Nic Anderson WR LSU | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Nic Anderson WR LSU
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
ROLE: Outside X-Receiver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Updated: 05/14/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Draft Year: 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
40 time: 4.52 seconds (44%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Age: 21.2 DOB: 03/19/2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ROLE: Outside X-Receiver | |
Last Updated: 05/14/2025 | |
Draft Year: 2026 | |
40 time: 4.52 seconds (44%*) | |
Age: 21.2 DOB: 03/19/2004 | |
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Overall Rating: | 83.1 / 100 | |
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Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
Defense Rating: |
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77% |
Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
QB Rating When targeted: | 143.1 | |
Hands: |
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54% |
Short Receiving: |
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76% |
Intermediate Routes: |
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86% |
Deep Threat: |
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86% |
Blocking: |
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58% |
DRAFT PROJECTION:
4th
Overall Rank:
#133
Position rank:
#18
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College Games: 14 College Snaps: 647 | ||
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Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
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Keytaon Thompson - Virginia |
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75% |
Simi Fehoko - Stanford |
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75% |
Nico Collins - Michigan |
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73% |
Draft Profile: Bio
The Anderson name carries weight in Oklahoma football circles, and Nic has carved his own path despite living in the shadow of his older brother Rodney, a former Sooners 1,000-yard rusher and Bengals draft pick. Rising from Katy High School in Texas where he helped secure a 6A Division II state title, Anderson arrived in Norman as a somewhat overlooked 3-star prospect according to most services. After a quiet true freshman campaign in 2022 where he preserved his redshirt, Anderson exploded onto the Big 12 scene in 2023 with a freshman record 10 touchdown receptions for the Sooners.What makes Anderson's breakout even more impressive were the flashes of dominance scattered throughout his redshirt freshman campaign. He torched Tulsa for 120 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 3 catches, becoming the first Oklahoma freshman to haul in a trio of scores in a single contest. His clutch gene emerged in the Red River Rivalry when he snared the game-winning touchdown with just 15 seconds remaining to stun 5th-ranked Texas. By season's end, Anderson had amassed 798 yards on 31 receptions (25.7 yards per catch) with 100+ yard performances against Central Florida and West Virginia to complement his Tulsa outburst.
The injury bug bit hard in 2024, limiting Anderson to just one appearance against Tennessee without recording statistics. Rather than risk another injury-plagued campaign in Norman, Anderson entered the transfer portal and landed with Brian Kelly's LSU Tigers ahead of the 2025 season, joining a loaded receiving corps in Baton Rouge. The move gives Anderson a fresh start and the opportunity to prove his 2023 campaign was no fluke while developing in an offense known for showcasing NFL-caliber receiver talent.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Prototypical X-receiver frame with excellent height and lean muscle mass, presenting a sizeable target for quarterbacks
- Natural ball-tracker who displays impressive body control when adjusting to passes thrown outside his frame, particularly on vertical routes where he gains leverage.
- Shows remarkable explosiveness for his size when unleashed downfield, eating up cushion with long, powerful strides that force defenders to respect his deep threat.
- Excels in contested-catch situations where he uses his basketball-like rebounding skills and strong hands to pluck the ball at its highest point.
- Plays with surprising physicality through his routes, showing some dog in him when corners try to disrupt his timing with press coverage at the line.
- Red zone nightmare evidenced by his 10-TD freshman campaign, where defensive backs simply lacked the size and strength to challenge him effectively.
- Creates immediate separation on intermediate breaking routes by selling vertical stems that force defenders to flip hips before snapping off his cuts.
- Demonstrates clutch playmaking ability in crucial situations, as seen in his game-winning touchdown grab against Texas with seconds remaining.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Concentration lapses lead to frustrating drops on routine catches that should be automatic at his talent level, must become more consistent catching the football.
- Run-blocking technique needs significant refinement; often fails to sustain blocks and doesn't consistently use his size advantage to wall off defenders.
- Route tree remains somewhat limited, relying too heavily on vertical concepts where his size/speed combination naturally creates advantages without technical refinement.
- Medical concerns after missing essentially the entire 2024 season; durability will require thorough evaluation from NFL medical staffs heading into the draft.
- Lacks elite short-area quickness which limits separation potential against NFL-caliber corners in tight spaces and on quick-breaking routes.
Scouting Report: Summary
With Anderson, you get a dangerous vertical threat with the frame and ball skills to dominate in contested situations downfield. His length and deceptive build-up speed create natural separation on intermediate and deep routes, while his body control in the air remains his calling card. The game-winning grab against Texas with seconds remaining wasn't just luck – it showcased his talent for rising to the occasion when defenses know the ball is coming his way. That clutch factor doesn't show up in measurables but jumps off the film.The nagging inconsistency in Anderson's hands remains the most concerning aspect of his evaluation. Too often he'll make an acrobatic grab look routine then drop a simple slant that hits him between the numbers. His injury history also raises red flags, with essentially a lost 2024 season stunting his development timeline. The route-running remains a work in progress – he knows how to use his size to box out defenders but needs more nuance in his breaks and stems to create consistent separation against NFL-caliber corners who won't be bullied as easily.
His transfer to LSU gives Anderson the perfect stage to address these concerns in 2025. Offenses that emphasize vertical concepts and contested catch opportunities will maximize his strengths while his blocking technique and short-area quickness develop. The ceiling for Anderson remains tantalizingly high – a boundary receiver who can stretch defenses and dominate the red zone with his massive catch radius. If he stays healthy and shows improved consistency catching the football, he'll reward the team willing to bet on his physical tools with a matchup nightmare who can turn 50/50 balls into 70/30 propositions in his favor.
Written By:
Eli Cooper (Big 12)
How other scouting services rate Nic Anderson (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
119.7
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
23.0
*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.