Faceoff - DL Jamaal Anderson, Atlanta Falcons

Posted 7/19, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Upside - by John Norton

I could take up some space here by reciting all the good things in Anderson's scouting report but I'll just skip right to the important ones. This kid started 14 games last year in one of the toughest division one conferences in college football, all he did was put up 65 solo tackles and lead the SEC in sacks with 13.5. He was impressive enough to be the 8th overall pick in the draft and there is no question that Anderson is loaded with talent, but what makes me particularly high on him is the situation he goes to in Atlanta. With Patrick Kerney off to Seattle, the door is wide open for Anderson to step right into not only a starting role but an every down role. Run support may not be a strength at this point but he has the size to get the job done and that is a skill that can be coached. With John Abraham on the other side, Anderson will not be the focus of offensive blocking schemes. Despite the talent and expectations he will be viewed as a rookie until he lights up a few people and gains some recognition, which means he is likely to see plenty of single blocking. The Falcons run an aggressive scheme that is a perfect fit for Anderson's skill set. Granted he is unproven at this level but the whole point of a fantasy draft is to identify big potential guys and pick them up at the right time. Because he's a rookie Anderson will fall a long way in most drafts but he could very well prove to be a top 15 DL this season.

Downside - by David Baker

The Atlanta Falcons used their first round pick in the NFL draft (eighth pick overall) on defensive end Jamaal Anderson. They didn't use the pick to have Anderson sit on the bench. Their plan is to have him replace the departed Patrick Kerney and supply some much needed pass rush opposite the injury prone John Abraham. Expectations are high for the athletic Anderson and the general belief is that Anderson will excel as early as this year. But the expectations seem a bit unreasonable at this point, and there are too many questions for me to think Anderson comes out with a huge contribution in his rookie year.

First off, there is a learning curve. Almost every NFL player has one, and for someone who has only been playing defensive end for three years, it seems obvious that Anderson is a strong candidate for such a curve to take place. Anderson came out as a junior and another year in college would have been beneficial to his improvement and it's quite possible he'll need a year or two of seasoning before becoming the dominant player the Falcons hope they drafted. Rookies tend to come along slowly.

Also, Chauncey Davis is waiting in the wings and is capable and excels in run support. While Anderson seems comfortable in the pass rush, he may need help against the run. It's possible Anderson only plays on obvious passing downs, at least until he increases his upper body strength to better combat the run. Another problem is that although Anderson is athletic with good moves, his initial quickness is lacking and he was slow to get off the snap.

How many rookie defensive ends have succeeded? Does recent history indicate a tough road ahead for Anderson? While comparing players is often difficult, you don't have to look hard to see plenty of highly touted defensive ends that either turn out as complete failures or they take time to succeed. In the last decade alone, names stand out such as Andre Wadsworth, Courtney Brown, Jamal Reynolds, Michael Haynes and Kenechi Udeze as some of the guys drafted very highly who have not panned out. While injuries, holdouts and other reasons may have contributed to their lack of production, the bottom line is that those players have been disappointments. Because of recent history, I'll take the safer road of patience before pronouncing stardom for guys like Anderson. Even Mario Williams, last year's athletic phenom, did not produce as hoped and while Anderson may not be a failure at all, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that a huge contribution in his rookie year is far from a sure thing.

Anderson could have a bright future in the NFL, but he's still a rookie and a raw one at that. With needed improvements needed before he can excel against the run and a recent history of ends that have not exactly performed to draft status, I'll take a long pause before getting Anderson this year.