NFL Teams That Should Be All-In on Will Anderson Jr. After 2023 Draft Declaration
As the 2022 NFL regular season draws to a close, several team decision-makers have already turned their attention to the 2023 draft. One of this year's top prospects, Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr., declared his intentions to turn pro Monday.
While quarterbacks such as Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Alabama's Bryce Young will generate plenty of buzz between now and late April, Anderson could be the top prize in the class.
He remains the No. 1 player in the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's prospect rankings, and he's about as close to a "can't-miss" prospect as there is in 2023.
From the B/R Scouting Department's Matt Holder:
"The best way to describe Will Anderson Jr.'s college tape is that everything just looked easy for him. From his movement skills to how effortlessly he took on blocks, it almost looked like he was getting bored out there. That's part of the reason why he's been considered the top player in this year's draft class since last January."
Now that Anderson is officially an option, let's examine five teams that should make him their top priority in Round 1.
Teams are listed according to the projected draft order.
Chicago Bears
1 of 5
Anderson is the sort of blue-chip prospect the Houston Texans will have to consider taking No. 1 overall. However, the Houston Texans desperately need a franchise quarterback and must carefully weigh their QB options before going all-in on a defender.
Houston does also possess the Cleveland Browns' 12th overall pick via the Deshaun Watson trade. However, gambling on a quarterback there would be riskier than the Texans doing their homework and taking their choice of signal-callers at No. 1.
For the Chicago Bears, who hold the No. 2 pick after Week 17, the decision should be much simpler. Chicago has a budding star quarterback in Justin Fields, who has a respectable 85.2 passer rating and more than 1,100 rushing yards this season.
What the Bears don't have is a quality defense. They traded Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith during the season and have a unit ranked 28th and 32nd in yards and points allowed, respectively.
Adding a player who has tallied 58.5 tackles for loss and 34.5 sacks over the past two seasons would help turn around Chicago's defense in a hurry.
Unlike other teams on this list, the Bears wouldn't have to do much to go all-in on Anderson. If the Texans target a quarterback at No. 1, all Chicago needs to do is turn in his draft card.
A case could be made that Chicago should trade down and acquire more draft capital, but there's little need. The Bears will have extra fourth- and fifth-round picks plus a league-high $119.3 million in cap space. They can do plenty of offseason reloading without having to give up a shot at Anderson.
Seattle Seahawks
2 of 5
The Seattle Seahawks are on track to pick one spot after Chicago, thanks to their trade of Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. Like the Bears, Seattle should be out of the quarterback marketโif they're able to lock up 2022 starter and impending free agent Geno Smith.
The 32-year-old signal-caller has had a remarkable resurgence this season, posting a strong 102.9 passer rating and a league-high 70.2 completion percentage. He has played well enough to have 8-8 Seattle entering Week 18 with a shot at the postseason.
The Seahawks are ready to win now, and Anderson would be the sort of addition who could make Seattle not just a playoff contender but also a legitimate Super Bowl threat.
The Seahawks' biggest liability has been their 30th-ranked run defense. Smith, rookie running back Ken Walker III and wideouts DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett give Seattle plenty of offensive potency. Opponents, though, have been able to play keep-away by running the ball often.
Opponents' drives have lasted, on average, 15 seconds longer than Seattle's. The Seahawks have run 84 fewer plays than their opponents and have also allowed 20 drives to end in rushing touchdowns.
Anderson would help Seattle generate sacks, but he'd also immediately upgrade its run defense.
"While Anderson led the nation with 17.5 sacks in 2021, he's probably an even better run defender," Holder wrote. "He's hard to move one-on-one with his strength and leverage at the point of attack, and he has little to no issues getting off blocks with his excellent hand placement."
Seattle should do what it can to land the Alabama product, even if it means trading up a spot.
Arizona Cardinals
3 of 5
The Arizona Cardinals aren't ready to contend right away, and they have serious questions at quarterback following Kyler Murray's torn ACL. He suffered the injury in Week 14 and likely won't be back to 100 percent by the start of next season.
For better or worse, though, Arizona is tied to the two-time Pro Bowler for the foreseeable future. The Cardinals signed Murray to a five-year, $230.5 million extension in the offseason that includes $189.5 million guaranteed.
While Arizona may think about drafting an insurance policy at quarterback, it won't happen at No. 4 overall. Instead, the Cardinals should pull out all the stops to go up and get Anderson.
The Cardinals have quality skill players in DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown and James Conner. If Murray can return to 100 percent, Arizona has plenty to build around offensively. Its 29th-ranked scoring defense, however, is a liability.
Arizona ranks 19th in yards per rush allowed. It ranks 25th in passing yards allowed and ranks 27th and 26th in passing and rushing touchdowns surrendered, respectively. The Cardinals have allowed opponents to score a league-high 39 touchdowns from the red zone.
The Cardinals also lost pass-rusher Chandler Jones in 2022 free agency and has notched just 32 sacks this year. J.J. Watt has logged 10.5 of those sacks and has already announced his decision to retire after the season.
Adding Anderson would give the Cardinals a premier pass-rusher while simultaneously boosting their lackluster run defense. That alone could be enough to put Arizona back in the playoff picture when and if Murray is back to the Pro Bowl form he showed in 2021.
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Detroit Lions
4 of 5
Like Seattle, the 8-8 Detroit Lions have a shot at making the postseason in Week 18.
Also like Seattle, Detroit could forgo its search for a new quarterback for another year. While Jared Goff was largely seen as a throw-in of the Matthew Stafford trade with the Rams, he's been fantastic this season.
Goff, who is under contract through 2024, has thrown for 4,214 yards with 29 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 100.1 passer rating. The Lions can't guarantee they'll find a better quarterback in the draft.
They can, however, significantly upgrade a defense that ranks 29th against the run, 30th against the pass and 29th in points allowed. Anderson might not fix all of Detroit's defensive issues, but adding him would be a great start.
And armed with the sixth overall pickโthanks to that Stafford tradeโDetroit might have a path to acquiring the 21-year-old.
Anderson is unlikely to fall to No. 6, but the Lions have their own first-round selection plus an extra second-rounder from the T.J. Hockenson trade. Packaging some picks and moving up to grab Anderson would make a ton of sense for Detroit.
The Lions have the league's third-ranked offense and are close to being legitimate playoff contenders. Building a defense around Anderson and 2022 second overall pick Aidan Hutchinson would give the Lions a jump-start on building a complete team that will contend in 2023.
Philadelphia Eagles
5 of 5
The Philadelphia Eagles have the NFC's best record at 13-3. Yet, they're primed to own the 10th overall selection following last year's predraft trade with the New Orleans Saints. Philadelphia has its own first-round selection, which could form the foundation of a package to move up.
The Eagles already have a Pro Bowl quarterback in Jalen Hurts, though. Anderson is the one player who trading up for would be logical. And considering that the Eagles have a talent-loaded roster that won't have room for many developmental rookies, packaging picks to go for the Alabama defender would be a brilliant move.
As a pass-rusher, he would seem like a luxury pick for the Eaglesโwho have racked up 68 sacks this season. However, Philadelphia could lose Brandon Graham and/or defensive tackle Javon Hargrave in 2023 free agency.
Graham and Hargrave have logged 11 sacks apiece this season.
Anderson could help replace any sack production Philly loses, and he could help bolster an inconsistent run defense. The Eagles rank 18th in rushing yards allowed and 24th in yards surrendered per carry.
It's fair to believe that Philadelphia would have already locked up the NFC's No. 1 seed if Hurts hadn't missed the last two games with a shoulder injury. The Eagles aren't a perfect team, however. While those don't exist in the NFL, adding Anderson would help ensure that Philly has one of the league's least-flawed rosters in 2023.
Cap and contract information via Spotrac. Draft order via Tankathon. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.
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