Will Anderson Jr. 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Background: 

• 2021 Nagurski Award Winner 
• First Team All-American 
• First Team All-SEC

System: 

• Scheme tendencies: Multiple
• 2022 projected role: Attacking edge rusher 

Pros: Will Anderson Jr. finished the 2021 season as the most dominant college football player. He is flat-out unblockable. Anderson plays in a scheme that allows him to stay in attack mode. With twists and stunts up front, Anderson has the strength and explosiveness that when he turns the corner off of a stunt, the offensive lineman simply can’t block him. Instead of reacting to what the offensive lineman does, he simply attacks them, and the power he is able to generate at the snap allows him to quickly defeat blockers by quickly getting into their body and shedding them. Anderson’s style is an unconventional one for an edge rusher, but it is very effective. And with his combination of size, speed, and power I’m expecting a repeat performance from the Alabama edge rusher in 2022.

Cons: With a player like Will Anderson Jr., it’s tough to identify weaknesses in their game, but there was one element of his game that I didn’t see much. Lined up as an edge rusher on passing downs, there aren’t many reps of Anderson taking a true pass rush rep against the offensive tackle. Most of his sack production came on twists and stunts where he was able to come around the edges and penetrate gaps. Anderson has proven to be extremely effective at what he does, but I believe the last element of his game to add is showing that he can consistently win around the edge. He flashed some pass-rush ability around the edge, but a summer of working on initial and counter moves from the edge rush position would make him unstoppable.

Will Anderson Jr. NFL Draft Scouting Report by Keith Sanchez