Minnesota Vikings select Jaquelin Roy in fifth round of 2023 NFL Draft

The Vikings just bolstered up their defensive line in a major way, selecting former LSU Tigers defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy with the No. 141 overall pick in the 5th round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Roy was a four-star prospect out of high school, and didn’t have to go far once he signed with LSU. Roy attended University Lab high school in Baton Rouge, playing his high school football games just a short walk away from LSU’s Charles McClendon Practice Facility. He was rated the No. 55 overall player and the No. 8 defensive lineman in his 2020 recruiting class according to On3’s Industry Rankings.

He spent three seasons with the Tigers, establishing himself as a dominant physical presence in the interior that can stuff the run and rush the quarterback.

Roy burst onto the scene as a freshman, not starting a single game for the Tigers but still managing to end the year with 18 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, and two quarterback hurries. He had a dominant performance against Florida that season, recording two sacks for a total of 18 lost yards for the Gators.

The 6-foot-3, 305-pound nose guard ended his three-year LSU career with 97 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. He’s one of the strongest players in this year’s draft class, benching 225-pounds 30 times at the NFL Combine, which ranked second among all defensive tackles.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Jaquelin Roy

Roy’s size alone makes him a dream for most NFL defensive coordinators, but his play style takes his games and evaluation as a prospect to another level. NFL.com‘s Greg Zierlein compared him to Minnesota Vikings run-stopper Dalvin Tomlinson and spoke about how Roy’s game could translate to the next level.

“The more you watch, the more you like the way Roy plays the game. He’s a little tight in his lower body, which prevents consistent gap leverage as a run defender, but he has outstanding upper body power and plays with unbridled energy,” Zierlein said. “Roy has one-gapping snap quickness and two-gapping potential if he can become more consistent with taking on blocks. Despite limited starting experience at LSU, he already displays signs of a rush plan and the athletic talent to execute it. Roy is an ascending talent with the potential to become a quality starter.”