Welcome to the third daily installment of the NFL Draft 1-through-32 series on DK Pittsburgh Sports, intended to introduce you, a prospect at a time, to the top 32 players in the class on a consensus basis, leading right up to the main event.
That, of course, will be April 27-29, in Kansas City, Mo., though all 32 teams, including the Steelers on the South Side, will operate from their local headquarters.
NO. 3: WILL ANDERSON JR.
Alabama defensive end
The edge rusher is No. 3 overall on Pro Football Focus' draft Big Board, and he just might be the first defensive player selected next month.
COLLEGE BACKGROUND
Anderson's career at Alabama speaks for itself.
He departs Nick Saban's program second to Derrick Thomas on the career sacks list with 34.5 and in tackles for loss with 62 in his three seasons. He won back-to-back Bronco Nagurski Awards in 2021 and 2022 as college football's most outstanding defensive player, he was the 2022 Chuck Bednarik Award winner as the nation's top defensive player as recognized by the Maxwell Club, and he won the 2022 Rotary Lombardi Award via the Houston Rotary Club for recognition as the most outstanding lineman in college football.
Anderson finished his 2022 season with 51 total tackles, 17.0 for loss, to go with 10 sacks. He had a better 2021 season in which he was an absolute force for the Crimson Tide. He racked up 101 total tackles, 31.0 (!) for loss, and 17.5 sacks that season.
The Hampton, Ga., native was a consensus five-star prospect and the 17th-overall recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports. Anderson held 39 offers but visited just two campuses: Alabama and Georgia Tech. His out-of-high school NFL comparison was then-Los Angeles Rams defensive end Dante Fowler. Anderson's athleticism was always present, but his size (6-foot-3, 230 pounds) out of high school led evaluators to believe he could stand out more as a linebacker, rather than a defensive end. He has always been quick and provided an early burst off the line, which made him such a desirable prospect and one which eventually stuck at defensive end.
NFL COMBINE, PRO DAY
Anderson measured at 6-foot-3, 253 pounds with a 33 7/8-inch arm length and a 9 7/8-inch hand width at the NFL Combine. He earned a prospect grade of 7.02 -- which equates to "Pro Bowl talent" -- and an NFL Next Gen Stats grade of 94, which is in its "elite" range. Each grade is second among players which tested at the NFL Combine. He only took part in the 40-yard dash at the Combine, registering a 4.60.
After the Combine, an anonymous NFC executive told NFL.com: “Power Five players with traits who get sacks in college are going to get sacks in the pros. Anderson is way more likely to succeed than any of these quarterbacks (in the draft). It’s not even close.”
Anderson attended Alabama's Pro Day, but did not participate. Here is his explanation:
“Yeah, you know, just cheering on my teammates," he said. "You know, they put in a whole bunch of hard work leading up to this moment to just showcase their ability, and I just wanted to come out and show my support, but also talk to a few coaches and get some information and stuff like that. You know, just be here for the guys and cheer them on.”
MOCK DRAFT
The USA Today mock draft consensus tracker pins Carter at No. 3 overall to Arizona, with an average draft slotting at 4.167. Out latest mock draft also has Carter going to Arizona at No. 3 overall.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE STEELERS' STANDPOINT
He won't be there at 17. That is the safest sentence I wrote in my one year at DKPS.
COREY'S TAKE
That's because Anderson is the safest bet to be the top defender taken in this draft, unless Arizona really feels strong about Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Anderson is a freak athlete and drew a comparison (by NFL analyst Lance Zierlein) out of the Combine to Demarcus Ware, who will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2023. He didn't participate in Alabama's Pro Day because, quite frankly, he didn't need to. His stock is already through the roof, and rightfully so.
