Free Safety 

Ohio State

6-1 202

40 time: 4.45

Draft board overall prospect rank: NR

Draft board safety rank: NR

Overall rating: 58*

            10/2/09: Anderson Russell is a big, tall, tough safety built in the tough mold of Big 10 players. He doesn’t have the best straight line speed and his 40 isn’t going to get him noticed but he’s a very solid player that does it all in the backfield. He plays decent in both zone and man coverage which is a plus going into the NFL with all of the different combo systems. He can guard slot guys one on one, but he’s not fast enough or good enough in backpedal to take on opposing teams’ starting receivers. He has good size, but he’s smaller than almost all tight ends so putting him on one is not a good idea. In zone, he roams well and has a knack for picking up receivers in his zone. He is strong against the run and provides good support against the run. He closes spaces against the run after the back breaks out of the backfield and really is a safety against the run. Ohio State did not give up a lot of long runs last season and has not done so this season and he’s part of that reason. He also will take on a few blocks because of his size, though he’s not great at disengaging blocks and is normally blocked easily, but he’ll take on blockers to free up other guys. He’s not afraid to stick his nose in a pile near the line and can play up close to the line on clear running plays. He doesn’t have great hands and doesn’t make a ton of plays on the ball. He doesn’t have elite quickness or acceleration. He’s not a great player, but there’s a spot for him in the league in a defensive backfield rotation.

NFL Comparison: Quentin Demps

*=For a breakdown of what this means, click here