Fansided
Fansided

Ryan Anderson, Alabama scouting report: 2017 NFL Draft

By Sayre Bedinger

Dec 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Ryan Anderson (22) after the game in the 2016 CFP Semifinal against the Washington Huskies at the Georgia Dome. Alabama defeated Washington 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Ryan Anderson (22) after the game in the 2016 CFP Semifinal against the Washington Huskies at the Georgia Dome. Alabama defeated Washington 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next

Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Ryan Anderson (22) recovers a fumble against the Clemson Tigers in the third quarter in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Strengths

RYAN ANDERSON GAME FILM DATABASE (via Draft Breakdown)

One thing that really stood out to me about Anderson was gap discipline. Very rarely would you find Anderson out of place, and very rarely would he take himself out of a play completely by being overly aggressive.

He is gap disciplined nearly to a fault and it paid off in the form of many offenses being tortured. It’s one thing to have to deal with Alabama’s defense based on their talent alone, but when a player like Anderson comes along who combines great talent with an ability to stay home and ruin plays with patience, it’s a real problem.

This is a player who shows quickness off the ball and nice initial punch on offensive linemen. He has great effort in his pass rush and does a good job of forcing quarterbacks to make quicker decisions than they would ideally like.

Capable of setting the edge with a combination of quickness, leverage, and overall strong hand placement and technique. Anderson makes up for a lack of great arm length by moving around the field and using his quickness and instincts to time blitzes and delay his rush.

Quick feet and capable of dropping into coverage and excelling there. Anderson busted up a number of running back screen plays I watched by recognizing the play and setting into his zone patiently.

Anderson is capable of delivering punishing hits despite playing so close to the line of scrimmage most of the time. He does a good job of squaring his hips to the ball carrier and taking them down.

This is a very technically sound football player with an impressive ability to stick to the script and trust what he’s watched on film. Very well prepared and rarely caught out of position.

Home/NFL Draft