Colts 2022 Draft Interviews: David Anenih, EDGE, Houston
David Anenih is a former three star recruit out of Mansfield Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas. Despite receiving interest from other schools, such as Baylor and Boise State, he decided to attend Houston out of high school.
I asked him about the process that led him to Houston:
Starting off, soccer was my main sport that I fell in love with. I was playing that and then the football coach saw me and noticed my size. He asked me to try out for football, and I quickly fell in love with it.
From then on, offers came rolling in. I narrowed it down to Houston, Baylor, and Texas Tech as my top three schools. I ended up choosing Houston because of the relationship that I had with the outside linebackers coach at the time.
I've heard of players in the past playing basketball or wrestling before moving over to football, but I've rarely had a player tell me that soccer was their main sport.
I asked him what aspects of playing soccer translated over to the football field when he first made the transition:
I would say that I definitely got my speed from soccer. That's my whole game right there as an outside linebacker/defensive end. I take pride in being able to get off the ball and using my speed to bend the corner.
I would say what I got from soccer was just being able to run and be fast. In soccer, that is basically what you are doing for an entire game. It certainly helps in every phase of the football game.
When Anenih arrived at Houston, he joined what would eventually become an impressive set of defensive linemen. Payton Turner was selected in the first round in the 2021 NFL Draft and his other teammate, Logan Hall, could be following the same path.
On top of that Anenih had an impressive run as well, totaling 31.5 tackles for a loss and 20.5 sacks in his career. I asked him what about Houston and that program is helping turn this team into a hot spot for edge talent:
I would say it's definitely coaching, but the talent level in the Houston area is great too. I'm not from Houston, but there is so much talent down there. Before Payton Turner, there was Ed (Oliver). It is a talent rich area combined with the coaching down there.
Now that Houston is in the Big 12, they are going to get even more talent just because of the Big 12 logo.
Fit in the NFL
Anenih is an interesting fit in the NFL. He has the power and strength to remain at defensive end, but some teams will see his weight (around 240-250) and immediately move him to linebacker.
I asked him where he sees his best fit being in the NFL:
I feel like I could excel in multiple roles for a defense. When I first got to college, I played in a 3-4 defense my first two years. So, I had experience dropping into coverage and felt really comfortable doing that.
In my last three years of college, I played in a 4-3/4-2-5 defense. I think that I probably fit best in a 3-4, where I could use my athleticism to drop into coverage and rush off of the edge, but I think I could do whatever a team needs me to do.
Shrine Bowl Experience
Anenih was rewarded for his strong college career with a trip out to Las Vegas for the East-West Shrine Bowl. He had a solid week of practices and definitely caught the eye of many teams and reporters.
I asked him about that week and how the overall experience was for him:
It was a great experience for me. I enjoyed it, I had fun, and it was certainly tiring (laughs). It is a grind for sure. You are going all day, every day for an entire week. You start with practice, then go to meetings, then interviews with teams... It was stressful for sure.
I definitely enjoyed the process, though, and enjoyed the grind out there.
Pass Rush Plan of Attack
All pass rushers have one foundational move, or at least have a move that they prefer to go to on most of their rushes.
I asked Anenih what his go-to move was and about what counters he has developed to go along with that move:
For me, I would say it is just getting off the ball and then dip and rip. I like dipping that inside shoulder, ripping to the sky, and finishing on the quarterback. Like I said before, my whole game is predicated off of my speed and how fast I can get off of the ball.
When it comes to counters, you can't be a good pass rusher and just have one move. If you have just one move, you are going to be easy to stop. For me, since I'm a speed guy, an offensive tackle will likely adjust to what I'm doing by taking a more vertical set and kick farther back.
When they do that, one of my alternatives is to go speed to power. I have pretty long arms for my size, so I can long arm to adjust to a deeper vertical set.
I then went a little deeper with my film question and asked Anenih how he prepares for an upcoming match-up.
I asked him what he likes to study on opposing offensive tackles to prepare for a game:
I want to see how aggressive they are in terms of their run blocking. In pass setting, I want to see how good they are with their feet. If they are sloppy (with their feet), that is going to be so much easier to take advantage of.
I always say that if there is an offensive tackle with good feet, that makes everything a bit more difficult. I look at their feet and I look at how they set. Do they set vertical or are they an angle-setter? Those are the important things that I like to look at.
NFL Draft Outlook
I finished off the interview with the same way I finish all of them. I asked Anenih how he would sell himself to a team this offseason. I asked him what my team would be getting, on and off the field, if they draft him:
Your team is getting a guy that is going to work harder than everybody else in the locker room. Someone that is going to listen to the veterans and take coaching as best as possible.
I honestly believe that there isn't a player in this draft class that is better than me. I don't think there is anybody that comes off of the edge like I do, and I don't think anybody can bend as well as I do.
That is what you are getting when you draft me.
Anenih was a really fun watch on film. He is a pure speed rusher that has some excellent flashes off of the edge. I don't know where his stock is currently at, but I wholeheartedly believe that there is a role for him in the NFL.
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