Anonymous NFL, College Coaches Praise Cardinals Draft Prospect Will Anderson
The Arizona Cardinals currently own the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and two realistic options are on the table.
The Cardinals are in the beginning stages of a rebuild, and are all in on looking to trade down to acquire more draft capital to help that process begin in the right direction. Some believe the quarterback market at the top of the order could also help put a premium price on the third overall pick.
That's the most likely option, though Arizona always has the ability to stay put and draft a player such as Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. - considered to be the top defensive prospect in this year's draft.
The Cardinals' defense allowed the second-most points per game last year and have three quality players in J.J. Watt, Zach Allen and Byron Murphy. Adding any quality defensive player would be a step in the right direction, but Anderson's presence would be met with great reception.
In a mock draft done by The Athletic, Bruce Feldman collected intel from anonymous NFL and college coaches on each prospect. For the Cardinals (who took Anderson at No. 3), there was nothing short of glowing reviews for the Alabama edge player.
One coach deemed him "extremely coachable"
“I love him. He plays with tremendous speed. Everybody tried to account for him in every way possible this year, so maybe that’s why he didn’t put up quite as big numbers as he did last year. I know their staff really well and they talked about how he’s so coachable, and whether it’s what you see on the film or in the game, you can tell that he took all of that in," the coach said.
Another coach said he was better than the top picks in last year's draft.
“He was better than either of the guys (Travon Walker and Aidan Hutchinson) who went 1-2 in last year’s draft. He’s like Derrick Thomas. He has great get-off and length. When we played against Myles Garrett, we said, ‘Let’s run right at him.’ The thing with Will is (that) he’s equally good against the run. He’s hard to chip. You try to put two guys on him, and he does just as good a job of twisting and moving," said the coach.
Alpha dog. Elite. Leader. Relentless. Rare.
All were used by the coaches to describe Anderson.
It sure seems like the Cardinals won't be there at No. 3 to take him. A potential trade with the Indianapolis Colts makes sense, as Arizona would move down one spot to allow Indy to take their QB of choosing while still being in position to grab Anderson.
Ultimately, the Cardinals will do what's best for their organization. Whether Anderson is in those plans remains to be seen, but passing on him would be a tough decision to make in that process.
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