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Five 2019 NFL Draft prospects you shouldn’t sleep on

By Dillon Appleman

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Running back Rodney Anderson #24 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates after scoring on a nine-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Running back Rodney Anderson #24 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates after scoring on a nine-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Rodney Anderson #24 of the Oklahoma Sooners runs the ball down field for a 41 yard touchdown in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game agains the Georgia Bulldogs at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Rodney Anderson #24 of the Oklahoma Sooners runs the ball down field for a 41 yard touchdown in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game agains the Georgia Bulldogs at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Rodney Anderson – RB – Oklahoma

The 2019 crop of running backs may not be loaded with household names but it is certainly a deep group. While everyone argues over their rankings and whether or not they are “every down” or “third down” backs, one name that isn’t being discussed enough is Oklahoma’s Rodney Anderson.

At 6’1″ 220 pounds, Anderson is the prototypical size you want in a back. He played for a team that is known for producing good NFL talent at the RB position and has shown the skills indicative of a top prospect at the collegiate level. So why is he being overlooked? Because each of his three seasons with the Sooners ended because of a significant injury.

He broke his leg his freshman year and followed that up by missing the entire 2016 season after breaking a bone in his neck. Anderson then put together a fantastic comeback season in 2017 as he racked up over 1,400 total yards and scored 18 TD’s but then fell victim to another heartbreaking injury after tearing his ACL in the second game of his 2018 campaign.

Obviously the “injury-prone” label is totally warranted and it’s understandable to question his durability but his skill-set, when healthy, shouldn’t be overlooked. He has great size and is not afraid to take on contact in the hole. He displays an excellent burst at the LOS, has deceptively quick feet, sharp cuts, and gets back up to speed quickly after making those cuts.

He has shown soft hands in the passing game and while his pass protection could use some coaching, there are almost no-reasons to believe he won’t succeed at the next level if he can remain healthy.

While that is a big if, Anderson has shown the talent that one would expect from a top guy at the position and deserves more than being cast to the side because of a few freak injuries. The good news is that he still has a chance to ease some of those concerns.

While he is still healing up from his ACL and isn’t expected to participate in drills at the combine, look for Anderson to try and make an impression when his pro day rolls around. If teams check him out and he impresses through drills his stock could improve a bit from his current mid to late round projection.

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