Atlanta Falcons’ 2022 second-round draft pick, Troy Andersen, made his NFL debut in the team’s 24-16 loss to the Jets on Monday night.
Andersen didn’t see action until the second quarter and played through the third, logging two tackles on Jets’ tight end Jeremy Ruckert and a quarterback hit on Chris Streveler.
The Montana State product didn’t have a perfect game as he missed a tackle and looked stiff out there, but head coach Arthur Smith made it clear that it’s completely normal for rookies to look a bit sloppy at first.
“Like most rookies, there are things he can clean up,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC. “It wasn’t a lack of effort. You saw him do some things and flash. It was his first time out there. Like, always there are things to clean up.”
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The Falcons Played It Safe With Andersen
Due to a minor hamstring injury, Andersen didn’t get any playing time in the Falcons’ 27-23 win over the Detroit Lions last week.
“It just was a negative thing they were being smart with,” Andersen said (via the AJC) after the Falcons’ win over Detroit. “I could have played, but it is what it is.”
You could tell Andersen was eager to get out on the field against the Jets after missing the Falcons’ first preseason game.
“It was awful,” Andersen said. “You never want to sit out or miss any time. That was frustrating.”
Andersen seemed to be back to full health on Monday night and hopefully can get more reps in during the Falcons’ preseason finale against the Jaguars on Saturday, August 27.
Troy Andersen with the pressure, Dee Alford with the coverage
Andersen Has an Intriguing Background
Andersen may have been one of the most intriguing players to come out of the 2022 NFL Draft class after playing both sides of the ball at MSU.
For starters, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Bobcat product spent his freshman year in the backfield, where he rushed for a team-high 1,412 yards and 21 touchdowns. The following season he started 11 games at QB and added 300+ more yards and seven touchdowns while also logging 54 total tackles, an interception and 6.5 sacks on defense.
After covid-19 canceled his 2020 season, he returned in 2021 to focus solely on the linebacker position. Just last fall, Andersen racked up 147 tackles, a forced fumble, two interceptions and two sacks. His impressive season resulted in him being a finalist for the Buck Buchannan Award along with a list of other All-Big Sky and All-American awards.
Like any other rookie, Andersen still has a lot of growing to do but his former MSU head coach is certain that he won’t disappoint his new team.
“A lot of guys are not too far from what they’re going to become when they get drafted,” Montana State’s head coach Brent Vigen told Yahoo Sports back in April. “Troy still has a ways to go, and that’s the exciting part with him. NFL teams see an unfinished product but also a person who has all this athleticism, character and intelligence. I’m sure they think that two or three years down the road, they could have something pretty special.”
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Falcons HC Arthur Smith Addresses Rookie’s NFL Debut