Chiefs UDFA Spotlight: Appalachian State C Anderson Hardy

A two-star recruit out of Sanderson High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, Hardy received half a dozen offers from schools like Old Dominion, UConn, East Carolina, Coastal Carolina and Charlotte. He wound up sticking in North Carolina, but he ended up out in the mountains playing at Appalachian State.

Hardy redshirted as a true freshman in 2018, and would go on to appear in six games as a redshirt freshman the following season. He found his home at left tackle in 2020, earning a First-Team All-Sun Belt selection while playing the position as a senior.

Stats

Games played: 44

Starts: 29

Pressures (2019-2022): 43

Sacks (2019-2022): 8

Combine & pro day results

Height: 6-5

Weight: 301

40-yard dash: 4.97s

Vertical: 31.5 inches

Broad: 110 inches

Bench: 30

3-Cone: 7.72s

Short Shuttle: 4.66s

Highlights & film

Fit with the Chiefs

Hardy is making a full-on position switch with the Chiefs. He played tackle in high school and college, but he’ll be making the switch to center in Kansas City. It’s not terribly surprising given the athleticism that he showcased at the Appalachian State pro day.

One thing to like about Hardy in his transition is that he’s an easy mover in space and does a good job against linebackers, safeties and corners. He’s no slouch in the trenches either, boasting some serious power and a good anchor. With a little technical refinement and work with Andy Heck, he could become a solid depth piece for the team.

Kansas City has the need for some developmental interior offensive line depth heading into the 2023 NFL season. Nick Allegretti is a three-position backup plan on the offensive interior, but outside of that, the team’s only real option at the center position is former starter, Austin Reiter. Developing Anderson to take over the backup center role as early as 2024 would be a wise and cost-effective decision. He’s likely looking at a year on the practice squad in 2023 unless the team undergoes some attrition in training camp or the preseason.

2023 UDFA Spotlight Series

Story originally appeared on Chiefs Wire