Giants UDFAs: Get to know Casey Rogers, DT, Oregon

Could Rogers crack the defensive line rotation?

Casey Rogers did not get an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine. The defensive tackle was, though, impressive enough at Oregon’s Pro Day to earn a chance with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent.

“I understand their selection process and obviously I was a little bummed,” he said of the combine. “With an event like this with all 32 NFL teams here and GMs, its almost as good as going to the combine. I was proud of the guys that got to go. … It was fun to watch those guys. I knew those guys get two shots and I get one. I have to do my best here.

“You definitely use it as fuel. I’ve always felt like I’m a little bit of an underdog. It’s nice to have this opportunity to do what I have to do. Regardless of if it was at the Combine or not, I was going to run my fastest.”

Rogers was impressive at the Pro Day workout:

One of the strongest performances of the day came from Rogers, who had a 35-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-8 broad jump. Rogers would have finished first in the vertical jump at the NFL Combine among defensive tackles and his broad jump would’ve placed him second.

Rogers ran a 4.82 40-yard dash.

Here is a scouting report from 33rd Team:

Casey Rogers projects to be a role-playing backup who fits best as a pass rushing 3-tech. He has good natural athleticism and quickness that allows him to generate pressure on slants. He has good short-area agility and a high motor, although he saw a lower number of snaps and stamina is a concern. Rogers plays with a high pad level and his use of hands needs improvement as he can get stuck if his initial attempt is thwarted. He often gets dominated by stronger blockers, and this is compounded on double teams. His tackling form is suspect as he struggles to finish plays, especially without help. He lacks a go-to move in the pass rush and prefers to shoot the gap. On 3rd downs, he can be lined up all over the line to try and find a mismatch, but he will likely be controlling the pocket.

Emory Hunt had this to say in his Football Gameplan Draft Guide:

Strengths:

– Plays with really good leverage up front. And a lot of that is tied to his ability to get his hands on the offensive lineman first.
– Able to quickly get hands on the OL, extend and anchor down right in the gap. Read what’s going on and then get off the block to go and pursue the ball carrier.
– If he’s able to get underneath the arm of the OL, he’s got some quickness to lean and pressure the gap.

Areas of Improvement:

– Average ball get off is the difference between occupying and pressuring the gap. Has to be much quicker off the ball moving forward.
– Working better off double teams is an area where he can grow his game.

Career Accolades:

– 2024 Hula Bowl
– Oregon Stats: 56 Tkls, 6 TFLs, 1.5 Sacks, 2 PBUs, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 TD
– Played at Nebraska from 2018-2022
– NEB Stats: 42 Tkls, 6 TFLs, 1.5 Sacks, 2 PBUs, 1 FF

Is there an opening for Rogers? Perhaps. The Giants have Dexter Lawrence, and veterans Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Jordan Phillips. They have young defensive tackles in D.J. Davidson and Jordon Riley who were late-round draft picks by GM Joe Schoen. They have Timmy Horne and Ryder Anderson as depth pieces competing for spots.