Making Monsters: What will Ricky Stromberg and Drew Sanders bring to the NFL?

Taylor Doll finishes off her Beyond the 9th Pick, Making Monsters podcast series by speaking with Andrew Hutchinson of BestOfArkansasSports.com, and they dive into the careers of center Ricky Stromberg and linebacker Drew Sanders.

While he did play some guard in college, the bulk of Stromberg’s experience has been at center where he was named to the All-SEC Team the last two seasons.

Stromberg began his SEC career starting games as a 266-pound guard, but Arkansas knew he’d eventually become their number-one center.

“He had a lot of responsibilities at that center spot,” Hutchinson said of what the Razorbacks expected of Stromberg. He added that Stromberg got better every year and that while his pass blocking was good, he really excelled in the running game.

Hutchinson said the experience of playing against the talented SEC defenders is a plus for Stromberg. “He may have some struggles early on, but if you give him time, he’ll develop into a pretty solid starter for sure.”

While Sanders may not fill a big need for the Chicago Bears as an off-ball linebacker, there are plenty of scouts that feel his best transition to the NFL will be as an edge. At an athletic 6’4’’ and 235 pounds, he'd need to bulk up a bit to play the right defensive end for the Bears, but he’s a high-motor player that is still coming into his own.

Before transferring to Arkansas and playing mostly off the ball, Sanders (a 5-star recruit) was an edge at Alabama. “He was phenomenal rushing the passer,” Hutchinson said about the times the Razorbacks used him in that manner, as his 9.5 sacks would attest.

Check out Taylor's latest Making Monsters here for more on Stromberg and Sanders.

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