who lacks the elite explosiveness that defines top-tier edge rushers, but his ability to win with his hand in the dirt as a three, five, or wide-nine, only to stand up pre-snap and beat the center through the A-gap is impressive to watch. He’s a build-up speed type of rusher who needs an alley of a few yards to really get up to gear. His bull rush is effective, generating push up the arc, and he’s capable of converting speed to power when he gets a clean runway. However, he doesn’t possess a dynamic first step to threaten the outside shoulder of tackles and if his momentum is initially countered, his counters remain inconsistent.
Roberts wins primarily with his movement skills at his size, effort, and an occasional inside counter (Virginia) rather than technical ability. As previously mentioned, his ability to rush in a two and three-point stance adds to his versatility, but he’ll need to further refine his move set to be more of a consistent factor at the next level.
While Roberts is a strong and uber-productive pass-rusher during his time in college, his ceiling as a pass rusher is somewhat capped at this point in time unless he can develop more counters and secondary moves against stronger, more athletic NFL linemen that he’ll face. Additionally, while he plays with great effort, there are times when his change-of-direction skills and closing burst prevent him from finishing plays against more agile quarterbacks and ball-carriers.
Overall, Roberts projects as a rotational defensive lineman with starting potential in a system that values heavier, edge-setting defenders that can offer push on passing downs. Additionally, his combination of pass rushing prowess and athleticism to the fringe areas showcase a highly intriguing and mature prospect at the position that can win up and down the line of scrimmage.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits
Written By: Ryan Fowler
Exposures: Virginia (2024), Stanford (2024), Nevada (2024), Louisville (2024)
