Washington Football Team training camp profiles: Edge rushers
By Ian Cummings
Ryan Anderson
Experience: 4th season
Draft Status: 2017 second-round pick, 49th overall
2019 Stats: 16 games, four starts, 44 total tackles, 4.0 sacks, four tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one pass deflection, nine quarterback hits
2020 Outlook: I know Ryan Anderson has some fans out there, so to preserve your mental peace, I won’t tell you that he was drafted over players like Kenny Golladay, Chris Godwin, Juju Smith-Schuster, Cooper Kupp, George Kittle, Alvin Kamara, and Shaquill Griffin, among others. But I will tell you that the new coaching staff seems excited to use him, regardless of his enigmatic production thus far.
In fairness to Anderson, he did put together a solid 2019 campaign while playing on a primarily rotational basis. Against the Eagles, in his second start of the season, he logged 2.0 sacks and three forced fumbles. The guy has a ton of energy, and his hustle helps him make plays. It still remains to be seen how he’ll be used in 2020, and his upside may still be capped, given his middling athleticism. But Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio like him. That’s a start.
Expected Role: Anderson will probably be in our linebackers breakdown as well, because it’s not clear where he’ll spend most of his time. Although he has pass-rushing experience, he’s too small to be a 4-3 defensive end. His best role might be found as a SAM outside linebacker who rushes the passer situationally. In that case, he’d be a 4-3 linebacker primarily, but he’d find himself on the edge or utilized as a blitzer if the situation calls for it.
Status: *copy**copy**copy*: “Do I even need to…”
Whoa, sorry, kinda got into a groove there. Despite his draft status and recent production, Anderson is not a roster lock. He has a better chance than most, and his work ethic should separate him in training camp, but he has to prove that he has a role to fill in the Washington football team’s new defensive scheme. Given that Rivera and Del Rio seem to be flexible, and love for their players to have motors that run hot, Anderson has a good chance.