Tycen Anderson selected 166th overall by Cincinnati Bengals in 2022 NFL Draft

Tycen Anderson became the first Toledo Rocket to hear his name called in the NFL Draft since 2019. In the fifth round Saturday, the reigning AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals officially selected him with the 166th pick of the draft.

The free safety first arrived on campus in 2017 and spent five seasons at Toledo. He was promoted to a starter prior to the 2019 campaign, and his best performances transpired in 2020 and 2021. It was in those two seasons where he attained All-MAC status, including a First Team selection last December.

Anderson ranked second in total tackles on the roster in 2019 and the COVID-abbreviated 2020 season. In his entire Toledo tenure, he registered two interceptions, 9.0 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and 16 pass breakups.

Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

After playing his final collegiate game in the 2021 Bahamas Bowl, Anderson received invites to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL, as well as the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis. Anderson received ample playing time on special teams in the Senior Bowl and recorded a total of three tackles, including two solo takedowns.

At the Combine, the 6’2”, 209 pound safety impressed scouts with his speed by clocking in a 4.36-second 40-yard dash. In the other speed and agility drills, Anderson logged a 6.64-second time in the 3-cone drill and completed the 20-yard shuttle in 4.28 seconds. His vertical jump measured to be 35.5 inches and his broad jump spanned 123 inches.

Anderson’s NFL journey begins on a contender which shocked the nation last year with an inspiring Super Bowl run. He joins a Bengals safety room which includes All-Pro free safety Jessie Bates, Brandon Wilson, Vonn Bell, and the organization’s 2022 first round pick Daxton Hill. He is the first Toledo product drafted by the Bengals since quarterback Logan Woodside was selected in the seventh round in 2018.