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Will Anderson Jr. Dynasty IDP Rookie Profile – Looking Back
Will Anderson Jr. was a 5-star recruit in the 2020 high school recruiting class, and the #17 overall prospect for that year. With offers from schools such as Clemson, Florida, Wisconsin, LSU, Miami, and Kentucky (among others) he ultimately chose to attend The University of Alabama.
Will started as a true freshman for Alabama in 2020, becoming the first true freshman linebacker to start for Nick Saban during his time coaching at Alabama. He had a very productive year for a freshman but exploded onto the scene during his sophomore year in 2021. Will wrapped up his collegiate career with another great year in 2022 and declared for the NFL.
Not only did Will produce great statistics, but he graded out very well during his time at Alabama. His overall grading by PFF for each year was 79.1 in 202, 89.8 in 2021, and 83.6 in 2022. Both his run defense and pass rushing received high marks, which correlates well with the fantastic stats he produced during his time there.
Will closed out his college career in 2022 by being on the 1st Team All-SEC, a Unanimous All-American, SEC the Defensive Player of the Year, the Lombardi Award winner, Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner, Lott Trophy winner, and the Chuck Bednarik Award winner.
Will Anderson Jr. Dynasty IDP Rookie Profile – Forward
Coming in at 6’3 1/2″, 253lbs, with 33 7/8″ arms and 9 7/8″ hands, Will has the ideal size for an NFL pass rusher. He is more than that though, as he holds up well against the run and knows how to set, and secure, the edge. He is better suited for an outside linebacker in a base 3-4 defense, although he could be used similarly to Micah Parsons and succeed in that way as well. Will has the strength, footwork, acceleration, and lateral agility to stay on the field all three downs and be productive as both a run defender and a pass blocker.
Despite being a great collegiate pass rusher he will need to add to his pass-rushing move set to stay ahead of NFL offensive tackles. Like most collegiate players he could also add more bulk and functional strength to take his game to the next level, which he should be able to do once he is in an NFL strength and conditioning program. He is not the best when asked to cover tight ends or running backs, but this is something that can be improved upon as well over time.
Will should be the first defensive player in the 2023 NFL Draft and very well may be the first non-QB taken. He feels about as safe of an NFL player as you can get for guaranteed production and quality play. He consensus top IDP rookie for the 2023 class in our Dynasty IDP Rookie Rankings and Rookie PPR and IDP Combo Rankings over at RotoHeat. He is a special talent that should end up as a Pro Bowl player, with the potential to end up as one of the better edge rushers in the NFL for a long time.
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