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Draftanomics
Prospect dossier

Tony Rojas

LB · Penn State · 2027 NFL Draft class

Public Draft Board rank #94·5 contributing sources·Board as of August 31, 2026
Draftanomics scouting
Revised preseason edition · August 31, 20263 min readReport role: LB · Penn State

Master scouting report

Rojas projects as an off-ball coverage linebacker with the range to pursue and pressure from depth. Smooth zone movement, quarterback awareness and selected tight-end matchups support passing-down value. High tackle entries reduce stopping strength, and a return from ACL injury must preserve the movement that drives the projection.

By Draftanomics · Sources & edition · Print report

01Experience and production

Rojas started 16 games in 2024 and recorded 58 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions and four pass breakups. He started four games in 2025, finishing with 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks before the season-ending injury. The earlier year provides a full starting sample; the follow-up shows disruption in a much shorter workload.

02Coverage

Rojas moves smoothly into zone depth, reads the quarterback and uses his position to obstruct passing lanes. He can handle selected tight ends in man coverage and stays comfortable around the ball. Those skills support an off-ball role with meaningful passing-down responsibility, provided his post-injury movement retains the same range and control.

03Run defense and tackling

Rojas reacts promptly, pursues through traffic and is willing to engage and shed blocks. His approach is decisive, but high tackle entries reduce stopping power against stronger runners. Lower contact and a secure wrap are needed to convert his range into dependable finishes.

04Pressure value

Rojas has produced pressure alongside coverage work, including one sack in 2024 and two in his four-game 2025 season. Burst and decisive downhill movement support selected blitzes from depth. His ability to drop on the next snap adds disguise without requiring him to become a permanent edge player.

05Injury and availability

A torn ACL in a late-September 2025 practice ended Rojas's season, and rehabilitation kept him out of spring drills. By July he had resumed involvement with the linebacker group. That progress does not establish a complete competitive return. Repeated changes of direction, pursuit and coverage over a full workload remain unverified in this report's evidence.

The case for the player

Strengths

  • Range and ball comfort support a linebacker role with meaningful passing-down responsibilities.

  • Run pursuit includes a willingness to work through blocks, giving the movement skills a useful physical foundation.

The questions that remain

Concerns

  • High tackling entries and limited stopping strength can leave a good approach without a secure finish.

  • The interrupted 2025 season leaves the sustained return to competitive work unresolved within this preseason evidence.

Building the fit

NFL role and scheme fit

Use Rojas as a movable off-ball linebacker with coverage, pursuit and selected blitz responsibilities. His range can preserve personnel flexibility against receiving threats, while his willingness to engage gives him a run-defense base. Special teams provide a plausible early contribution. The role depends on retained post-injury movement and more secure tackling against size.

The Draftanomics view

Bottom line

Rojas has a credible NFL off-ball role through coverage range, ball awareness and downhill speed. His full 2024 season supports that foundation, while the interrupted 2025 campaign leaves sustained return unresolved. A healthy version can compete for a broad defensive assignment, but high contact and limited stopping strength must improve before his range becomes consistently reliable run defense.

Sources & edition

The Draftanomics assessment, synthesized from attributed reporting. Role and development language expresses scouting opinion.

Preseason assessment using the 2024–25 record and summer reporting through August 2026. Rehabilitation reporting is dated context, not current medical clearance; no 2026-game evaluation is included.

Edition reviewed September 12, 2026. Connects coverage, pursuit and pressure to a useful linebacker role, restores the supported block-engagement assessment and makes tackling and return questions specific.

The original August edition remains preserved. This is a revised Draftanomics assessment, with supporting sources attached to each statement.

View the 6 referenced sources
Read statement references

Every passage remains linked to its supporting sources. Open a section to inspect the assessment and its evidence.

Sources for overview
  1. House assessment

    Rojas projects as an off-ball coverage linebacker with the range to pursue and pressure from depth. Smooth zone movement, quarterback awareness and selected tight-end matchups support passing-down value. High tackle entries reduce stopping strength, and a return from ACL injury must preserve the movement that drives the projection.

Sources for experience and production
  1. House assessment

    Rojas started 16 games in 2024 and recorded 58 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions and four pass breakups. He started four games in 2025, finishing with 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks before the season-ending injury. The earlier year provides a full starting sample; the follow-up shows disruption in a much shorter workload.

Sources for coverage
  1. House assessment

    Rojas moves smoothly into zone depth, reads the quarterback and uses his position to obstruct passing lanes. He can handle selected tight ends in man coverage and stays comfortable around the ball. Those skills support an off-ball role with meaningful passing-down responsibility, provided his post-injury movement retains the same range and control.

Sources for run defense and tackling
  1. House assessment

    Rojas reacts promptly, pursues through traffic and is willing to engage and shed blocks. His approach is decisive, but high tackle entries reduce stopping power against stronger runners. Lower contact and a secure wrap are needed to convert his range into dependable finishes.

Sources for pressure value
  1. House assessment

    Rojas has produced pressure alongside coverage work, including one sack in 2024 and two in his four-game 2025 season. Burst and decisive downhill movement support selected blitzes from depth. His ability to drop on the next snap adds disguise without requiring him to become a permanent edge player.

Sources for injury and availability
  1. House assessment

    A torn ACL in a late-September 2025 practice ended Rojas's season, and rehabilitation kept him out of spring drills. By July he had resumed involvement with the linebacker group. That progress does not establish a complete competitive return. Repeated changes of direction, pursuit and coverage over a full workload remain unverified in this report's evidence.

Sources for strength
  1. House assessment

    Range and ball comfort support a linebacker role with meaningful passing-down responsibilities.

Sources for strength
  1. House assessment

    Run pursuit includes a willingness to work through blocks, giving the movement skills a useful physical foundation.

Sources for concern
  1. House assessment

    High tackling entries and limited stopping strength can leave a good approach without a secure finish.

Sources for concern
  1. House assessment

    The interrupted 2025 season leaves the sustained return to competitive work unresolved within this preseason evidence.

Sources for nfl role and scheme fit
  1. House assessment

    Use Rojas as a movable off-ball linebacker with coverage, pursuit and selected blitz responsibilities. His range can preserve personnel flexibility against receiving threats, while his willingness to engage gives him a run-defense base. Special teams provide a plausible early contribution. The role depends on retained post-injury movement and more secure tackling against size.

Sources for bottom line
  1. House assessment

    Rojas has a credible NFL off-ball role through coverage range, ball awareness and downhill speed. His full 2024 season supports that foundation, while the interrupted 2025 campaign leaves sustained return unresolved. A healthy version can compete for a broad defensive assignment, but high contact and limited stopping strength must improve before his range becomes consistently reliable run defense.

College record & draft context

College production, measurables, experience, and the prospect's place on the sealed Public Draft Board.

Public Draft Board

Public Draft Board rank
#94
Position rank
LB7
Contributing sources
5
Movement since prior snapshot
Up 8

Sealed snapshot as of August 31, 2026 · equal-weight aggregation of public boards, minimum 3 sources for a rank · The Public Draft Board

College production

Defense
StatisticSeason 2024Season 2025
Total tackles58†25
Solo tackles35†13
Tackles for loss6†4.5
Sacks1†2
Passes defended41
QB hurries52
Defensive TD10

† Updated from school records · checked September 12, 2026. Unmarked figures are from the retained dataset.

Sources & updated totals

Penn State 2024 final all-games statistics · January 10, 2025 final ledger, page 7, Tony Rojas row; tackle totals corroborated on page 19.

  • 2024 Total tackles: 58 in the official record; 56 in the earlier dataset.
  • 2024 Solo tackles: 35 in the official record; 34 in the earlier dataset.
  • 2024 Tackles for loss: 6 in the official record; 6.5 in the earlier dataset.
  • 2024 Sacks: 1 in the official record; 1.5 in the earlier dataset.
Earlier dataset & evidence notes · September 3, 2026
Defense
StatisticSeason 2024Season 2025
Total tackles5625
Solo tackles3413
Tackles for loss6.54.5
Sacks1.52
Passes defended41
QB hurries52
Defensive TD10

Seasons of evidence: 2. Games played, snap counts, and usage shares are not in the retained data. An em dash means the value is not in the dataset, not zero.

Evidence notes

  • The retained data contains 2 seasons of defense production (2024–2025).
  • Defense tackles decreased in each observed season (56 → 25).
  • The newest college season in the retained data is 2025; the 2026 season is not yet included.
  • No verified athletic testing is included in the sealed dataset for this prospect.
  • 5 contributing public boards rank this prospect; the Public Draft Board places him at #94.
  • The aggregate public rank rose 8 spots between the two most recent sealed weekly snapshots.

Each note restates a displayed fact. None is a forecast of NFL performance.

Experience and measurements

Listed height
6'2"
Listed weight
236 lb
Class
Junior
Age
Not in dataset
Recorded school
Penn State
Former school
Not in dataset
Hometown
Fairfax, VA
Jersey
#13
Recruiting stars
4-star
Recruiting rank
#87 nationally

"Not in dataset" means the value is absent from the sealed dossier dataset, not that it does not exist.

Athletic testing

Not included in the sealed dataset. No combine, pro-day, or RAS value is retained for the 2027 class; absence here does not mean no testing has taken place.

Listed roster height and weight (CollegeFootballData); no verified athletic testing is retained. Bio captured August 29, 2026.

Historical comparisons

Historical profile comparisons are being rebuilt.

Sources and methodology

  • Retained bio and measurements: Draftanomics prospect ingest (CollegeFootballData rosters and recruiting), retained seed data/seed/prospects_upcoming_full.parquet.
  • Retained college production: CollegeFootballData season statistics via the retained player cross-reference; position-relevant categories only; all-zero category rows dropped.
  • Reviewed college totals: Penn State Athletics · checked September 12, 2026.
  • Age: unavailable — no birth date or age is retained for the 2027 class.
  • Transfer history: not retained — the page shows the current school and, where the frozen id names a different school, the former school.
  • Public Draft Board: sealed snapshot as of August 31, 2026; per-source ranks are not published under the aggregate-only source policy.

Board methodologyDossier methodologyResearch status

Board position reflects aggregated public opinion; the scouting report is a separate editorial assessment.