90 players in 90 days: G Jack Anderson

“Little Richie” will try to make the roster as a rookie

The Buffalo Bills once employed guard Richie Incognito—well, actually twice employed, as the veteran guard spent part of the 2009 season in Buffalo before returning for a three-year stint that spanned from 2015 through 2017. The tough veteran guard brought talent and controversy, but he was ultimately a solid player during his time in Orchard Park.

While Incognito is still in the league, he’s moved on to the Silver and Black, as has played for the Las Vegas Raiders since the 2019 season. Buffalo has continued to bolster their interior offensive line since allowing Incognito to leave under strange circumstances, and this year, they even drafted a player who resembles him a bit.

In today’s installment of our “90 players in 90 days” series, we profile Richie’s doppelganger—a young guard looking to make his way in the NFL as a rookie.

Name: Jack Anderson

Number: 66

Position: G

Height/Weight: 6’4” 314 lbs

Age: 22 (23 on 10/12/2021)

Experience/Draft: R; selected by Buffalo in the seventh round (No. 236 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft

College: Texas Tech

Acquired: Seventh-round draft choice

Financial situation (per Spotrac): Anderson signed a standard rookie contract, a four-year pact worth a total of $3,583,744. For the 2021 season, Anderson carries a salary cap hit of $685,936, and the Bills are on the hook for a dead-cap charge of $103,744 if they release him.

2020 Recap: Anderson started all ten games for the Red Raiders at right guard, and he was named First-Team All-Big 12 for his efforts. He was a preseason Outland Trophy candidate, as well as the May Clinic Comeback Player of the Year, since he missed all of 2019 due to injury. Anderson was also named to the All-Big 12 All-Academic team (First Team) for the second consecutive year. He participated in the Senior Bowl.

Positional outlook: Anderson finds himself in a crowded positional group that looks quite different from last season—though not at the top. Cody Ford, Jon Feliciano, and Ike Boettger all started games for the Bill last year, and they all return. Jamil Douglas, Jordan Devey, Forrest Lamp, Steven Gonzalez, and Syrus Tuitele round out the group.

2021 Offseason: Anderson is healthy and he participated in all OTAs.

2021 Season outlook: While it’s possible that the Bills trade some veterans for draft capital while keeping a young player like Anderson on the final roster, it’s more likely that they try to sneak him on to the practice squad than it is that they keep him on the active roster come September. With some time and development, Anderson has the potential to develop into a viable contributor on the inside. However, the Bills are so deep here that it makes his path to the roster difficult in year one.