The Washington Huskies we have heard associated with the first round of the NFL draft have been wide receiver Rome Odunze, left tackle Troy Fautanu, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr., but now right tackle Roger Rosengarten has entered that conversation. After a very strong showing at the NFL Combine, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock draft has Rosengarten going to the San Francisco 49ers at No. 31 overall.
This year’s draft class is very strong along the offensive line. Many draft boards have moved Rosengarten as high as the No. 4 ranked right tackle behind Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga, Alabama’s JC Latham, and Tyler Guyton from Oklahoma.
Rosengarten greatly improved his stock at the combine with his athletic testing numbers, clocking the fastest 40-yard dash of all offensive lineman at 4.92 seconds and a 10-yard split of 1.73. He went on to impress with a short shuttle time of 4.6 seconds and a 30-inch vertical jump. His performance helped him stand out as one of the most athletic and agile lineman to attend the event, catching the eyes of many of the scouts and coaches in attendance.
“I thought Rosengarten might return to college for another year; he could have been a top-10 pick with more seasoning,” Kiper said. “He might be a steal here, though, as the right tackle is aggressive as a run-blocker and solid in pass protection.”
The Highlands Ranch, Colorado native started all 15 games for the Huskies this past season and was one of the best tackles in the country. He took over 1200 snaps and was not credited with a single sack allowed.
His excellent protection of Penix’s blind side might lead some scouts and general managers to believe that he can be utilized as a swing tackle in the NFL, or even make the switch to left tackle that All-Pros Tyron Smith and Tristan Wirfs have both successfully pulled off.
Kiper could end up being right about Rosengarten as one of the biggest sleepers in the draft and as part of coach Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, he has the potential to be a big difference maker in the NFL. But with over a month to go before the draft, he still has time to further improve his stock, beginning with Washington’s pro day on March 28.