On top of losing head coach Kalen DeBoer, Washington is also set to lose several high-profile members of their National Championship runner-up squad to the NFL draft. Michael Penix, Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk, and Troy Fatauna are the four big names, but in that second wave of guys, their right tackle Roger Rosengarten is another big loss. An alum of Valor Christian in Colorado under former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, Rosengarten committed to Washington as a four-star recruit in 2020 but didn't get his big break until 2022. That year he would get Freshman All-American honors, and then he was a part of the Joe Moore Award-winning Washington Offensive line in 2023, protecting Michael Penix Jr's blindside at right tackle in a near Heisman Campaign.
Measuring in at 6'5, 311 lbs, with 33-inch arms and an 80-inch wingspan at the Senior Bowl, Rosengarten has been one of the offensive linemen to get a good heap of praise as of Wednesday, have several good reps in one-on-one drills.
Not without flaws, the Washington product notably ended his college career with quite the lackluster outing against Michigan for the National Championship. Although that's a high-profile outing that will get used against him, Rosengarten has a respectable 25 starts to his resume and made some improvements in 2023. Where does that land him come April though?
Player Bio
Name: Roger Rosengarten
Jersey: No. 73 (Previously No. 72 in 2020 and 2021)
Position: Offensive Tackle
School: Washington
Class: Redshirt Super Sophmore
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 311 lbs
Games Watched: vs. Arizona, Bosie State, Oregon, Michigan State and Michigan (all 2023)
Player Breakdown
Pass Blocking (12.75/15)
I came in expecting some good pass protection work from Rosengarten (outside of the Michigan game), and for the most part, I saw what I needed to see. What jumped out the most was the power in his hands. He only weighs 311 lbs, and his hands were measured at 9 3/8ths in (well under average for a tackle), so that popped out right away.
As far as some trouble spots go, Rosengarten was guilty of lunging into some blocks on occasion, and while that didn't get him into a significant amount of trouble, that needs to get out of his system. Next, I felt he didn't handle speed-to-power moves well against wide-alignment edge rushers. His overall balance felt off in some of those spots, and it showed, especially against Michigan. Third and finally, Rosengarten was occasionally guilty of being too aggressive in his pass sets in spots, leading to him getting beaten inside on several occasions. Again, no sacks allowed on the year, but some areas that I'd like to see improve.
Run Blocking (11.75/15)
I can say most of the same stuff about Rosengarten's ability in the run game as the pass, in that I saw mostly what I needed, but he's better at the former. While adding on some extra weight should help out with some of the play strength deficiencies that popped up, He moves well in the run game and made several key blocks on pulls and at the second level. Would've liked to see him be a bit more consistent at the latter, but it wasn't a gigantic issue.
Length (12/15)
Especially for a guy who isn't a RAS sheet stuffer in the frame/length department, Rosengarten has some solid length usage, which bumps this score up a tad. We talked about his recovery ability and how his length plays into that, so here's a slight negative play that probably should've been much worse. Rosengarten somehow gets some hands-on his man hereafter lunging into this block. How this wasn't an immediate sack, I have no idea, but great work here to force him into the spin with the full extension of the arms.
Footwork (8/10)
Perhaps not the strongest area of his game, Rosengarten's footwork was consistently sound. He moves very fluidly for a 6'6 tackle, and it shows in his burst off the line in pass sets, and working toward the second level in the run game. (Called back for a penalty but still a great rep).
Mechanics (8/10)
While Rosengarten is fairly sound from a technical standpoint, his pad level occasionally got a bit high, and his overall balance was lacking against power rushers. I think adding lower body mass ultimately helps out there, but it showed up a good bit.
Athleticism (9.5/10)
Something noticeable right away and carries through these five games is the burst Rosengarten has off the snap. It's consistently great, and he has plus speed for a tackle, which, considering he's practically 310 lbs, shouldn't come off as a huge shock. Wouldn't be shocked to see him have a good outing at the combine at all.
Versatility (6.5/10)
Over the last two years, Rosengarten has exclusively been used as a right tackle. While his length may ultimately limit him to that side in the pros, I think he could kick over to the left side if he had to. They had him running some drills as a left tackle at the Senior Bowl, and I thought he held up great on this rep.
Anchor (6.75/10)
Especially against Michigan, but there were several other occasions where Rosengarten was bullied at the point of attack, and his anchor was non-existent. As good as the upper body strength was at times, the leg power wasn't always there to match. I think packing on an additional 10-15 lbs helps out well enough, but this is the area that'll get him in trouble at the next level as things currently stand.
Control (3/5)
While Rosengarten can ward off pass rushers with technique and finesse, he'll have trouble against straight power at his current size. If you can get him off balance, you'll, at the very least, get him to start moving backward for a few strides. Although this didn't lead to any sacks allowed, there were certainly pressures in bunches, and at the NFL level, some of those reps would've been sacks 100 times out of 100.
Player Summary
Ultimately, most of the issues I have with Rosengarten come down to fixable things (adding total mass but specifically lower body mass to help with balance), but there's a whole heap of guys ahead of him in the pecking order this draft who are more polished. Not to mention the fact I think he's probably a pure right tackle, which also may hurt him.
With that said, my guess is I'm a tad higher on him than the consensus at the moment. It's worth remembering he's not set to turn 22 until June, and there's not much tread on the tire. Assuming he ends up in a healthy environment with good coaching at the next level, his best days are down the road.
Rookie Projections: Team Dependant Starting Right Tackle or Rookie Depth Piece
Third-Year Projections: Quality Starter
Final Grade (78.5/100): Mid-3rd-Round Talent
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