In only the month of July, there’s already a belief that the top pick in next year’s NFL Draft can already be penciled in with Alabama linebacker Will Anderson.
After starting his freshman season where he aided the Crimson Tide to a national championship win, Anderson ascended to rare territory in 2021 where he put together one of the most dominant years in recent memory. Through 15 games, Anderson recorded 101 total tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks and three pass deflections which earned him the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for the nation’s top defensive player.
This has prompted many analysts to try and find comparisons between Anderson and the other elite NFL pass rushers and NFL.com’s draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has one player in mind.
Jeremiah recently released a piece on NFL.com where he compared Anderson to elite pass rusher Von Miller.
“I realize this is high praise but I got the same vibe watching Anderson that I did when I studied Miller coming out of Texas A&M in 2011,” Jeremiah said in his analysis. “Both guys have very long arms. They are devastating on the backside versus the run and they play with excellent effort. Miller, an eight-time Pro Bowl selected, bends a little better than Anderson but I’d give the Bama edge rusher the nod when it comes to pure power.”
Aside from the measurables and statistics, one of Jeremiah’s biggest takeaways was more unique. The part of Anderson’s game he loves the most was his effort during extra points.
“I could make a 20-minute highlight tape of impressive defensive snaps from Anderson during the 2021 season,” Jeremiah said. “However, I was most blown away by his performance on extra-point attempts. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true. Having worked with one of Bill Belichick’s top scouts, I know the importance the Patriots head coach places on that play.
“It tells you everything about the competitiveness of a player. After giving up a touchdown, you often see defensive players give marginal effort on extra-point tries. Anderson, despite being the most talented player in college football, plays harder than anyone else on the field during what some would consider a meaningless snap. I asked a source at Alabama about his character and he told me, ‘That’s the best thing about him.’ It’s rare to find a player with his combination of talent and intangibles.”
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