Skip to main content
Join

Chris Mortensen says Will Anderson played out of position at Alabama for the good of the team

PeterWarrenPhoto2by:Peter Warren•04/11/23•

thepeterwarren

Will Anderson, Alabama Crimson Tide edge rusher
Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson communicates during a game on Dec. 31, 2022. (Sean Gardner / Getty Images)

Alabama EDGE Will Anderson‘s junior season was not as dominant as his sophomore season. Everyone knows it.

But Chris Mortensen reminded people Tuesday during ESPN’s mock draft show that Anderson wasn’t being used the same way as he had been last year as he was his sophomore season.

“Will Anderson is getting a little bit of dings here as people look at his 2022 tape,” Mortensen said. “It’s true. It’s not as spectacular. There are times when he disappeared and people wondered why. One reason why — Nick Saban loves Will Anderson about as much as any player I’ve heard him talk about since he’s been coaching in college at Alabama — that it’s got to go for something. But here’s the thing. They were shorter on defensive lineman at Alabama this year. They wanted Will Anderson, for the good of the team to play more of the five technique, which he can play but he but he’s better suited in another scheme or another technique.”

Anderson still had great stats as a junior. He finished the year with 51 tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.

However, it does pale in comparison to his 2021 season of 101 tackles, 31.0 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks. That 2021 year is one of the best campaigns by an outside linebacker/EDGE rusher in recent memory and would have been difficult for anyone to top.

Mel Kiper has Anderson going with the No. 6 pick to the Detroit Lions in his latest mock draft.

Chris Mortensen has praised Will Anderson before

This is not the first time Chris Mortensen has praised Will Anderson for his time at Alabama.

On last week’s mock draft show, Mortensen revealed that Anderson sometimes didn’t practice because he was too good during the team’s drills.

“Listen, everything Todd said about Nick Saban, just the way he lights up when he talks about him, that’s all true,” Mortensen said. “He mentioned what a great practice player he was. So good that they had kind of sit him out of some practice periods so the offense could practice and run some plays because he was that disruptive.”