B/R Says Cardinals Should be 'All-in' on Will Anderson Jr.
The Arizona Cardinals currently hold the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and although that positioning can move up or down a couple picks pending Week 18 results, the team will be in a spot to grab some top-tier talent come late April.
With Bryce Young/Will Levis/C.J. Stroud expected to land early in the draft, the Cardinals could see strong defensive talent such as Georgia's Jalen Carter or Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. fall to them.
While either would be very welcome to a Cardinals front seven in desperate need of some new talent, some believe Anderson is 100% the pick for Arizona.
In Bleacher Report's recent article going through five teams that should be "all-in" on getting Anderson, the Cardinals were indeed one of the obvious fits:
B/R Says Cardinals Should be 'All-in' on Will Anderson Jr.
"While Arizona may think about drafting an insurance policy at quarterback, it won't happen at No. 4 overall. Instead, the Cardinals should pull out all the stops to go up and get Anderson," said Kristopher Knox.
"The Cardinals have quality skill players in DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown and James Conner. If Murray can return to 100 percent, Arizona has plenty to build around offensively. Its 29th-ranked scoring defense, however, is a liability.
"Arizona ranks 19th in yards per rush allowed. It ranks 25th in passing yards allowed and ranks 27th and 26th in passing and rushing touchdowns surrendered, respectively. The Cardinals have allowed opponents to score a league-high 39 touchdowns from the red zone.
"The Cardinals also lost pass-rusher Chandler Jones in 2022 free agency and has notched just 32 sacks this year. J.J. Watt has logged 10.5 of those sacks and has already announced his decision to retire after the season.
"Adding Anderson would give the Cardinals a premier pass-rusher while simultaneously boosting their lackluster run defense. That alone could be enough to put Arizona back in the playoff picture when and if Murray is back to the Pro Bowl form he showed in 2021."
Anderson, an edge player, would give the Cardinals a much-needed daunting presence at OLB. With Watt leaving and Zach Allen set to hit free agency, Arizona's pass rush will need bolstering.
Yet would the play of either Myjai Sanders or Cam Thomas be encouraging enough for the Cardinals to seek help within the interior of the defensive line? That's a question Arizona will have to answer through their evaluation process of both the current roster and how either Carter/Anderson fit on the team.
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