NFL Draft: Montana State Linebacker On The Rise
Looking at the landscape of the linebacker position in the NFL, numerous teams could use one of their picks in the 2022 NFL Draft on a linebacker to add depth or for a key role on defense. There are several quality linebacker prospects, with Devin Lloyd (Utah) and Nakobe Dean (Georgia) at the top of the list, but one guy is entering the conversation as a top linebacker prospect, and that is Montana State's, Troy Andersen.
As a small-school prospect, who was formerly a quarterback, Andersen isn't quite as polished as guys like Lloyd and Dean, but his potential and athletic ability are what's turning the heads of NFL teams. Andersen recently tested a posted impressive numbers, running the shuttle at 3.99 seconds and the three-cone at 6.72 seconds at his Pro Day.
After an impressive week in Mobile, Alabama, for the Senior Bowl, Andersen went to the Scouting Combine and measured just over six-foot-three and 243-pounds -- a great size for a linebacker.
In an interview after his pro day, Andersen was asked what he was most proud of about his performance. He had this to say: "It was the finishing touches, getting the shuttles out of the way, and getting some position work. It's always fun to move on to real football and not just the track stuff we've done the last couple of months."
After that, he was asked what the whole experience had been like for him. Here's what he had to say: "It's been cool -- it's been a lot of fun meeting with teams and coaches. It's been kind of crazy, but it's been a lot of fun -- met a lot of people, it's been a lot of fun."
Andersen was asked why he didn't run some of the drills at the Combine and said: "Honestly, at the Combine, you spike your adrenaline so many times, so I was pretty worn out. I think only four guys ran it there, and I got done with the 40, the jumps, position work, and thought my time wouldn't be what I wanted, so I was like I'll just do in Bozeman (Montana)."
Andersen helped lead Montana State to the Championship game this year, where Montana State lost to North Dakota State. He has experience playing against quality opponents and playing in big games. Teams shouldn't be concerned about selecting this small-school prospect, and from the sounds of it, they consider him to be in the mix as one of the top linebackers in this class. Expect to hear his name earlier than you think.
