Ryan Anderson (born August 12, 1994) is an American football outside linebacker for the National Football League's New York Giants (NFL). He attended Alabama and was taken in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Alabama where he made two appearances as a safety. After his junior season, he opted to forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the 2017 NFL Draft. Anderson has been praised for his ability to drop into coverage and for his pass-rushing skills. He has also received criticism for his lack of discipline throughout his career. After playing only special teams as a rookie, Anderson started all 16 games for the first time in 2018. He finished the season with 11 sacks. On January 7, 2019, it was announced that Anderson would be one of five players suspended by the NFL for a violation of the league's policy on substances of abuse. The other four players involved are Drew Brees, C.J. Beathard, Tom Brady and Adam Gotsis. In April 2019, it was reported that Anderson had failed a drug test during the 2018 season and was suspended for four games.