National Animation Day is April 15th, and in honor of the third great day of the year (the first two are my girlfriend’s birthday and Christmas), I thought it was time to go back to the lands of the 2025 NFL Draft and compare it to only the anime characters. Previously, we compared it with things that have nothing to do with soccer, but now we’re going to take a concrete comparison from the anime world. So charge your ki and do this!
RB Kam Scattebo, Arizona: Hasbira Nosuke, Devil’s Slayer
Beast-breathed wild boar from the Devil Slayer is perfectly suited to Scattebo, both unique talents to use special tools in a variety of ways. Skattebo is by no means fast, but if he lacks speed, he makes up for being one of the toughest people in this draft class. He has a strong lower body and surprisingly fast legs. Just as Hashibira lacks some of the refinements of other demonic killers, he makes up for it with his unique breathing and flexibility, comparable to many characters in his universe.
But it’s the relentless nature that really sells this for me. Innosuke survived, stabbed in the chest by a toxic scythe to help defeat Yautaro and Daki in the entertainment district, and never gave up on the fight. Skattebo doesn’t give up on any kind of driving and always wants to move forward. It can be a hindrance at times, but you always want those people on your team.
Miami QB Come Ward: Vash the Stampede, Trigan
Ward is a very creative QB, and sometimes his creativity gets in the way of his mechanisms, very similar to Vash. But it’s far from thinking that people on the show are wrong for Vash. When it comes to wards, I think he’s wrong with someone who doesn’t want to stay in his pocket. Words can be played in your pocket and often want to put them in your pocket. There, you can win using spatial awareness.
There are some mechanical issues, and Ward sometimes has a farting moment in his brain, but like Vash, he has the power to defeat his enemies with cybernetic arms and pinpoint accuracy.
Georgia Edge Michael Williams: King, One Piece
King and Williams share a terrifying ability to destroy something on their path. One is that both characters have huge lengths and wingspans. Williams has an 86th percentile wingspan, almost 35 inches of arm, and a king… well… he literally has wings. What really makes this comparison start to align is how they are used. The king is the man on Kaido’s right hand. He did most of the dirty work for one of the former emperors of the former Sea, and Williams did dirty work for the defense of Georgia, who ruled college football. Although it helped the Dawgs achieve a lot of success, Williams probably won’t play 4i in the NFL. With arm length and discipline in the run game, Williams makes himself a high-floor prospect, but like King, if he’s all out, we’ve seen what he can do as a pass rush.
Edge Abdul Carter, Pennsylvania: Sawfin, Vinland Saga Season 1 in particular
Okay, now walk with me. The biggest thing that stands out in Abdul Carter is the speed and violence he plays. Former off-ball LB Carter is fast from the ball, but that’s the urgency he makes his move and the power he really stands out to tear it. When generating speeds to power most young pass lashes, Carter will enable speeds without using bull lashes. Like Sawfin in the early seasons, he sometimes gets rough around the edges, but most people can say that they could be the strongest in their respective universes.
lsu ol will campbell: uchiro miyata, hajime no ippo
Miyata doesn’t have the power to be like Takamura or Ippo, but because of the pound he might be the best counterboxer in the entire show. He is very fast and has a lot of experience as his father is a former professional boxer, so he can win with his mind and athletic equipment. LSU OL Will Campbell doesn’t have long arms, but he mitigates it with his tidy hand placement, incredible core flexibility, and the ability to drive his enemies out of the gap. His flaws may be invalidated by internal movements to guard him, but he may be good, even if he stays on the tackle.
