Will Anderson Jr

Alabama EDGE

Games Watched: Texas A&M, Tennessee, LSU

Summary: Will Anderson would be best utilized as a stand up pass rusher who teams let loose. He has an incredibly explosive first step, and off of it he has a wide variety of pass rush moves he can use to beat tackles. He gets decent bend of the edge and plays with great pad level, and his play recognition and movement skills allow him to shoot through gaps and make plays in the backfield. Anderson is slightly on the smaller end for a defensive end, which can result in trouble disengaging, and some missed tackles, but overall it doesn’t hinder him too much.

Pros

  • Great burst and quickness off of the snap
  • Good movement skills in space allow him to shoot through gaps and be effective on stunts
  • Gets good bend off the edge
  • Generally plays with good pad level
  • Has a phenomenal swim move and a decent rip and spin moves to go with it
  • Reads the field accurately and quickly allowing him to diagnose plays correctly and beat blockers to landmarks

Cons

  • Doesn’t have the most natural strength
  • Sometimes doesn’t wrap up cleanly and misses easy tackles
  • Can be slow to disengage from his blocks

Grade: Will Anderson gets an early 1st round grade. He does so many things well with minimal weaknesses making it hard to imagine he’s not a star.