Falcons pick Montana State LB Troy Andersen at No. 58

With their third selection at No. 58 of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons have taken linebacker Troy Andersen out of Montana State.

The hyper-athletic linebacker played multiple positions in the past and figures to fill multiple roles on the Atlanta defense.

The pride of Bozeman will join a linebacker room that features guys like Deion Jones, Rashaan Evans and Mykal Walker. More of an inside player, Andersen will likely be an immediate impact player on special teams (as Richie Grant was a year ago) and will find his way into significant playing time at linebacker somehow. This may increase the chance that the team moves Jones, the subject of much speculation this offseason.

The Falcons are addressing positions of need and are eschewing the quarterback position, at least for now. But, so are all the other teams besides the Pittsburgh Steelers, so it’s a commonality with many organizations at the moment.

NFL’s Lance Zierlein has Andersen as a third-round prospect and projects him as a good backup who could become a starter down the road.

Intriguing “do-everything” prospect with unusual versatility that could see him getting reps in all three phases. Andersen has good size and toughness with the ball in his hands, but he’s transitioned to a full-time linebacker role. However, he’s still inexperienced at the position, which shows in his instincts and technique at that spot. Despite those concerns, he was an extremely productive playmaker, using his physical tools and motor to shine. Teams will likely look to grow Andersen’s linebacker IQ while playing him as a core special-teamer, but he might have potential on packaged plays on offense.

We welcome Andersen to Atlanta, and we’ll see what the team is thinking with its two third-round picks. For now, linebacker seems to have been addressed for this Falcons team, and they’ve set themselves up with an intriguing athlete and player for the future.