Getty Arden Key celebrates a sack versus the Falcons on December 19, 2021.
The weekend of March 5 will soon belong to the defense at the NFL Scouting Combine, with defensive ends among the first groups to workout in front of scouts, coaches and general managers including some San Francisco 49ers representatives.
Defensive end has been mentioned as a need for the 49ers in mock drafts. Already, Arnold Ebiketie of Penn State has had his name plugged as one possible option.
But, there’s one edge defender from that same region who said the 49ers not only talked to him during the combine’s interview session, but claims they took a liking to his game. And he’s drawn comparisons to one key edge rusher from the 49ers’ trench unit.
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Edge Defender has Played in 2 New Year’s 6 Bowls
Myjai Sanders out of the University of Cincinnati is the newest name linked as a possibility to the 49ers.
“It was a nice meeting. I had fun in that meeting. They said they liked my game a lot,” Sanders told Jordan Wilson of SB Nation on the morning of Friday, March 4.
I asked Cincinnati EDGE Myjai Sanders if he met with the San Francisco 49ers this week
“I had a lot of fun in that meeting, they said they liked my game a lot”
The 22-year-old Sanders is a towering figure at 6-foot-5, 258-pounds who went on to play in two New Year’s Six bowl games with the Bearcats: The January 1, 2021 Peach Bowl versus Georgia and the December 31, 2021 Cotton Bowl Classic against Alabama.
After enduring zero sacks his freshman season, Sanders would go on to flip a switch after that: Snatching 24.5 sacks in his next 38 games.
Sanders became a top option when the Bearcats needed pressure on the quarterback. But as he told Turron Davenport of ESPN (Tennessee Titans reporter), he wants to be more than a sack creator. He wants to be a turnover creator:
Cincinnati EDGE Myjai Sanders was really good talking about speed to power and being a better closer. Said sacks are good, but he wants to be someone who generates more turnovers.
The native of Jacksonville leaves Cincinnati helping take that program to new heights — witnessing back-to-back bowl games played on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, which had never happened before for the Bearcats in the era of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) or the CFB playoffs.
Sanders will be entering the combine as a standout from the Group of Five realm while sharing the field with representatives from the Southeastern Conference (SEC), Big 10, Big 12, and the Pac-12. He’ll also be a part of the group that features two potential No. 1 overall picks in Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan and Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oregon.
Hutchinson and Thibodeaux may be generating the most buzz and hype from Sanders’ position group. But he has his own traits that makes him an appealing option for teams needing edge rush upgrades. And what could help the 49ers is that he’s comparable to a free agent pass rusher on S.F.
Sanders has Drawn Comparisons to Arden Key
As he does annually, Lance Zierlein of nfl.com gave his evaluation and NFL comparisons to this year’s draft lineup including Sanders.
But the Bearcats’ NFL comparison by Zierlein? Arden Key, better known as the second-leading rusher on the 49ers.
Zierlein described Sanders with having “unorthodox movements” and is a “slippery” edge rusher. Here’s what else he wrote:
“Three-year starter whose unorthodox movements can be off-putting until you realize they also help put him in position to make plays. Whether playing the run or rushing the passer, Sanders is flexible and slippery, making it hard to sustain run blocks and mirror him during pass sets.”
Here’s a sample of Sanders using speed to power against Norte Dame, in one of the Bearcats’ biggest regular season upsets of 2021:
Zierlein, however, mentioned how Sanders can draw himself offsides too often, which raises questions about if he’s too antsy of a player or isn’t a “when the ball moves, he moves” type defender. Zierlein adds that Sanders used foot quickness more than an array of hand moves, which he says he needs to diversify. Lastly, with his size and light frame, Sanders is being projected to play in a 3-4 as an outside linebacker who rushes.
Then again, Key was considered undersized when he entered the league…and the 49ers lined him up inside where the 240-pounder beat interior blockers with his speed.
Arden Key getting a sack here on a stunt. The amount of attention put on Bosa unlocks everything for this defense. The scary part is they seem to be just hitting their stride.
Arden Key is having the best year of his career under 49ers superstar DL coach Kris Kocurek, primarily lining up inside as a 3T using a silky smooth swipe move for 4 of his 5 HQ sacks this season. Another example of elite coaching unlocking disregarded talent.
Perhaps Sanders could become an option in the later rounds in the event Key doesn’t return to the 49ers — or give Key someone he can help mentor along the line if both are 49er teammates.
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Defender Compared to Arden Key Claims the 49ers ‘Liked my Game a Lot’