Will Anderson Jr is that rare prospect who checks all the boxes.

ASUCHRIS

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Everytime I watch video of Anderson it becomes abundantly clear that he is something special. The elite get off. The elite quickness. The nonstop motor. The football intelligence. It would be very hard to pass up on this kid.

I'm still hoping that the Colts panic and make the Cardinals a decent offer to move up one spot and the Cardinals still snag Anderson. Assuming the Texans don't take him at 2.
I just don't see how the Cards can make the "smartest guy in the room" pick again with Wilson - Anderson may never be Bosa, but another failed first rounder would be blowing a huge opportunity to get as close as you can get to a sure thing early on.

Trade down to 4, get a couple extra picks, and don't try to be too cute.
 

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I just don't see how the Cards can make the "smartest guy in the room" pick again with Wilson - Anderson may never be Bosa, but another failed first rounder would be blowing a huge opportunity to get as close as you can get to a sure thing early on.

Trade down to 4, get a couple extra picks, and don't try to be too cute.
Meh. If Monti decides he wants three quarters for a dollar that’s on him. Passing on Anderson for Wilson would be crazy, but trading away from Anderson and getting Wilson is just a process thing.
 

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Everytime I watch video of Anderson it becomes abundantly clear that he is something special. The elite get off. The elite quickness. The nonstop motor. The football intelligence. It would be very hard to pass up on this kid.

I'm still hoping that the Colts panic and make the Cardinals a decent offer to move up one spot and the Cardinals still snag Anderson. Assuming the Texans don't take him at 2.
The acuity he evidences with diagnosing plays at lightning speed is the most impressive to me. It’s like he has the cheat codes.
 

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I just don't see how the Cards can make the "smartest guy in the room" pick again with Wilson - Anderson may never be Bosa, but another failed first rounder would be blowing a huge opportunity to get as close as you can get to a sure thing early on.

Trade down to 4, get a couple extra picks, and don't try to be too cute.
I can't disagree with what you said. My only question is if Anderson is the guy do we stay in the odd man front (3-4)? He seems to me to be better suited in that type of alignment.
 

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I actually disagree. Wilson is very powerful in his power rush and speed to power.

He doesn't have any other moves but there are reps where you can see him working on other moves.

Let's just put it this way: I see his floor as a guy who will struggle against top tackles but will feast against lesser players.

If you want to see tape of Anderson that will make you doubt him, turn on the tape of his game against Tennessee. Darnell Wright owned him, badly.

Why did he own Anderson? He nullified his bull rush and Anderson had no answer. If an edge rusher gets the bull rush taken away, it's hard to do anything else because a blocker can just anchor and counter.

Wilson's bull rush is monstrous. I think people downgrading him aren't considering how important the bull rush is to an overall pass rush plan.

You have no concerns that a guy that has been playing Edge in college for 4 years has zero moves, the worst get off of any edge in the class and poor hand usage?

These are exactly the things that he should be working on for 4 years and they are still trash.

He's relying purely on his superior physical size and strength and those are the guys that get owned in the NFL.
 

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You have no concerns that a guy that has been playing Edge in college for 4 years has zero moves, the worst get off of any edge in the class and poor hand usage?
None. College kids spend at most 20 hours a week on football, and very little of that is on technique.

And if you actually watch multiple games, there are instances of Wilson starting to try moves.
These are exactly the things that he should be working on for 4 years and they are still trash.
So trash that he actually had a higher pass rush win rate than Anderson by a big margin and was a First Team All American.

You're getting into the land of nonsense when you overly criticize a player for their shortcomings and miss out on their strength.
He's relying purely on his superior physical size and strength and those are the guys that get owned in the NFL.
Man you're acting like a guy is getting hyped from nowhere. He was literally one of the best players in college football and his play style is exactly what the NFL wants.

If you read the few scouts who aren't gaga over Anderson their criticism is that they think he might not have enough power because he isn't super bendy. That's why the Wright film is concerning because you see him against a legit NFL prospect and Wright beats him by completely taking away the bull rush.

The foundation of a pass rush is being able to bull rush. Guys like Von Miller don't rely on the speed rush. Dennis Gardeck relies only on the speed rush. Bull rush is more important because it is how other moves can really be built upon.
 

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None. College kids spend at most 20 hours a week on football, and very little of that is on technique.

And if you actually watch multiple games, there are instances of Wilson starting to try moves.

So trash that he actually had a higher pass rush win rate than Anderson by a big margin and was a First Team All American.

You're getting into the land of nonsense when you overly criticize a player for their shortcomings and miss out on their strength.

Man you're acting like a guy is getting hyped from nowhere. He was literally one of the best players in college football and his play style is exactly what the NFL wants.

If you read the few scouts who aren't gaga over Anderson their criticism is that they think he might not have enough power because he isn't super bendy. That's why the Wright film is concerning because you see him against a legit NFL prospect and Wright beats him by completely taking away the bull rush.

The foundation of a pass rush is being able to bull rush. Guys like Von Miller don't rely on the speed rush. Dennis Gardeck relies only on the speed rush. Bull rush is more important because it is how other moves can really be built upon.
If Brit is super down on him, it sounds like you really prefer him to Anderson. I fall more on the Brit end of the spectrum here. although he's certainly not trash. Dude didn't produce like player X but has way better measurables usually ends up with a team overdrafting said dude and that high ceiling crashing down. Your excuse on limited practice time in college applies to Anderson too; why didn't Wilson produce like him, if he's the better product? Ah, that elusive word: potential. I want the finished product, not the raw we hope he develops product because, by God, he looked good in the build up to the draft prospect. Wilson wasn't considered a top-10 pick back when Anderson was consensus at the top of the edge pack; it's all through the hype process that he's been...well, hyped up. No thanks. Hard pass. If we're going edge at the top of the draft, let's not outthink ourselves. Let's not Keim it. Anderson over Wilson, please.
 

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FWIW, I’m guessing Alabama has a less academic-focusing program than Tech.
True, but the NCAA breathes down programs' backs on time spent. Granted that 'Bama will probably bend the rules, this still doesn't explain the giant production gap. It's excusing the workout warrior for not doing what the established top player did in spades.
 

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If Brit is super down on him, it sounds like you really prefer him to Anderson. I fall more on the Brit end of the spectrum here. although he's certainly not trash. Dude didn't produce like player X but has way better measurables usually ends up with a team overdrafting said dude and that high ceiling crashing down. Your excuse on limited practice time in college applies to Anderson too; why didn't Wilson produce like him, if he's the better product?
Comparing players who essentially play very differently is futile my guy.

If you think Anderson has advanced pass rush moves as well then I don't know what to tell you. I've watched probably a dozen hours on these two players.
Ah, that elusive word: potential. I want the finished product, not the raw we hope he develops product because, by God, he looked good in the build up to the draft prospect.
If Anderson is a finished product, he's going to be pretty okay, but not what we hope for.
Wilson wasn't considered a top-10 pick back when Anderson was consensus at the top of the edge pack; it's all through the hype process that he's been...well, hyped up.
He wasn't considered a top ten picks by draftniks. Understand that guys like Jeremiah and Zierlein adjust their mocks when they do deep dives and talk with people who actually scout for a living.

Wilson was a 1st Team All-American. This isn't the case of some riser from a mid major who ran a good 40 time. This is a case of people actually doing the work and saying, "Wow this dude might end up as the best end in the draft."
No thanks. Hard pass. If we're going edge at the top of the draft, let's not outthink ourselves. Let's not Keim it. Anderson over Wilson, please.
LOL this is how you miss out talent bro.
 

Stout

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Comparing players who essentially play very differently is futile my guy.

If you think Anderson has advanced pass rush moves as well then I don't know what to tell you. I've watched probably a dozen hours on these two players.

If Anderson is a finished product, he's going to be pretty okay, but not what we hope for.

He wasn't considered a top ten picks by draftniks. Understand that guys like Jeremiah and Zierlein adjust their mocks when they do deep dives and talk with people who actually scout for a living.

Wilson was a 1st Team All-American. This isn't the case of some riser from a mid major who ran a good 40 time. This is a case of people actually doing the work and saying, "Wow this dude might end up as the best end in the draft."

LOL this is how you miss out talent bro.
No, this isn't how you miss out on talent; we just disagree on who the best edge in this draft is. Sometimes you want to go with the guy who has the physical tools that can grow into the position. Sometimes it isn't the right call because there's a better player available. I fall into the latter category. Like I said, I'm not poo pooing the guy ala Brit. He's a guy I wouldn't mind having if we were picking outside the top 10 and really needed an edge player. Picking at 3, I think he would be a big mistake. Of course, our coaching staff may decide they have to have a bigger-body player at the position. This shouldn't be the deciding factor if they're serious in building the system around the talent, but who knows how flexible, or inflexible, Gannon and Co's model is?
 

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Why do you have to always be snarky dude? It's a bad look.
It’s not snark. Of all the posts I’ve made of late, this is the one you call out?

My baby bro went to LSU. These athletic departments at elite schools are designed so that athletes are outside the program as little as possible.

At any D1 program being a student-athlete (lol) is a 40+ hour per week commitment—even if it’s womens soccer. Top programs have the facilities where the athletes are in-house probably 80 hours a week or more.

Why don’t you focus on the football discussion and leave tone policing to the mods?
 

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None. College kids spend at most 20 hours a week on football, and very little of that is on technique.

And if you actually watch multiple games, there are instances of Wilson starting to try moves.

So trash that he actually had a higher pass rush win rate than Anderson by a big margin and was a First Team All American.

You're getting into the land of nonsense when you overly criticize a player for their shortcomings and miss out on their strength.

Man you're acting like a guy is getting hyped from nowhere. He was literally one of the best players in college football and his play style is exactly what the NFL wants.

If you read the few scouts who aren't gaga over Anderson their criticism is that they think he might not have enough power because he isn't super bendy. That's why the Wright film is concerning because you see him against a legit NFL prospect and Wright beats him by completely taking away the bull rush.

The foundation of a pass rush is being able to bull rush. Guys like Von Miller don't rely on the speed rush. Dennis Gardeck relies only on the speed rush. Bull rush is more important because it is how other moves can really be built upon.

If they have no time to work on these things how come plenty of other guys in the class are far superior in that respect? Very few have a tonne of moves, Ojulari probably has the most, but they pretty much all have more than long arm and bullrush. They all have far superior hands to Wilson and they all have far superior get offs. There's no excuse for that other than Wilson can't do it or he hasn't been trying.

The biggest thing for me is his get off. This is super basic stuff for an edge player. It's Edge play 101 from the first day of high school ball. If you are playing Edge the most basic way to win, to have any chance of winning at all, you have to get your get off right. It's a huge red flag for me that it's so bad. I was going to say "Probably the worst I've seen" but I'd be lying. It's definitely the worst. It's bad out of a 2 point stance and even worse out of 3 and 4.

So the question that keeps popping into my head is this. If he hasn't bothered to fix his get off (among other things) in several years of high school and college football how is he suddenly going to learn all these things at the NFL level? It's hard even for guys with good skill sets to make it in the NFL. How is Wilson going to cope with finding that his size and power are no longer a huge advantage and everything else is way off where it needs to be?

His higher win rate this year is due to poor quality competition. And it's always with power. If he comes up against a guy that can handle that such as 317lb Tyree Robinson for OU he has absolutely nothing else.

Maybe he will be a good NFL player but it's a huge gamble. There is nothing there outside his natural physical attributes that says "I'm a top 10 pick". He may have a high ceiling, but he also has a low floor.

For me, guys with a floor that low shouldn't go top 20. He's way behind nearly every edge prospect in this class in everything that he wasn't born with.

You admit yourself he has a lot to learn. With that in mind do you think he's a year 1 starter? I don't see anything more than situational player for at least a year and I'm not sure why you draft that guy top 10.

Everyone should watch this film and see how many bad get offs you can count. He might be the last to get off on every single snap. The first snap is absolute dog ****. Slow and false steps. I don't even like his sack on the 2nd snap. His get off his bad. He completely bites on the PA which would normally take him out of the play and he only wins due to coverage, raw power and bad blocking from, erm, Marquise Hayes.

But it's a good example of a sack that wouldn't happen in the NFL.

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The acuity he evidences with diagnosing plays at lightning speed is the most impressive to me. It’s like he has the cheat codes.
That is why I'm becoming more concerned that the Texans might go with the sure thing and take Anderson with the #2 overall pick. You know Demarco is watching this kids tape and thinking we have to get this guy on our team.

Houston also has the #12 and #33 plus 9 more picks in 2023 that could be used to move up with Seattle if they were OK with Levis. Or maybe they just stay put at 12 or trade back some and take Hooker.
 

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From the video Wilson seems to have one of the slowest first step i have seen in a pass rusher

He's so bad timing the snap. He's never the first to get off. And he has a tonne of false steps on practically every snap.
 

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That is why I'm becoming more concerned that the Texans might go with the sure thing and take Anderson with the #2 overall pick. You know Demarco is watching this kids tape and thinking we have to get this guy on our team.

Houston also has the #12 and #33 plus 9 more picks in 2023 that could be used to move up with Seattle if they were OK with Levis. Or maybe they just stay put at 12 or trade back some and take Hooker.
I would have your concern if not for the fact that no team plans to pick in the top 3 in consecutive years. So if you’re a QB starved team you kinda have to strike when you can. And here they’d have second choice of all QBs. Now, I’m not a fan of this QB class, but when you’re a franchise that’s had terrible QB play for multiple years and you have a choice of 2-3 high-end guys I think you talk yourself into loving one.
 

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The key tell about Anderson is the Tennessee game. RT Darnell Wright stonewalled Anderson, primarily by anchoring effectively and sliding with good footwork to stay balanced. Wright is big for college, but not the NFL. Anderson had no answer, lacking the technique to out-maneuver Wright. This is not to say Anderson can’t develop it, rather his success will depend on growth, not just athleticism. He was the best Edge in college last season, but he is not a sure thing. I like his chances, but I’d have to take a great offer. Ossenfort doesn’t strike me as lacking self confidence. He’ll move for a good offer and apparently with Gannon’s blessing.
 

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I would have your concern if not for the fact that no team plans to pick in the top 3 in consecutive years. So if you’re a QB starved team you kinda have to strike when you can. And here they’d have second choice of all QBs. Now, I’m not a fan of this QB class, but when you’re a franchise that’s had terrible QB play for multiple years and you have a choice of 2-3 high-end guys I think you talk yourself into loving one.
I have to agree with this take. Not only can you "strike" now while you're picking second, you have cost controlled pay, and you didn't have to give up future draft picks to get him. If he's a bust it won't set you back as far as it would it you gave up 3 number 1s to go up to get him and he is a bust.
 

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The key tell about Anderson is the Tennessee game. RT Darnell Wright stonewalled Anderson, primarily by anchoring effectively and sliding with good footwork to stay balanced. Wright is big for college, but not the NFL. Anderson had no answer, lacking the technique to out-maneuver Wright. This is not to say Anderson can’t develop it, rather his success will depend on growth, not just athleticism. He was the best Edge in college last season, but he is not a sure thing. I like his chances, but I’d have to take a great offer. Ossenfort doesn’t strike me as lacking self confidence. He’ll move for a good offer and apparently with Gannon’s blessing.
Exactly.

Wright wasn't concerned about Anderson's bull rush and he just mirrored him. Dominated him. I watched that match up the other day and said, "WHOA!"

Anderson is being vastly over hyped here. If I was betting on which defender in this class became the best player, I'm probably betting on Weatherspoon.

I like Anderson a lot, but I've come to the conclusion that he isn't a can't miss type prospect. Nick Bosa he is not.
 

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I would have your concern if not for the fact that no team plans to pick in the top 3 in consecutive years. So if you’re a QB starved team you kinda have to strike when you can. And here they’d have second choice of all QBs. Now, I’m not a fan of this QB class, but when you’re a franchise that’s had terrible QB play for multiple years and you have a choice of 2-3 high-end guys I think you talk yourself into loving one.
This is how you end up with Josh Rosen.

I do agree with the overall premise that if you continue to punt on selecting a QB, you're best case scenario is a fringe playoff team. You'll never be very good with scrap heap QBs

I look at this as a very meh QB class. None of these guys are Lawrence caliber. I like Murray better than these guys. Next year's class might be exceptional with two elite talents in Maye and Caleb Williams.
 
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