Troy is a great all-around athlete who was drafted in the second round. Would be great to see him start as a rookie, but we'll have to see if he has to go through a racial apprenticeship before boosting the Falcons' terrible defense. The first training camp reports are positive:
Troy Andersen is making plays
Expectations for rookie linebacker Troy Andersen are all over the place. The second-round pick not only played his college football at FCS Montana State, he also played three different positions across his four seasons. In reality, he only played two full seasons at linebacker, with the rest of his time split at running back and quarterback. He’s also an incredibly special athlete and enters the NFL with arguably the highest athletic ceiling of any player in the class.
I think some growing pains are to be expected, particularly with regards to his tackling and ability to play the run. But in coverage and in a limited-contact practice? There was always a chance we could see Andersen really look special. It happened on Friday.
Andersen’s plays all happened in 11-on-11, so there won’t be any clips. But believe me when I say there were impressive. First, he chased down quarterback Marcus Mariota, who broke free for what looked like a long rushing TD after he escaped the pocket. Andersen came flying in from the other side of the formation and was able to limit the damage to approximately a 30-40 yard gain.
He also had a few standout plays in coverage, including a very impressive one against rookie Tyler Allgeier. Allgeier got loose for downfield and Ridder delivered a very good pass, but Andersen closed instantly and absolutely smothered the play. With Andersen’s size and speed, Allgeier had no chance at the ball. Andersen knocked it harmlessly away, and he made it look easy.
That’s the type of coverage player he can be. Andersen can smother running backs in coverage with his size, and is faster and more agile than 95% of NFL tight ends. And in terms of his range, he’s almost like a safety in his ability to prevent big gains and long TDs. We’ll see how quickly he can acclimate to the run game and the finer points of the linebacker position, but no matter what, he’ll be fun to watch.
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2022/...ordarrelle-patterson-aj-terrell-troy-andersen
Troy Andersen is making plays
Expectations for rookie linebacker Troy Andersen are all over the place. The second-round pick not only played his college football at FCS Montana State, he also played three different positions across his four seasons. In reality, he only played two full seasons at linebacker, with the rest of his time split at running back and quarterback. He’s also an incredibly special athlete and enters the NFL with arguably the highest athletic ceiling of any player in the class.
I think some growing pains are to be expected, particularly with regards to his tackling and ability to play the run. But in coverage and in a limited-contact practice? There was always a chance we could see Andersen really look special. It happened on Friday.
Andersen’s plays all happened in 11-on-11, so there won’t be any clips. But believe me when I say there were impressive. First, he chased down quarterback Marcus Mariota, who broke free for what looked like a long rushing TD after he escaped the pocket. Andersen came flying in from the other side of the formation and was able to limit the damage to approximately a 30-40 yard gain.
He also had a few standout plays in coverage, including a very impressive one against rookie Tyler Allgeier. Allgeier got loose for downfield and Ridder delivered a very good pass, but Andersen closed instantly and absolutely smothered the play. With Andersen’s size and speed, Allgeier had no chance at the ball. Andersen knocked it harmlessly away, and he made it look easy.
That’s the type of coverage player he can be. Andersen can smother running backs in coverage with his size, and is faster and more agile than 95% of NFL tight ends. And in terms of his range, he’s almost like a safety in his ability to prevent big gains and long TDs. We’ll see how quickly he can acclimate to the run game and the finer points of the linebacker position, but no matter what, he’ll be fun to watch.
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2022/...ordarrelle-patterson-aj-terrell-troy-andersen
