NFL teams meeting with individual players are a significant part of the draft process. These meetings can happen at the NFL Scouting Combine, pro days, the Senior Bowl, the East-West Shrine Bowl or a private workout.
For fans following the process, these meetings are sort of like poker tells for the draft, as they indicate what positions a team could be focusing on. Do teams draft players they haven’t met with? Yes, they do. It happens all the time, but they have often spoken to other players at that position.
Who have the Baltimore Ravens met with so far? A good list to usually check is at WalterFootball.com, but with the state of the world as it is, it has become a tad tougher to find those tea leaves.
So far, teams have had access to players at the Senior Bowl, East-West Shrine Bowl and the Combine. They’ll also have access at upcoming pro days. Therefore, I am going to profile players you should know and that the Ravens could select in the 2022 NFL Draft. Today is Montana State linebacker Troy Andersen. Let’s get to know him better.
Tale of the Tape
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 243 pounds
Strengths: So versatile. I can see a team using him on offense as well as a starting linebacker on Day 1. Very athletic; tackling machine with excellent technique and form; speed to burn; ran a 4.42 at the Combine (fastest of any linebacker in attendance); has a nose for the ball and can go sideline to sideline.
Areas for Improvement: Still relatively new to linebacker; can have trouble getting off blocks; reads well but could react a tad quicker; high football IQ overall but is still learning to be a linebacker.
Other Notes: Started games as a quarterback, running back and linebacker for Montana State; was named the FCS ADA National Defensive Player of the Year and Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year at inside linebacker in 2021; also named a unanimous first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Sky at the end of the 2021 season; team captain.
NFL Player Comparison: Luke Kuechly. Yes, this is bold, but I see many similarities. A less bold comparison is Logan Wilson.
Draft Projection: Andersen could be the best linebacker in this year’s draft, but his relative inexperience will make him a second- or third-round pick this year.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Bobcat Athletics