First Step: Elite first-step quickness, Anderson easily establishes initial leverage by winning with at the snap of the football. His fluid athleticism allows him to gain ground quickly into his arc without having to jump the snap. His snap anticipation is also elite, as it allows him to beat rushers early in the down.
Bend: Anderson is an all-around athlete that has zero stiffness to his game. He shows great hip/ankle bend when working from an outside track. Anderson is able to quickly corner offensive tackles while leaning into their frame and looping to the quarterback. When in pursuit, Anderson can quickly turn on a dime with little to no stiffness in his movements.
Hand Usage: Anderson is a player beyond his years in regards to his hand usage. In the run game, he can perfectly frame-blocks to the play at hand, and then drive offensive lineman back from the line of scrimmage. Anderson hits his opponents with force on run fits and can quickly shed them with the right read. As a pass rusher, Anderson shows incredible prowess when diagnosing offensive line sets and reacting to what the offense gives him. He can easily forklift the arms of his opponents and then quickly disengage through them.
Pass Rush Plan: Anderson has a well-rounded pass rush plan despite his youth. Anderson does a great job initiating at the point of attack with a power rush but wins plenty of snaps when he can transition that to a rip move through his opponent. Anderson manages to win with plenty of natural power and speed around the edge that he can often overtake offensive tackles on that alone. His only blemishes on film are when he works inside against guards and fails to properly frame his hands to his opponent.
Motor/Effort: Anderson more checks the box in this aspect. He never seems to play cold throughout games and is usually the most physical player on Alabama’s defense. His physicality largely shows in his pass-rushing, where he doesn’t quit until the whistle blows.
Lateral Mobility: In regards to his lateral movement skills, Anderson displays elite traits and should be regarded as a top-tier athlete for his position. Tackling in space is not a problem for Anderson and is his level of agility skills also allows for him to play in short zone coverage. Additionally, Anderson is quickly able to get upfield and weave through opposite gaps with ease when asked to play the stunt/twist game.
Run Defense/Anchor: Anderson is an incredible run defender due to his high football IQ and strength at the point of attack. Anderson has excellent vision when reading his keys as well as staying patient enough to allow plays to develop in front of him. He uses his length to gain leverage through his opponents when asked to penetrate gaps and can easily overwhelm ball carriers when in the backfield. He can almost perfectly form-fit to reach blocks and using his quick hands to disengage. Lastly, Anderson displays great lower half strength despite playing at a lighter weight.
Athletic Ability: Exceptional athlete through and through. Anderson has displayed an incredible change of direction skills which allows him to corner offensive linemen with ease and be an impact player in coverage. From a height/weight perspective, Anderson checks the box of the modern NFL pass rusher, displays the requisite length to handle most opponents, and is an effective run defender.
Strength: Anderson is a surprisingly strong player at the point of attack, using core/lower half strength when attacking opponents at the line of scrimmage. He can struggle when facing squatty offensive lineman who can win the leverage game but largely speaking, Anderson shows effective play strength.
Versatility: Anderson plays in a few different looks for the Crimson Tide. He largely plays as a standup six-technique that is allowed to rush from space but can also be asked to put his hand in the dirt. On other downs, Anderson is deployed inside as a four-technique due to his above-average strength as a defensive lineman. Lastly, Alabama asks him to drop into zone coverage from his outside linebacker spot.