*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Some Teams See Anderson in Top Half of Round 1 in 2022 NFL Draft
Updated Sept. 20, 2021By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
Earlier in the summer, WalterFootball.com was first to report that Georgia outside linebacker Adam Anderson had received the highest preseason grade on NFL teams’ spring watch list by some advance scouts. This was surprising because Anderson was not a starter for Georgia in 2020, but rather a situational contributor as a designated pass rusher. He totaled 6.5 sacks in the shortened season. Anderson’s rotational role has continued into his senior year, but he has still managed to impress pro evaluators in the early going of the 2021 season. WalterFootball.com caught up with a director of college scouting from a playoff team and one of the best drafting teams in the NFL. Here is what they had to say about Anderson:
“Talk about holding a guy back; Georgia is definitely doing that. You’re correct in his get-off being reminiscent of Von Miller at Texas A&M. Anderson should be a top-10 or top-15 pick if he keeps playing like he did against Clemson.”
“He’s only 230 pounds and really struggles to add weight because of a high metabolism. That’s why Georgia says they don’t start him. [Shrug emjoi]”
Anderson said in the preseason his goal is to get to 250 pounds on his 6-foot-5 frame. Reports from Georgia’s training camp had Anderson running the 40-yard dash in the 4.4s, which is fast for a wide receiver and a truly incredible time for a pass rusher. A director of player personnel sent this message on Anderson:
“I think he’s a first-rounder, I haven’t done enough tape to finalize how high, but he has all the traits.”
Not all evaluators are high on Anderson because of him being a backup and rotational player. Here is what one area scout said about Anderson:
“I think he goes in the first, but I wouldn’t take him in the first because of his run defense and he’s just a designated pass rusher. He is a freak athlete though and a special pass rusher. He is going to be freak at the combine and pro day. I wouldn’t take a guy that high that isn’t a three-down starter, but someone will take him up there though.”
Anderson has six sacks over his last six games, which is excellent production for any player, but it is even more impressive considering he sees limited opportunities. If he maintains this level of production, he should continue to rise.
