Mel Kiper Jr. explains Will Anderson as No. 1 player on his big board

Will Anderson has held his spot amongst the best NFL prospects in all of college football. Even with a loaded class, specifically at QB, the Alabama star hasn’t fallen significantly in any mock or big board. One of those boards belongs to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. who says Anderson is a player that pro teams won’t want to miss on.

Kiper Jr. spoke about Anderson’s stock during an appearance on ‘KJM’ on Thursday. He said he may not be the most elite pass rushing prospect when compared to recent years, but he brings so much else to the table as well that it’s not fair to compare him in that way.

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“He’s such a great kid and he produces. Is he Myles Garrett who could bend that edge like no other?…You think about what Von Miller does? That’s a separate group where Will Anderson’s not that incredibly explosive pass rusher like they are. But they’re special for a reason. They’re in that elite group that very few are ever going to touch,” said Kiper Jr. “He’s right there and he’s a great kid. He’ll make everybody around him better as he does and he’ll make your team better. He’ll finish games, he’ll close out games. He won’t do it necessarily to the level of necessarily a Myles Garrett and Von Miller, but I’d say very few, if any, will do that to that level.”

Anderson has continued his great career in Tuscaloosa this season with 27 tackles, five sacks, and a pick-six. He’s doing all of that while being the focal point and greatest concern of every offense he faces. He’ll need to keep producing through that extra attention to stay at the front of the class.

With that said, Kiper Jr. says the No. 1 pick in the draft will come down to fit. If the team doesn’t have a quarterback, some of 2023’s prospects may be too hard to pass up. If the team already has their QB1, though, Anderson is the obvious pick for Kiper Jr.

“He’s No. 1 on the board. Will he be the No. 1 pick? Pass rushers and quarterbacks are gonna go and he’s there…If you have your quarterback and there’s not a trade possibility, you don’t want to lose a Will Anderson….That’s the position of great need and everybody wants it,” Kiper Jr. said. “I’ll say right now it’s between him and those quarterbacks to ultimately be the No. 1 pick overall.”

There’s a lot of football left to be played before anybody is selected in Kansas City this spring. Still, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Anderson’s name won’t be one of the first few called in the 2023 NFL Draft.