An inside look at WR Robby Anderson

When it comes to the New York Jets, they added a plethora of undrafted free agents with hopes of finding a diamond in the rough. Can wide receiver Robby Anderson make the final roster?

As we have seen in my series on the 2016 undrafted free agent class, general manager Mike Maccagnan and his scouting team did their homework. They scoured the country for talent prior to the 2016 NFL Draft and found talent at every level of college football. Post draft, they wasted no time signing an intriguing pool of talent with potential to contribute to their football team.

In this profile, I’d like to continue our look into this group by featuring wide receiver Robby Anderson. While many fans didn’t put much emphasis on the wide receiver corps pre-draft, the Jets chose to look forward and take one in the seventh round, and add several post draft as well.

Anderson brings to the Jets a skill-set that they may or not choose to develop, but it shows the organization is looking ahead beyond the current successes of Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall. Considering the current wide receiver situation, that’s great news for fans of the Jets.

Anderson played his college football at Temple University. A small school player, Anderson measures in at 6’3″ and weighs out at a lean 187 pounds. At Temple’s Pro Day, Anderson turned some scouts heads when he turned in a 10’8″ broad jump, a 36.5 vertical jump and eight reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. He obviously caught the eye of the scouts of the Jets as he blazed to a 4.34 in the forty yard dash!

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Anderson has ideal height but will need some time to add some bulk and strength for the NFL.

Make no mistake, Anderson is a project and comes with concerns, but if the Jets take the gamble, that 4.34 speed may pay big dividends down the line for the team.

Anderson left the Temple football program twice in his five year tenure at the University. The first time was prior to his sophomore season, he converted from defensive back to wide receiver and returned for the season. His second absence came in 2014, when he was suspended for academic reasons.

Despite the set backs at Temple, Anderson is a terrific athlete who flashed brilliance for the Owls during his collegiate career. He finished his career on a high note, snaring 70 receptions for 939 yards and seven touchdowns in 2015. Anderson also brings some special teams experience with his game. At Temple, Anderson returned 13 punts for his team, resulting in 70 yards of field position. He also attempted 21 kickoff returns, resulting in 363 yards of offense.

Just like the other 13 players in this group, Anderson will have an uphill battle to make this roster out right. Anderson does hold an upside for the Jets however, his size, speed, hands and football IQ, all go towards making him an interesting prospect.

Anderson is another player to keep your eye on this summer. With an aging wide receiver corps, questionable depth and no guarantees on last year’s Devin Smith, the Jets were wise to look forward and take some shots late to find talent.

The competitions at wide receiver should be some of the most intense of training camp this year. There will be spots available for the taking and young guys like Anderson will need to fight hard to grab the attention of the coaching staff. If he can get it done, Anderson might hang around for a while.

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