Duke NFL Draft Prospect Details Why He's Different
Prospect media availability for the 2026 NFL Draft has officially gotten underway, and four Blue Devils will have a chance to speak to the media over the next few days. To kick it off for the Blue Devils, defensive lineman Vincent Anthony Jr. spoke on some of his experiences in the college game.
Anthony Jr. is a hometown kid out of Durham, NC, who has been a critical part of an elite Blue Devils' front seven for the last few years. He, along with fellow Duke 2026 NFL Draft prospect Wesley Williams, were key pieces to a Blue Devil unit that led the ACC in forced fumbles (19) and tied the conference lead in sacks (43) in 2024.
Despite Duke taking a step back as a whole defensively in 2025, Anthony was still one of the most productive players in that unit. As a senior, the defensive end tallied career-highs in tackles (34), sacks (7.5), and forced fumbles (1).
Across his career, the 6'6", 250-pound monster totaled 105 tackles, eight pass deflections, 15 sacks, and a forced fumble. Anthony was an Honorable Mention All-ACC selection in 2025 while earning ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors in September of that campaign.
Now, the Durham native looks to make the next step to the NFL.
Vincent Anthony Jr. Details Why He's Worthy of Being Selected
Anthony is a very good athlete with good bend at his size when getting off the line. He might not have the most balanced attacks in comparison to other edge rushers in this year's draft class, but there are some very intriguing aspects to his game.
During his media availability, Anthony described what makes him different from the rest of the edge rushers in this year's class.
"I feel like nobody else this year is that tall and can bend as well," Anthony said . "Like I said, I'm 6'6" but can bend like I'm 6'0". You know, I can play strong like the rest of them, and I'm fast. I'm quick off the ball."
Vincent Anthony Jr. Draft Outlook
Anthony Jr. has proven he can be elite at getting to the ball quickly, totaling 15 sacks across his career and 22.5 tackles for loss across the last two seasons. He's a very solid athlete, but will need to work on how he handles contact from blockers throughout his career.
The Duke senior has a chance to hear his name called on day two or day three of the 2026 NFL Draft.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/duke as Duke NFL Draft Prospect Details Why He's Different .
