Our 2026 NFL Draft preview continues, focusing on potential Dallas Cowboys prospects. This installment highlights Texas Tech defensive end, Romello Height.
Position: DE
Team: Texas Tech Red Raiders
Class: Senior
Rating: 4-star
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 239 lbs
Romello Height began his collegiate career at Auburn in 2020, seeing action in just one game during what was largely a developmental and COVID-impacted year, recording no tackles. In his sophomore year at Auburn, he emerged as a rotational edge defender, accumulating 19 tackles and three tackles for loss (TFL) across nine games.
A transfer to USC in 2022 marked a lost season for Romello. Despite winning the starting rush-end position and beginning the first two games, a season-ending shoulder injury prevented him from recording any statistics.
Remaining at USC for his fourth college year, Romello returned from injury to achieve his first significant pass-rush production. Over 12 games, he posted 20 tackles, six TFL, and four sacks. A standout performance included five tackles and two sacks against Arizona State.
In 2024, his fifth year, Romello transferred to Georgia Tech, marking a one-year return to his home state. This season saw his most comprehensive production to date, as he started all 12 games. He tallied 34 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception. Notable games included his debut against Florida State in Dublin, Ireland, and a 1.5-sack effort versus Virginia Tech.
Romello’s final collegiate season brought him to Texas Tech, where he experienced a breakout year that solidified his NFL draft stock as an edge rusher. Starting all 14 games, he recorded 38 tackles, an impressive 11.5 TFL, 10 sacks, and two forced fumbles, earning First-Team All-Big 12 recognition. His 62 pressures ranked seventh nationally, highlighted by two separate two-sack performances.
Stats for the season:
Defensive Snaps: 598
Total Tackles: 38
Tackles For Loss (TFL): 11.5
Total Pressures: 62
Sacks: 10
Forced Fumbles: 2
Fumble Recoveries: 1
Missed Tackles: 7
Penalties: 0
Award: 2025 All-Big 12 First Team
Player Ratings:
Overall: 79.0
Speed: 91
Acceleration: 82
Agility: 82
Strength: 66
Tackling: 70
Run Defense: 69
Pass Rush: 93
Coverage: 90
Discipline: 94
- Explosive initial burst and quick first step.
- Excellent burst and flexibility when bending around the edge.
- Extensive array of pass-rush moves and effective counter techniques.
- Sophisticated hand usage for a speed rusher.
- Elite athletic attributes.
- Unwavering motor and relentless pursuit.
- Proven track record of converting pressure into disruptive plays.
- Versatile in various schemes and roles, particularly as a sub-package specialist.
- Lacks ideal anchor and point-of-attack strength in run defense.
- Inconsistent in establishing a strong edge against blockers.
- Absence of a long-levered edge build, hindering separation and finishing ability when offensive linemen gain inside hand position.
- Best suited as a primary pass-rusher in sub-packages.
- Tendency to over-pursue or drift too far upfield, opening rush lanes if not disciplined with landmarks.
- Generates significant pressure but not always effective in converting it into unblocked sacks.
- An older prospect whose significant production surge occurred late in his college career.
Height is ideally suited as a rush-first 3-4 outside linebacker within an aggressive defensive scheme. This role allows him to operate from wide alignments, leveraging his burst, bend, and counter moves against tackles, rather than being tasked with static, every-down edge-setting responsibilities. To maximize his impact, he should be utilized as a sub-package specialist, standing up, threatening both edges, and creating favorable matchups that allow his inside counters and closing speed to excel.
Romello Height emerges as a late-blooming, pass-rush focused EDGE defender, backed by verifiable production and impressive pressure statistics. His optimal role is primarily as a sub-package asset rather than a traditional every-down defensive end. Key strengths include his urgent first step, capacity to threaten the edge with both speed and flexibility, and a well-developed counter arsenal that contributed to his sack conversions during his 2025 breakout season. Furthermore, he exhibits a relentless motor and a knack for generating strip-sacks and turnovers.
Primary concerns surrounding Height involve his age and development trajectory, inconsistencies in his run defense, his ability to anchor against powerful blockers, and the question of whether his pass-rush success will translate effectively against NFL tackles without tailored schemes.
In summary, Height projects as an early-impact rotational pass rusher. He possesses the potential to develop into a quality starter, provided his run-defense assignments and point-of-attack strength evolve to match his proven pass-rushing prowess.
OVERALL CONSENSUS RANKING
Ranked: 75th
(This consensus ranking is derived from the average scores across 90 prominent evaluation services, including BTB.)