Getty General Manager Terry Fontenot of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons continued to bolster their defense in Round 2 by selecting Montana State linebacker Troy Andersen at No. 58 overall.
Prior to that, the Falcons traded up with the New York Giants from No. 43 to No. 38 to grab Penn State pass rusher Arnold Ebiketie.
We have selected ILB Troy Andersen with the 58th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
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Andersen’s Versatility is Intriquiging
Andersen may be the most intriguing player 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 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 at linebacker. 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 recently told Brent Vigen of Yahoo Sports. “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.”
The Falcons love their versatile players and are high on using them to their “best abilities,” as head coach Arthur Smith has said in the past. Similar to Andersen, the Falcons already have Cordarrelle Patterson who has played both at running back and wide receiver but was also listed as a backup safety on the Falcons depth chart last season.
Falcons 2022 NFL Draft Picks
After drafting wide receiver Drake London out of Southern California in round 1 at No. 8 overall, trading No. 43 overall to the Giants to select Arnold Ebiketie and drafting Andersen, the Falcons have a total of five draft picks remaining in the 2022 NFL Draft:
Round 1 – Pick 8 (8 overall): USC WR Drake London
Round 2 – Pick 11 (43 overall): traded to the New York Giants
Round 2-Pick 7 (38 overall): Penn State DE Arnold Ebiketie
Round 2 – Pick 26 (58 overall) from the Tennessee Titans: Montana State Troy Andersen
Round 3 – Pick 10 (74 overall):
Round 3 – Pick 18 (82 overall) from the Indianapolis Colts:
Round 4 – Pick 9 (114 overall): traded to the New York Giants
Round 5 – Pick 8 (151 overall):
Round 6 – Pick 11 (190 overall):
Round 6 – Pick 35 (213 overall):
The Falcons acquired No. 58 overall in the second round from their Julio Jones trade with the Tennesee Titans last offseason and No. 82 overall after sending longtime quarterback Matt Ryan to Indy.
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Falcons Draft Intriguing Versatile LB in Round 2