I’m not exactly renowned for the tendency to write a series, but as we tie a bow on this one about the Steelers 2023 draft picks and their comparisons, I must admit that I’ve had a blast giving the practice a try.
With that said, today’s the day that I conclude this thrilling endeavor on a young man that deserves no less praise than any of his previously drafted brethren: Spencer Anderson.
Anderson, an offensive lineman, was taken with the 251st pick out of Maryland. Even with that short of description, I am appalled at the pure, unadulterated disrespect.
I understand that the second these talents find themselves on the Steelers roster, I am destined to develop a bias toward them. However, when considering what I have learned about Anderson, I can objectively say that he had no business marinating on the board for nearly as long as he did.
Simply put, while he may not be the most accomplished/explosive rookie that Pittsburgh drafted this year, he is unquestionably one of the most versatile.
In his time as a Terrapin, the 6’4”, 305-lb. stud racked up significant playing time at the guard, tackle and center positions. That combination of size and experience shows that he has both the physicality and IQ to be a high-profile competitor, so the fact that the Steelers (a squad infamous for its OL struggles in recent memory) managed to land him as late as they did is nothing short of a miracle.
Now after talking the man up like that, it seems like as good of a time as any to finally reveal his comparison. But who is it?
This take might seem like the biggest stretch of the entire series, as I’m going to essentially be comparing Pittsburgh’s last pick to a lineman that is widely regarded as one of the NFL’s greatest athletes of all time, but just bear with me—it’s Bruce Matthews.
What makes Bruce Matthews’ image seem so untouchable?
I always recognize how bold it is to draw comparisons between unproven rookies and NFL legends, but this one has to take the cake. Throughout his 19 seasons with the Oilers/Titans, Matthews earned nine All-Pro selections, and 14 Pro Bowl selections (tying him for the most by any player until Tom Brady broke it).
The extent of his dominance was so rare that he earned a multitude of exclusive honors for it. Within his franchise, he was granted a spot in the Titans Ring of Honor and had his iconic jersey number (74) retired. Beyond that, he was included in both the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, along with being inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and—of course—the Pro Football Hall of Fame. How could I possibly compare a seventh-round rookie to an icon of his standard?
Well, the grounds for their comparability rely on what are surprisingly simple resemblances. In fact, the first of them is one that we’ve covered in every single comparison I’ve done, as it is always one of the biggest (and easiest) boxes to check: their dimensions.
As previously established, Spencer Anderson is listed as a menacing 6’4”, 305 lbs. on his NFL player profile. On Matthews’, we can see a listed build of 6’5”, 305 lbs.—a whopping one-inch difference. With that out of the way, we only have their capabilities to compare.
Again, Anderson has respectable amounts of time at the guard, tackle, and center positions under his belt. That makes him about as flexible of talent as a team could realistically have on its offensive line. Can the same be said about Matthews? Let’s see.
Remember, I said that Bruce Matthews is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes to ever grace the NFL. Notice how I didn’t say greatest guard, greatest tackle, or greatest center? That’s because he, too, played all of them.
In total, Matthews played each of the three positions over 35 times (tackle: 39; center: 87; guard: 166). Working up and down the line that consistently for almost 20 years makes for a degree of reliability that virtually no one else has reached before. If that doesn’t scream “flexible,” then there has never been—nor will there ever be—a player who deserves the adjective.
A point I often stressed while producing this series was that I never intended to imply that the rookies in question were promised a future like those of their legendary comparisons, and that is especially so this time around.
However, Anderson possessing Matthews’ size and at least some of his versatility confirms that the potential for a similar career path is nonetheless there, and that makes him a player to watch no matter what journey will define him.