2023 mock NFL Draft: 49ers watch NFC get significantly stronger
Crimson Tide . Will Anderson. 1. player. 829. . EDGE
2023 NFL Draft, Pick No. 1: Chicago Bears – Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama
In real life, the Chicago Bears will hold this pick ransom for the highest bidder to a team that will desire either Alabama quarterback Bryce Young or Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud. But there are no trades in this mock draft, so the Bears go with the best player available here that isn’t Texas running back Bijan Robinson.
Will Anderson has been the consensus top pass-rusher in the 2023 draft class and he collected 51 tackles, 10 sacks and an interception returned for a touchdown for the season. While there are some intriguing names along the defensive line whom the Bears can consider, such as Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter and Texas Tech EDGE Tyree Wilson, Anderson is still right now the favorite to go No. 1 overall if the Bears retain the pick for whatever reason.
Anderson is a safe pick to be a cornerstone EDGE in the NFL. Equally good both chasing the quarterback and defending against the run, Anderson was the crown jewel for the Crimson Tide and impressed scouts with his drive and his production.
How Anderson measures in at the NFL Combine will be interesting, as he could be below the size needed to be a traditional 4-3 EDGE. He could weigh in as low as 235 pounds and might need to add some weight to combat that.
How Anderson fits in as a 3-4 rushing linebacker is interesting given his strong run defense. It’ll be fascinating to see how he fits in at the next level.
The one knock on Anderson is he’s a jack of all trades and master of none. He isn’t the strongest or the fastest lineman out there, but he’s good enough at everything that he remains a high pick. Could Tyree Wilson supplant him as a player with a higher athletic upside like Travon Walker did against Aidan Hutchinson last season?
That aside, these are nitpicking flaws at best. Anderson still projects to be an excellent player in the NFL.