Aaron Anderson WR LSU |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #1 ROLE: Slot Receiver | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/16/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.58 seconds (23%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 23.8 DOB: 12/02/2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #1 | |
| ROLE: Slot Receiver | |
| Last Updated: 03/16/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.58 seconds (23%*) | |
| Age: 23.8 DOB: 12/02/2002 | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
| Overall Rating: | 81.4 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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81% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 98.6 | |
| Hands: |
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67% |
| Short Receiving: |
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79% |
| Intermediate Routes: |
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80% |
| Deep Threat: |
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84% |
| Blocking: |
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58% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
6th
Overall Rank:
#179
Position rank:
#28 (WR)
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| College Games: 33 College Snaps: 1011 | ||
ESPN RATING: 85/100
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247 RATING: 97/100
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RIVALS RATING: 6.1 (100%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jacob Cowing - Arizona |
|
85% |
| Calvin Austin III - Memphis |
|
81% |
| Anthony Gould - Oregon State |
|
81% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Aaron Anderson was a five-star recruit out of Edna Karr High School in New Orleans, rated as the top player in Louisiana for the Class of 2022 by 247Sports Composite. He was also a standout on the track, running a 10.77-second 100-meter dash as a prep athlete. Anderson originally signed with Alabama but injuries limited him to a single appearance as a true freshman, and he transferred to LSU in the spring of 2023.His first season in Baton Rouge was quiet. Anderson caught 12 passes for 59 yards across 11 games while handling return duties. The 2024 season was a different story entirely. He led LSU with 61 receptions for 884 yards and five touchdowns, ranking third in the SEC in catches and seventh in receiving yards. His biggest play came against Ole Miss, hauling in a 23-yard touchdown on fourth-and-five with 27 seconds left to force overtime in a 29-26 win. He also took a kickoff 100 yards to the house against Oklahoma.
Anderson's 2025 junior season was cut short by a nagging knee issue that cost him the final three games. He finished with 33 catches for 398 yards and no touchdowns in nine appearances before declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Top-end speed shows up on film with the ability to stack corners vertically.
- Runs disciplined routes from the slot with clean footwork at his break points.
- Good tempo and patience in his stems, rarely tipping off when the break is coming.
- Compact frame absorbs contact well; tough to bring down on initial hit after the catch.
- Willing worker over the middle who does not hear footsteps in traffic.
- Strong receiving marks across short, medium, and deep targets throughout his career.
- Proven kickoff returner with the vision and burst to create chunk plays.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Undersized with a limited catch radius that hurts him on contested and high-point throws.
- Hand-eye coordination is inconsistent; drop rate has been a recurring issue on film.
- Struggles to separate from physical press corners who get hands on him early.
- Blocking effort and technique fall well short of what NFL coordinators need.
- Never scored a touchdown in 2025 and was limited to nine games by knee trouble.
- Contested catch rate across his career sits well below average for the position.
Scouting Report: Summary
Anderson fits best as a slot receiver in a quick-tempo offense that gets the ball out early and lets its playmakers work in space. His route craft from the inside is ahead of most receivers in this class at his draft range. He knows how to manipulate leverage, sits in zone windows, and creates separation with tempo rather than pure athleticism off the line. The speed is legitimate and translates. Any time he catches the ball with a crease in front of him, there is a real chance he takes it the distance.The concerns are straightforward. He is short, his arms are short, and his hands are not as reliable as you want for a player who will see a lot of tight-window throws underneath. The drop issues showed up consistently enough on tape that they cannot be dismissed as a small sample. His blocking is poor and will limit his ability to stay on the field in certain personnel groupings. The knee problems in 2025 also need medical clearance, because a player his size cannot afford to lose a step.
At his best, Anderson can fill a role as a complementary piece in a passing offense that values precision and after-the-catch production. He has the speed to threaten vertically and the route-running chops to win underneath, which gives coordinators something to work with. His floor is a return specialist who competes for a roster spot in camp. His ceiling is a reliable slot contributor who moves the chains and occasionally breaks a long one, but he will need the right situation and a coaching staff willing to scheme around his physical limitations.
Aaron Anderson percentiles vs other Wide Receivers (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Aaron Anderson (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
226.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
41.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.