Andy Reid and BYU have a simpatico relationship. Since BYU offers up an opportunity for an addition to the Chiefs roster with a UDFA, it’s appropriate to venture out and take a peek at LB Zayne Anderson. I will first observe that not only can Anderson play multiple positions — he’s versatile — he is a special teams ace and has the type of moxie that, like Dan Sorensen, results in “Big Plays” including forcing turnovers on Special teams. Sound familiar?
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Jonny Linehan sees Anderson as a true value in the draft and goes on to quote Zayne’s father saying his son would definitely find a spot on the roster. Having established some credentials for moving up to the NFL level of play. Let’s take a look at some numbers and video presentations of Anderson’s play and provide a view of how he might fit the Chiefs roster.
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Because of commitments, Anderson’s senior year was delayed as a sixth year senior who started 11 games (41 tackles, 2 PBUs). During his collegiate career he played DB, S, and LB which is the position he played as a Senior in 2020. In High School he was also a track star, featured in sprints, so he has straight line speed.
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At 6-foot-2, 206 lbs., he doesn’t have the size for playing LB in the NFL. However, you can see that his size and speed would lend itself to the role of Safety in the NFL and he also would be a great candidate for Special Teams where his big plays were heralded at BYU. This is probably how the chiefs envision him as a contributor on the Chiefs Roster with an eye on getting him ready to play Safety. In fact his Pro Day 40 yard sprint result as a safety would have him ranked 4th among safeties. He ran a 4.46 – 40 which was more than a tenth of a second faster than WR Dax Milne, also of BYU.
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Lance Zierlein observed about Anderson:
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“[Anderson] can gain ground from high safety with a smooth pedal and has the hips to transition and adequately chase routes. There aren’t enough instincts for NFL ball production, though, and his run support success is below average against lesser competition. His special teams background and impressive testing could get him into a camp if teams are OK with the medical evaluation.”
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These types of observations abound. So his speed and comfort at the safety position as well as his special teams play, got Anderson an invite as a UDFA for the Chiefs. His strengths for the safety role are:
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- Showed very good speed and quickness at pro day.
- Adequate athleticism for coverage in space and experienced in multiple coverage schemes.
- His range, hustle and taking angles to the ball are good and he has the ability to support the run game from the single high safety role.
- On Special teams he is a gunner and covers kickoffs with high proficiency, and has a knack for forcing turnovers.
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To research Anderson in NCAA game film, I watched every play of the BYU Game against Wisconsin. The game was played in 2018 so his role was most often as a cornerback. Here are some plays from that game:
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Anderson is an energetic player who excels in reading plays and making the right moves to be around the ball. Zayne was deployed primarily as a safety, sometimes up in the back end of the box, but also up off the LoS as a hybrid LB. The game illustrated for me his versatility. You could see, in this latter case, why his size is not appropriate for NFL play, because he could not match blows with offensive linemen who blocked him.
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There were 2 plays, on the tape I watched, where he crashed the LoS from the LB position and was in on the stop of the ball carriers and also he made plays as the pursuit LB, making tackles from the weak side pursuing plays. As a safety he made plays and on Special Teams as well. There were occasions where he was deployed up in the box and blitzed as well as making plays from the up position in pursuit of the ball carrier. Even further, Anderson was assigned a cornerback role and recorded an interception.
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At no point, from any of his different roles in the game, was Anderson lost, nor did I see him make incorrect reads related to where the ball was going and choosing a bad angle to intersect the play. You can see that his speed is a value added especially in pursuit, traversing the field and making plays.
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To illustrate the player on special teams is a joy. What film is available is of course highlight video’s of single down situations where Anderson makes a play as a gunner, forces a fumble or downs a punted ball, even by catching the punt down field.
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My bottom line on Zayne Anderson: he’s a smart player, with a nose for the ball and what angle should be taken to make a play as a Safety.
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- Special teams gunner, and a true Elite player there
- Safety who can play in tandem or a single high
- Cornerback — especially where length matters facing off against taller WRs
- Versatility for assignment – in a CB/S hybrid role — just not LB (much as the Chiefs use Daniel Sorensen)
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I’m unsure about how the Chiefs will view him in camp, but would classify him as a DB overall.
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David Bell – ArrowheadOne
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