BACKGROUND

Will Anderson Jr is an EDGE prospect out of Hampton, Georgia. He was dominant, especially as a senior where he racked up 22 sacks and 15 TFLs. Due to his performance, he was named to the All-American Bowl in 2020. Rivals listed him as a five-star prospect and the top weakside defensive end at his position. He committed to play for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.

COLLEGE CAREER

In Alabama, he was named as a starter but as an outside linebacker instead of his original position in high school. This didn’t affect him as he was a key member of the National Championship Team in 2021. His freshman campaign ended with seven sacks and 10.5 TFLs. His sophomore season was one of the most impressive for any player in college football. Will led the league with 17.5 sacks and 34.5 TFLs. He earned multiple awards such as the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

2022-2023 COLLEGE CAREER

His junior season was a “down year” as he didn’t improve his statistics from his second year. He did however put fear into the opposition as he had 10 sacks. Even with this, he still garnered multiple accolades. He won the Lombardi Award, Lott Trophy, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American.

STRENGTHS: Physical Skills

If you can make an NFL player in the lab, Will Anderson Jr comes to mind. He has everything that makes him a multi-time Pro Bowl player when he turns pro. His first step is elite and gives opposing teams nightmares to plan and defend. His hands are incredible as he knows how to use them depending on the situation. Will has an intense motor that never goes down. Whoever drafts him will have a reliable defensive player for years to come.

WEAKNESSES: Needs To Add More Pass-Rush Moves

This isn’t a serious weakness as Anderson is one of the most skilled players in the draft. However, the difference in athleticism and skill is much more apparent in the NFL compared to college. Adding more moves will make him a much more difficult matchup for any offensive line.

PLAYER COMPARISON: Shaquil Barrett

TEAMS WHO COULD DRAFT HIM

Will Anderson Jr is a lock to be a top 5 pick when the NFL draft begins. He appears to be the second defensive player taken after Jalen Carter. Whoever picks Anderson will get one of the top talents in the draft. He could be a game-changer for the Cardinals at 3rd with J.J. Watt‘s retirement. If QBs do rule the first few picks, Seattle at 5th would be a nice place for him, especially after the amazing year their rookies had.

The post 2023 NFL Draft Focus: Will Anderson Jr appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Gladys Louise Tyler

The 8-8 Arizona Cardinals were in the playoff hunt for part of the 2020 season. This is true even though head coach Kliff Kingsbury was 3-9 against the NFC West, including a 0-4 record against Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams. 

The Cardinals started 2-0 in the West, only to end on a four-game losing streak in the division. 

They were 5-2 before ending the season on a 3-6 bender.

There were a few reasons for the losing streak:

1. Wide receiver Christian Kirk looked the part of the number two wide receiver until the final eight games. In the last eight, he managed a paltry 22 receptions, 234 yards, and zero touchdowns.
2. Quarterback Kyler Murray got injured in Week 11 against the Seattle Seahawks. After that, the offense scores 30 plus points only once the rest of the season.
3. Linebacker Chandler Jones incurred a bicep injury in Week 5.  He ended his season with 11 total tackles and one sack. Without Jones, the Cardinals’ defense gave up close to 28 points a game on the road.

There is also the possibility that Kingsbury’s offensive prowess is over-rated, but that could be an overstatement as the offense worked for the first half of the season.

But this year the Cardinals will not only reverse their fortunes within their division, but win the NFC West outright.

At first glance, it seems like an improbable statement. The NFC West is the most competitive division in the NFL. But it is possible, and here is why:

QUARTERBACK KYLER MURRAY

Murray showed improvement until his Week 11 injury. He finished the season with a completion percentage that was 2.8% better than the previous year.  He threw for six more touchdowns and had 40 more rushing attempts.  The rushing attempts elevated his rushing touchdowns by seven compared to last year. 

WIDE RECEIVER DEANDRE HOPKINS

There is no doubt the addition of Hopkins boosted the offense. Hopkins finished the season with a career-high 71.9% catch rate.  He was targeted 160 times and had six touchdowns.

This being his second year with Murray should make the pairing that much more formidable and the duo should put up huge numbers in 2021. 

ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION

This might be the most important reason the Cardinals are set to win the division this year.  Their free agency acquisitions are more of a “win-now” mentality than let’s rebuild for the future.

Although they lost both Patrick Peterson and Kenyan Drake in free agency, they gained players (who, if they remain healthy) will help them win now.

• Running back James Conner
• Wide receiver AJ Green
• Defensive end JJ Watt
• Cornerback Malcolm Butler
• Kicker Matt Prater

And yes, the NFC West did make some splash acquisitions. The Los Angeles Rams acquired quarterback Matthew Stafford for the win-now mentality.  The San Francisco 49ers obtained Trey Lance for the future, and well, the Seattle Seahawks attempted to upgrade their defense, with cornerbacks Ahkello Witherspoon and Pierre Desire and defensive end Aldon Smith. 

THE SCHEDULE

Depending on your “go-to” source, the Cardinals either have the fourth most difficult schedule or the 13^th.  If you go by the Cbssports.com strength of schedule, the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks will face a harder schedule than the Cardinals. 

CARDINALS 2021 SCHEDULE

WEEK 1 @ TENNESSEE TITANS

WEEK 2 v MINNESOTA VIKINGS

WEEK 3 @ JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

WEEK 4 @ LOS ANGELES RAMS

WEEK 5 v SAN FRANCISCO NINERS

WEEK 6 @ CLEVELAND BROWNS

WEEK 7 v HOUSTON TEXANS

WEEK 8 v GREEN BAY PACKERS

WEEK 9 @ SAN FRANCISCO NINERS

WEEK 10 v CAROLINA PANTHERS

WEEK 11 @ SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

WEEK 12—NOV 28 BYE WEEK

WEEK 13 @ CHICAGO  BEARS

WEEK 14 v LOS ANGELES RAMS

WEEK 15 @ DETROIT LIONS

WEEK 16 v INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

WEEK 17 @ DALLAS COWBOYS

WEEK 18 v SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

WINNING THE NFC WEST

This is Kingsbury show me year.  His team has to improve against the West foes, including the zero wins against the Rams.  The Niners will have the slew of players that were injured back; the question remains it Trey Lance or Jimmy Garoppolo under center this season.  The Seahawks are, well, the Seahawks, doing little to appease quarterback Russell Wilson’s concerns; they remain who we thought they were until proven otherwise.

The path through the NFC West appears to go through California.  If the Cardinals can break even with their NFC West rivals, there is no reason they cannot overtake the NFC West championship belt (and if there isn’t one, there should be).

The post How the Arizona Cardinals will win the NFC West appeared first on Pro Football Mania.