Henry Anderson: Prime Candidate For Defensive ‘ROY’
By Dave McKee
Oct 18, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; Stanford Cardinal defensive end Henry Anderson (91) against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first quarter at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Henry Anderson is the steal of the 2015 NFL Draft. Projected as a first round talent, the Colts was selected him 93rd overall in the 3rd round. That’s Larceny
Henry Anderson is a freak athlete at 5t who is making a huge impact for the Indianapolis Colts. Some media pundits did recognize his potential. Draft guru, Mike Mayock was one of them. He listed Anderson as an under-the-radar prospect from his performance at the Senior Bowl.
When he was drafted, Mayock praised the pick. “He’s long with deceiving strength. I think he’s an NFL starter all day long. He plays hard all day long and is a better athlete than you think. This is a really good pick here.”
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I covered the draft for our Fansided sister site, Horseshoe Heroes and projected him as an impact player for the Colts:
"“The Colts have been looking for consistent interior pass rushing for the entire Grigson-Pagano era and with Anderson, they may have committed larceny within the 2015 NFL Draft. Anderson projects to be a future starter. At a minimum, he is going to help as a rotational lineman, but has the chance to compete in training camp while he adds to his frame and evolves his technique. It is also very likely he works his way right into a starting role.”"
Following the NFL Draft, Most media analysts were projecting him as a rotational player. The injury to Art Jones required Anderson to step in earlier than most expected and become the starting 5T. Even as a starter, no one was including him in the discussion for a rookie of the year.
Henry Anderson‘s performance over his first two weeks is worthy of consideration in the race for Rookie of the Year. In only two games, Anderson has 14 tackles, 5 tackles-for-loss and a sack. That is an incredible stat sheet for a rookie.
The Colts have not had an AP Defensive Rookie of the Year since linebacker Duane Bickett was chosen for the award 1984.
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