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: Jake Rajala

The New Orleans Saints had more confidence than Apollo Creed against Ivan Drago in their battle against the Brady bunch today. Well, the Saints started to rattle the GOAT by shutting him out in the first half. Out of a surprise, the Bucs started to break their former quarterback Jameis Winston by intercepting him a whopping three times in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, Brady’s frustration was rewarded with a victory against Who Dat Nation with a score of 20-10. With that said, I’m going to untwine five takeaways from the Saints-Buccaneers game.

• Jameis “loose cannon” Winston

The Saints mega-arm QB looked quite crisp with the pig skin for the first three quarters against the reigning NFC South Champions. In a tragic fashion, Winston forced a terrible throw into tight zone coverage in the 4th quarter – which resulted in an interception and arguably a death sentence for the Saints. I’m sure that Saints fans were tired of Drew Brees having pedestrian arm strength, but they may have missed his crunch-time decision-making after Winston had a dreadful mistake in a game of high stakes.

• lack of a pass rush

I’m really worried that the Saints pass rush will not be as scary as it was last season or the year prior. After the Saints registered a lousy zero sacks against Marcus Mariota, the Saints had a mere one sack on Brady in Week 2. Plus, the Saints were playing a bruised-up Bucs OL. Marcus Davenport and Cameron Jordan have both been healthy, yet the Saints edge rushers can’t manage to get home against opposing field generals.

• Marshon Lattimore and Mike Evans

Marshon Lattimore has been the true definition of hot and cold over these past two weeks. He locked down Kyle Pitts & Drake London in Week 1 — then proceeded to shut down Mike Evans until he was ejected in the fourth quarter. Yes, you read that correctly. Lattimore was stirring feathers with Tom Brady and Leonard Fournette, which prompted Evans (who may have used it as an excuse) to tee off on his ole pal in Lattimore. Each player was ejected for their miscues in the exchange. For Saints fans, it’s disappointing and annoying that Lattimore had this attitude after he had a personal foul in Week 1 that pushed the Falcons into field goal range.

• Breshad Perriman

It was blatantly a beautiful scene when Breshad Perriman hauled in a touchdown from Tom Brady to put his team up 10-3 in the fourth quarter. Chris Godwin was MIA for the contest, so it was pivotal that an under-the-radar wideout shined in the contest. Well, the former Ravens WR jumped onto the scene by beating P.J. Williams for a TD in the corner of the red zone.

• Shaq Attack

The former 19.5 sack man, Shaquil Barrett unleashed two sacks against the struggling Saints pass protection. Barrett proved his worth in a big showdown, while other Bucs stars decided to get tossed out of the exhibition.

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