INDIANAPOLIS — Will Anderson accomplished almost everything possible as an edge rusher at Alabama.
He won a national championship during his freshman season. As a sophomore, he had an FBS-high 34.5 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks. As a junior, he had 17 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.
Anderson, a Hampton native, was the first player to win consecutive SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors. He won consecutive Bronko Nagurski trophies, awarded to the best defender in college football. He was a unanimous All-American in 2021 and 2022. He also won the Lombardi Award and the Lott Trophy in 2022.
Short of a Heisman Trophy – Charles Woodson is the only primarily defensive player to win that one (1997) – Anderson filled his resume with more honors and successes than arguably any defensive player in the past two decades.
“It’s about what you have in here (points to his heart),” Anderson said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “That’s what’s carried me to this point in my life. Always knowing that whatever I have going on in my life, my mentality and mindset is not going to change. That’s how I approach it in practices and in games.”
It’s no surprise that Anderson is expected to be a top-five pick in the 2023 NFL draft. He might be the first defensive player taken – he and Georgia’s Jalen Carter are competing for that distinction. (Carter’s legal situation makes his circumstances complicated.)
Anderson (listed as 6-foot-4, 243 pounds) is participating in drills and interviews this week at the combine. It has been a long time coming for the 21-year-old, who’s looked a step above his peers since high school. The Dutchtown High product was a five-star recruit, finishing his high school career by producing 22 sacks and 15 tackles for loss during his senior season. His defense allowed only 7.7 points per game.
He was the first Dutchtown player to make The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Super 11 team in 2019. Tackle Broderick Jones (Georgia) and pass rusher Myles Murphy (Clemson) also were named to that team and join Anderson in the 2023 NFL draft class.
Anderson said Wednesday it would “mean a lot” to be the No. 1 overall pick, currently held by Chicago. But he won’t wait long to learn his new destination regardless. Even during the 2022 draft cycle, some analysts opined Anderson would’ve been a leading candidate for the top pick (which became Georgia’s Travon Walker) if he were eligible.
Anderson studies Nick Bosa, Von Miller and Khalil Mack. Each player was a top-five selection in his draft class. Each also fared as expected, becoming a part of the NFL’s premier group of pass rushers.
“His tenacity and his mindset (set Anderson apart),” former Alabama defensive tackle DJ Dale said Wednesday in Indianapolis. “He has his mind made up on what he’s going to do, and he’s going do it. That’s really the main thing.
“And then, he’s just such a great leader. What you see is what you’re getting with Will. He’s a great person. He’s a great teammate. But I think his tenacity and his fight to get to the quarterback and to dominate (is special).”
Former Alabama defensive lineman Byron Young added: “I would say (Anderson) is a great player in every single aspect. When I watch him, when I’m watching tape on myself and from practice, I don’t think there are too many areas where he has a weakness. He’s obviously great at pass rushing. He had 17 sacks last year. He’s great at stopping the run. He had 32 tackles for loss, I want to say. So he does everything. We asked him to do a lot of stuff this year. ... He just does a great job at everything we ask him to do.”
Anderson dished out credit for his rise Wednesday. He cited his mother, Tereon, as his reason for always staying humble. He thanked his five sisters for their sacrifices and showing him proper work ethic.
He thanked his agent, Nicole Lynn of Klutch, for helping him throughout the pre-draft process. Klutch has conducted mock interviews and prepared him for this week. Anderson already had met with seven teams, he said Wednesday.
And Anderson expressed his appreciation for Alabama and coach Nick Saban, whom he’s called the greatest football coach in history. The Crimson Tide went 37-4 in Anderson’s three seasons.
“Being at Alabama made me very versatile: dropping in coverage, playing 4, 5 technique, 6 technique, 7, all that type of stuff,” Anderson said. “It helped me learn pass-rush moves. So I’m a very versatile player who can do just about anything. That’s thanks to coach Saban. He trusted me a lot. He’s seen a lot in me. He’s seen the potential. And it helped me become the player I am today.”
“I had one of the world’s greatest coaches telling me he trusts me. It gave me a lot of confidence.”
Alabama led college football with 13 participants at the combine. This could be the first time under Saban the school has two top-five picks in Anderson and quarterback Bryce Young. Both are trying to become the first No. 1 overall pick in the illustrious Saban era. Alabama will host its Pro Day on March 23 in Tuscaloosa, just over a month before the NFL draft. The first five picks in the draft belong to Chicago, Houston, Arizona, Indianapolis and Seattle, respectively.
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