Vanderbilt linebacker Anfernee Orji was not one of the 259 men who heard their names called in the NFL Draft this weekend but signed a contract with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent a few hours after the draft concluded.

Orji, the 6’1, 230 lbs. linebacker, will look to make the 53-man roster for the Saints. For many undrafted free agents, making the 53-man roster is a long shot. However, NFL scouts feel that Orji displays traits that will lead him to be a core special-teamer. For Orji to better his chance at making the Saints’ final roster, bringing his athleticism and versatility to special teams will be crucial.

Orji had an outstanding 2022 season, which included earning Second Team All-SEC Honors and having 106 total tackles (4th in the SEC). Beyond a stellar senior campaign, the linebacker excelled at the NFL Combine. Orji led all linebackers in the vertical jump, posting a score of 38.5 inches and posted a noteworthy 40-yard dash time of 4.53 seconds.

A three-year starter and captain for the Commodores, Orji was expected by several experts to be a late-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. One of those experts was NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein, who predicted Orji to be a sixth-round pick.

“When the ball is snapped, he’s in attack mode, whether he’s a run blitzer or an urgent linebacker. He makes up for what he lacks in timed speed with aggressive angles and an ability to slip climbing blocks to meet the ball-carrier near the line,” Zierlien said. 

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