The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Rashan Gary may not recognize many faces in the first outside linebacker position group meetings this season. The budding superstar will have a new position coach and he may have a cast of new teammates.
With the Green Bay Packers pushed up against the salary cap, they may be forced to move on from Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith.
That’s the bad news. The good news for the Packers is that the 2022 NFL Draft is loaded with talented edge rushers. It will give Brian Gutekunst an opportunity to quickly reload at a premium position.
A player that Gutekunst could target on day three of the upcoming NFL Draft is David Anenih. The Houston edge rusher checks in at No. 58 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
Anenih came to Houston as a three-star recruit. During his first two seasons at Houston, he recorded 8.5 tackles for loss and six sacks.
In 2019, during his first year as a starter Anenih recorded seven tackles for loss and five sacks. The following season Anenih recorded 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
This past season, Anenih was a driving force behind Houston having one of the top defensive lines in the country. He recorded 9.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
“The Houston Cougars finished their 2021 campaign with a remarkable 12-2 record, a conference championship appearance, a Birmingham Bowl victory over Auburn, and a final ranking of No. 17. While the Cougars were a well-balanced team, if I had to attribute the success to one position unit, it’s the defensive line that was colloquially known as “Sack Ave.”,” Steve Helwick, a contributor for Underdog Dynasty, said. “David Anenih was one of the key cogs of that unit, which ranked fifth in the FBS in total sacks and ninth in tackles for loss.
Anenih served as a three-year starter, but his 2021 campaign was his strongest yet as he recorded career-highs in sacks and tackles for loss. With Anenih as one of the focal points of a dominant pass rush, Houston won the trenches in nearly every contest and that advantage was well documented in the win column.”
The first thing that stands out about Anenih’s game is his explosiveness off the edge. He has good quickness and gets upfield quickly with his initial burst. The three-year starter runs the arc with good quickness.
“Anenih’s greatest attribute is his speed around the edge and his ability to time jumps immediately following the snap,” Helwick said. “Due to the rapidness of his successful rushes, there are several instances per game where an opposing quarterback has insufficient time to make a read. This was prevalent in the Birmingham Bowl against Auburn, when Anenih recorded one sack, two tackles for loss, and forced a slew of incompletions with his pressure. Thanks to Anenih’s quick arrivals to the backfield, pressure, and coverage mingled well at Houston, which explains why the Cougars held opponents to the eighth lowest completion rate in the nation at 55.2 percent.”
Anenih is a bendy edge rusher with good flexibility to get and stay underneath blocks. He converts speed to power and keeps offensive tackles off balance.
“He takes sharp angles often when charging to the quarterback but maintains his balance quite well, especially through contact,” Helwick said. “Combined with his explosiveness off the line, this “bend” allows him to breeze past tackles, despite his size disadvantage for a defensive lineman. Upon reaching the quarterback, Anenih rarely misses sacks. He uses his entire frame to pounce on quarterbacks and wrestle them down in a fashion which prevents shoestring escapes or last-second dump-offs.”
As a run defender, Anenih is strong at the point of attack. He does a good job of using his length and hands to keep himself free. The former three-star recruit has good quickness and range to make plays against the run.
Anenih looks comfortable on his feet to drop into coverage and spy, or cover the flats.
“Anenih works his arms well against opposing blockers, which made him a potent run stopper at Houston,” Helwick said. “The Cougars fittingly ranked 10th in the FBS in stopping the run by allowing just 108.2 yards per game, and many of those stops transpired at the line of scrimmage. Houston occasionally utilized him as a spy, as well. With his sideline-to-sideline speed and ability to read quarterbacks’ eyes, I thought the role of countering scrambling quarterbacks was a solid fit for him that could translate to the next level.”
Fit with the Packers
A team can never have enough quality edge rushers. If the Packers are able to rework Preston Smith’s contract, they still need to improve the depth at the position.
With his blend of quickness and length, Anenih would be a solid depth piece as a rookie. Long-term, Anenih has all the tools in the shed to develop into a starting edge rusher and possibly replace Preston Smith as Gary’s running mate.
“With his explosiveness and speed around the edge, Anenih complements bull rushers very well,” Helwick said. “At Houston he played alongside defensive tackle Logan Hall, who is a projected day two pick, and their skill-sets meshed together immaculately. If I’m looking to add speed to an already-powerful pass rush – specifically in a 3-4 defense – Anenih would be a worthy outside linebacker to take a chance on.”
