Oklahoma Football: Bengals hit another home run with Rodney Anderson

The Cincinnati Bengals made two great running back picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, capped off by Oklahoma football’s Rodney Anderson in Round 6.

When Todd McShay compared him to Arian Foster, Bengals fans’ ears certainly perked up. Rodney Anderson was once considered a 1-2 round talent, but dropped all the way to the late-sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft following an injury in Week 2 that kept him out for the final three months of the season.

This was a name that may have been swept under the rug a bit throughout the draft process because, well, he truly was a forgotten prospect.

Before the 2018 season, it was well-known that it would be Anderson’s final one with Oklahoma after breaking out for over 1,100 yards as a sophomore. It didn’t take him long to declare for the NFL draft following that season-ending injury, and it wasn’t a huge shock.

And then the Bengals did what they do best, drafting talented players who have high ceilings but who may not be where they want to be, picking Anderson late in the sixth round

Earlier in the sixth round, the Bengals selected Texas A&M star running back Trayveon Williams who had a huge junior season, surpassing 1,700 yards and finishing third nationally in rushing. They now have the best trio of young running backs in the league with Joe Mixon leading the way, making Giovani Bernard relatively expendable in a contract year.

Anderson flew under the radar and the Bengals benefitted from the pick. They’re going to finish this draft with two of the best sixth-round steals and both could contribute early on.