Name: William Anderson Jr. Position: Edge rusher School: Alabama Height: 6’4″ Weight: 243 lbs Games watched: vs. Texas (2022), vs. Georgia (’21 NCG), vs. Auburn (2021), vs. Tennessee (2022), vs. Ole Miss (2022), vs. LSU(2022)
If you have been watching college football for the past two seasons or done any digging into the 2023 NFL draft class, you have heard of Will Anderson Jr. The Alabama edge rusher is one of the most productive and prolific players in college football. Anderson is a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, a 2021 All-American (likely 2022 selection as well) and a National Champion back in 2020. He also won the Lott Trophy, the Lombardi Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (twice) and the Chuck Bednarik Award in his storied college career. I still think he got snubbed in 2021 for the Heisman, but I digress.
Awards are great but Anderson’s production is even better. He tallied 34.5 sacks and 58.5 tackles for loss in 30 career games with the Tide. He now has three straight seasons with double digit tackles for loss and topped out in 2021 with a whopping 31 TFLs to go with 17.5 sacks.
Pros
Anderson has one of the quickest first steps in college football. He flies off the line and utilizes that blazing speed to get a jump on opposing tackles. He does a nice job with his hand placement to keep himself disengaged from opposing linemen, allowing him to penetrate the backfield with ease. Anderson is capable of moving linemen with his heavy hands and strong lower half, but it is not a staple of his game. He plays with a high motor and has above average power. His bend and length on the edge make him a real problem on just about every snap. Seeking out contact is not a problem, as Anderson routinely sets the edge in the run game. As a bonus, Anderson can play with his hand in the dirt or standing up, and he is comfortable lining up on either side of the formation.
Cons
Most of my criticism of Anderson is nitpicking, but for as productive a player as he is, he misses quite a few tackles. While his incredibly successful as a pass rusher, I believe there is room to grow his array of pass rushing moves. His motor fluctuated at times during his junior season, notably in the Texas game, where it was clear he was taking some plays off. He lacks elite open field speed, struggling to keep up with some of the faster quarterbacks Alabama faced when they broke contain. Additionally, he is far from an elite run defender, but does more than enough to be a three-down player.
Synopsis
Anderson is going to be one of the top five players selected in the 2023 NFL draft, barring an injury in the pre-draft process. He is a special pass rusher with room to add more muscle to his frame. His production is among the best we’ve ever seen at the collegiate level. He routinely faced NFL-caliber talent and should be a Day 1 contributor.
Ideal scheme fit: Attacking 3-4 outside linebacker or 4-3 defensive end
NFL Draft Daily looks at top stories, historical trends, player performances and more all through the lens of the NFL Draft.
What a wild offseason this is shaping up to be in college football. Over 1,000 FBS players entered the transfer portal on December 5th when it opened. One of the most notable names seen on that list is now former Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei. The former five-star recruit improved on a rocky 2021 season, throwing for 2,521 yards while completing nearly 62 percent of his passes for 22 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He added 545 yards and 7 scores on the ground as well. Despite the clear improvement from the year before, where he tossed more interceptions than touchdowns, he ended up being benched several times down the stretch for the Tigers.
Uiagalelei threw for 22 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in the 2022 season. (TigerNet.com)
Uiagalelei is far from the first big-time recruit to fall flat. Expectations were sky high for him following Trevor Lawrence’s tenure in Death Valley. Uiagalelei flashed potential and even dazzled at times for Clemson. His 2020 start in place of Lawrence and his incredible performance against Wake Forest this year come to mind.
However, there is no question this is Cade Klubnik’s team now and Uiagalelei will look to start fresh elsewhere. While fans are undoubtedly curious where he will land and its impact on the upcoming college football season, I am more interested in what this means for his NFL future.
It might be a bit hard to see exactly how a player who lost their starting job to a true freshman, despite the coaching staff giving him every chance to keep hold of his role, winds up being an NFL draft pick. I get it. If Uiagalelei were to enter the draft right now, it is hard to imagine he would be anything more than an undrafted free agent. Maybe a team would be willing to take a flier on him in the seventh round given his measurables and pedigree as a five-star recruit.
However, in the modern era of the transfer portal, it is becoming more common to see players rehab their draft stock after landing in a new home. Uiagalelei’s situation immediately makes me think of a pair of fourth-year quarterbacks who have an NFL draft decision to make in the coming weeks: Bo Nix and Spencer Rattler.
Both were highly recruited and seemed poised for superstardom at the NFL level. Unfortunately, Nix struggled with consistency at Auburn, ultimately deciding to leave for a change of scenery at Oregon. Rattler lost his starting job at Oklahoma to the uber-talented Caleb Williams, who won the Heisman trophy on Saturday, now playing for Lincoln Riley at USC. Entering this season, no draft analyst would reasonably tell you that Nix and Rattler had clear paths to the NFL. After both put together strong years at new programs, Nix more so than Rattler, the possibility of reaching the league is once again attainable. Rattler probably needs one more year at South Carolina to really solidify that he has what it takes, but Nix could legitimately be a Day 2 selection for a team looking to add depth at quarterback.
Let’s start with Nix. He had a career completion percentage of 59.4 at Auburn, averaged 6.9 yards per attempt and accumulated 39 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in three years as the starter. At Oregon, Nix completed 71.5 percent of his passes for a career high 3,388 passing yards to go along with 42 total touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. He showcased his immense growth as a passer and his talents as a rusher, racking up 504 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. At this point, I think Nix will likely be one of the seven or eight passers selected in the 2023 draft, but we will have to see if he definitely leaves and, if so, how he fares in the pre draft process, which could include the Senior Bowl and the scouting combine.
For Rattler, he seemed poised to be the next great NFL quarterback after a stellar 2020 campaign. He threw for over 3,000 yards and amassed 28 touchdowns through the air with just 7 interceptions. Then he lost his job in 2021 to the aforementioned Williams and ended up at South Carolina. I will admit that I was ready to right off Rattler after a rocky start to his career in Columbia, but after leading the Gamecocks to seven wins in their final nine games, including impressive performances against Tennessee and Clemson to end the season, he is at least back on the radar. I think Rattler needs one more year to prove he can consistently play at a high level. He had some great games this year, but still tossed 11 interceptions, including four multi-interception outings.
I highlight both Rattler and Nix to point out that a change of scenery might be exactly what Uiagalelei needs. It worked great for Nix, who faced the same exact questions almost exactly one year ago. Landing at a school like UCLA, Purdue or hell, even Oregon, if Nix enters the draft.
The other example Nix set that Uiagalelei should follow would be working with a quarterback guru like Jordan Palmer. Nix spent the offseason working with Exos, putting in the work to improve his footwork, technique and accuracy. It paid major dividends this year and I think it is important that Uiagalelei does the same. Watching him play, he has a ton of arm talent, great size, impressive athleticism. However, his footwork is all over the place. His accuracy suffers big time as a result. Spending time with a quarterback specialist to fine tune those attributes will go a long way. He has already shown that he is willing to put in the offseason work as well, dropping 15 pounds heading into this season, which allowed him to move a lot better in the pocket and be more productive running the ball.
Uiagalelei’s future still very much seems like it will be in the NFL. He will have two years to prove he can progress as a passer and improve the technical side of his game. He is a 6’4″, 235-pound prospect with tons of experience playing in a Power 5 conference. He will undoubtedly land at another Power 5 school and be in position to start again.
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Is this premature? Absolutely. Am I going to do it anyway? You bet.
We haven’t seen quarterback drama like this in New England since at least 2017 when the team traded Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco. At that point, the Patriots still had Tom Brady. Mac Jones seemed to be Brady’s heir after the Pats spent a first round pick on him in 2021. New England reached the playoffs and Jones was in the conversation for Rookie of the Year.
Oh how things have changed.
Jones opened the season as the unquestioned starter, but suffered an ankle injury in Week 3 that forced him to miss the next three games. Brian Hoyer was supposed to be his short-term replacement, but then the veteran quarterback suffered a concussion during his first start against the Packers.
Enter Bailey Zappe.
The rookie fourth-round pick from Western Kentucky was a bit of a surprise pick by the franchise in this draft, but most viewed him as a developmental prospect who could be a quality backup long term. That has not been the case so far. Zappe nearly upset the Packers in Week 4 coming in to replace Hoyer. He led the Patriots to back-to-back wins over the Lions and Browns, completing 41 of 55 passes for 497 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
Needless to say, fans in New England were ready for Zappe Hour and The Zappening and everything in between. However, Mac Jones was cleared to return for Monday Night Football against the Bears and got the start. Jones didn’t last long though. He attempted just six passes, amassing 13 yards, and was pulled after throwing an interception. Zappe got the offense moving, scoring a pair of touchdowns to take a 14-10 lead. Things went off the rails from there. Chicago went on to win 33-14.
Zappe clearly provided a spark, but it fizzled and it left New England in a tricky spot at quarterback. Belichick dodged questions about who his starting quarterback would be going forward. He said Jones was taken out of the game because he wasn’t healthy. If that was really the case, then why was Jones out there in the first place? This whole situation is a bit bizarre and really casts a shadow over his future with the team.
It certainly appears that Belichick is no longer 100% committed to Jones. He has been underwhelming this season, with just three touchdowns to six interceptions. His passer rating and completion percentage are also down from a year ago.
As I already noted, this is definitely a bit early to talk about Jones no longer being with the Patriots. This would be very early to move on from a first-round pick at quarterback after just two seasons, especially without a change in the front office. Still, stranger things have happened. If Jones does become available, there are a few teams that will definitely be interested.
Indianapolis Colts The Colts have been searching for a quarterback since Andrew Luck retired. Matt Ryan was the team’s fourth opening day starter in as many years. This team has been searching for a long-term solution, but has only had stop-gap answers. Acquiring Jones could potentially end the carousel at the position.
Now, I can understand why Indianapolis might be hesitant to make this move. The Colts brought in Carson Wentz hoping a change of scenery would bring out the best in a player that looked like an MVP before he suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2017. That obviously didn’t work out as the Colts shipped him out to Washington after just one season.
The difference here is that Jones is still on his rookie deal. Wentz had already signed a mega extension with a ton of money guaranteed. It makes acquiring Jones a much lower-risk move by comparison. Frank Reich is on the hot seat. I’m not sure he will get another chance with this team, but Chris Ballard has put together a pretty good roster outside of the quarterback spot. Jones could give him a consistent, accurate passer to operate a run-focused offense centered around Jonathan Taylor.
New Orleans Saints The Jameis Winston experiment in New Orleans has not gone according to plan. His play has been inconsistent, but more importantly, his health has kept him off the field. An ACL injury cost him the remainder of the 2021 season. Now, he is dealing with multiple fractures in his back and a lingering ankle injury. Andy Dalton has fared well in relief, but I can’t imagine that the Saints really believe he could be the long-term answer at quarterback.
Jones has a similar playstyle to Drew Brees and while Sean Payton is no longer the head coach, this is still largely the same staff. Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael had a lot of success with an incredibly accurate quarterback who lacked elite mobility and arm strength. New Orleans has already sunk a lot of draft capital into this team, so I would not be shocked to see them go all in by acquiring an upgrade at quarterback.
Washington Commanders I already talked about Carson Wentz and how he struggled in Indianapolis. Things have not been much better since he joined the Commanders. His protection was terrible before he suffered a thumb injury that landed him on injured reserve. According to Spotrac, Washington can move on from Wentz this offseason with minimal dead. Releasing him would free up $27 million in cap space. Needless to say, Wentz’s future in D.C. doesn’t look great. I think it is also safe to assume that Washington does not believe in Taylor Heinicke long term. They went out and acquired Wentz despite having Heinicke still on the roster. It feels like this team is poised to look elsewhere this offseason when it comes to the quarterback position.
Jones would certainly need better protection if he were to thrive in Washington, but $27 million would give the Commanders a decent amount to invest in their offensive line. Terry McLaurin would unquestionably be the best receiver Jones has ever worked with and it would be a reunion with his former teammate Brian Robinson. This is another tricky spot with Ron Rivera on the hot seat, but adding a young quarterback on a rookie deal could buy him a bit more time to turn things around in Washington.
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Each week, I like to highlight a few of the draft-eligible players I am most excited to watch this weekend. Sure, I am looking forward to seeing Drew Sanders against Alabama and what happens if Will Levis can take care of the ball against Ole Miss, but those guys are already getting first-round buzz.
What about the under-the-radar guys? Perhaps that is a bit of a misnomer. In fact, it was! I finally have a new name for the players I am highlighting in this column. Many of these players fans of college football have likely heard of. However, these are not the guys you will likely see in a first-round mock draft at this point and still have a lot to prove. So rather than talk about the biggest prospect in the draft, let’s discuss some players with something to prove.
Unfortunately, like every week, some of the games we want to watch are going to be at the same time, so break out the tablet or set your DVR if you want to watch all of the amazing action from this weekend.
If you missed out on Week 4 and want to get caught up on some stock watch for draft prospects, I wrote about my takeaways here.
Spencer Sanders, QB, Oklahoma State Year: 5th-year senior Opponent: at #16 Baylor (Saturday at 3:30 pm ET on FOX) Sanders has definitely made a name for himself with his play to this point, but this is still a very deep quarterback class and he is nowhere near the conversation at the top of the draft. At least not yet. If Sanders has any hopes of pushing his stock into first-round territory, he needs to perform against Baylor. In three matchups against the Bears defense since Dave Aranda took over in Waco, Sanders has thrown nine interceptions. Seven of them came in two games last season. If he continues to struggle against Baylor’s defense, typically one of the best in the Big 12, it raises questions about how he will fare at the next level. This is a huge opportunity for Sanders to prove that he is making strides as a passer and deserves some NFL buzz.
Noah Daniels, CB, TCU Year: 6th-year senior Opponent: vs. #18 Oklahoma (Saturday at noon ET on ABC) Daniels is a name that people have probably heard before, but I would argue he is one of the toughest evaluations in this entire draft. He is incredibly talented and plays like a top 50 player. Unfortunately, Saturday against Oklahoma will also be Daniels’ 12th game since 2018. He missed all of 2019 due to injury and was limited to a combined eight games over the past two seasons. Facing an Oklahoma offense that boasts one of the most potent passing attacks in the nation would only make it harder for scouts to ignore his apparent ability in favor of his injury history. Daniels needs to stay on the field and show he is capable of dominating the competition.
Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA Year: 4th-year senior Opponent: vs. #15 Washington (Friday at 10:30 pm ET on ESPN) How can a former five-star running back possibly be under the radar? I finally found a new name for these players I want to highlight. Charbonnet is a familiar name to many who have followed Big Ten or Pac-12 football over the past five years. He transferred to UCLA from Michigan before the 2021 season and has excelled with the Bruins. UCLA is one of the quietest 4-0 teams in the country and now Carbonnet will look to stamp their credentials, and his own, against a Washington defense allowing just 89 yards per game and 2.6 yards per carry. This Huskies defense has only surrendered two rushing touchdowns through four games. If Charbonnet can perform against that stacked defensive front, he is going to be in the conversation for RB2 in this draft class, which is wide open behind Bijan Robinson.
Jacoby Windmon, EDGE, Michigan State Year: 4th-year senior Opponent: vs. Maryland (Saturday at 3:30 pm ET on FS1) Talk about a coming out party. Entering the season, Windmon was a relatively unknown transfer from UNLV whose career-high in sacks to that point stood at 6.5 in a season. Fast forward to now, Windmon is drawing buzz everywhere, currently leading the nation in sacks with 5.5 quarterback takedowns through just four games. This is not a game that most would circle as a must-watch this weekend, but Windmon will get the opportunity to face Maryland offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan. Duncan definitely did not impress against Michigan, but he is widely regarded as a top 50 prospect and one of the five best offensive tackles in this draft class. I haven’t seen Windmon get a ton of love yet nationally. If he turns in another stellar performance, this time against an NFL-caliber tackle, his name will be flying up big boards everywhere.
D.J. Uiagalelei, QB, Clemson Year: 3rd-year junior Opponent: vs. #10 NC State (Saturday at 7:30 pm ET on ABC) As if you needed another reason to watch this top-10 showdown in the ACC. Uiagalelei has had one of the most interesting careers in recent memory. Thought to be the successor to Trevor Lawrence, he dazzled in his one start against Notre Dame in 2020. Instead of picking up where he left off, Uiagalelei had a terrible year in 2021, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns. At the beginning of the season, there were fans and analysts alike questioning whether or not freshman phenom Cade Klubnik deserved to start instead. Uiagaleli has quieted that chatter so far with 10 touchdown passes and just one interception so far this season. Suddenly, it feels like he might be a post-hype sleeper. His physical gifts are off the charts, but he still needs to improve his mechanics and show he can perform consistently. No better opportunity to prove himself than against an NC State defense allowing just 4.9 yards per attempt passing this year, the fourth-best mark in the country. This is a massive test for the true junior quarterback.
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September is coming to an end, which means stock watch is about to enter its second month. We already have four weeks (five if you count Week 0) to start to formulate the draft assessment for players all over college football. There have been quite a few surprises, some pleasant, others much more unfortunate, when it comes to the expectations we had entering the year versus the performances we’ve seen so far. Players like Drew Sanders and Devon Achane have unquestionably made themselves some money, while guys like Tyler Van Dyke and Kayshon Boutte have raised more questions than answers with their play to this point.
I find myself a bit behind on film from this past weekend, which is unfortunate, because it was another thrilling slate of games. Here is my watch list so far from the weekend: Virginia at Syracuse Maryland at Michigan Arkansas vs. Texas A&M Clemson at Wake Forest Middle Tennessee State at Miami Wisconsin at Ohio State
I still have several more that I want to watch, including Florida-Tennessee, Baylor-Iowa State, Texas-Texas Tech and Oregon-Washington State.
Each week, I am going to write this column to highlight which players I think boosted their draft stocks and which players are trending in the wrong direction. Not every player that I liked is going to get a shoutout and not every player that I was underwhelmed by will be mentioned. I am also limiting this to draft-eligible players for 2023. So while Brock Bowers continues to look like a Heisman candidate, he won’t be on this list.
Without further ado, here is my stock up and stock down after Week 4. If you missed last week’s entry, you can find it here.
Stock Up
Davis Allen, TE, Clemson 4th-year senior Week 4 stat line: 4 receptions, 36 yards, 2 TDs A name to learn, Allen had a big game against Wake Forest. His stats won’t jump off the page, but he is a well-rounded player and a clear threat in the red zone. He reeled in the game-winning touchdown in double overtime by essentially boxing out the safety on a well-thrown ball from DJ Uiagalelei. He has great size at 6’6″ and 250 pounds and moves well for that build. I definitely want to watch him a bit more before I start making any predictions about where I think he might be drafted, but he impressed me in a high-pressure situation.
Cade Stover, TE, Ohio State 4th-year senior Week 4 stat line: 4 receptions, 51 yards, 2 TDs After years of lackluster tight ends classes, it seems like we could be in store for a pretty decent one. Stover is going to be a big part of that. He has seen his role in the Buckeyes’ offense increase significantly this year with Jeremy Ruckert now in the NFL. His stats might not blow anyone away, but he is fluid a runner in open space and a polished route runner. However, his biggest impact unquestionably came as a run blocker. He opened a ton of holes for Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson. Stover bullied Nate Herbig for much of the night when Ohio State put it on the ground. This was the first time he really got on my radar. I’m excited to watch more of him.
Blake Corum, RB, Michigan 3rd-year junior Week 4 stat line: 30 carries, 243 yards, 2 TDs These are Derrick Henry type numbers! Unfortunately, Corum is about five inches shorter and 40 pounds lighter than the Titans running back. That being said, it sure looks like Corum has the chops to be a contributor at the next level. He does a great job keeping his legs moving after first contact and his agility makes him tough to corral. I would love to see him get more involved in the passing game as a receiver. He only has two receptions for 11 yards this season. He could certainly be a change-of-pace or a short-yardage back in the pros, but his value will be significantly undercut without better production in the passing game.
Stock Down
Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami 3rd-year sophomore Week 3 stat line: 16/32, 138 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, I promise this will be the last time I put Van Dyke here. It was impossible to leave him out though after getting benched in a wildly disappointing loss to Middle Tennessee State. There is no question that he is struggling to acclimate to this new coaching staff and new offensive system. However, his struggles culminated with him being benched in the second half of the game. It is hard to find much silver lining in that. Van Dyke has looked inaccurate and unsure all season long. Two early interceptions all but doomed this performance before it ever really got started. Mario Cristobal has not committed to Van Dyke as the team’s starting quarterback for this week. Might be time to start thinking about some potential landing spots for when Van Dyke inevitably enters the portal.
Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland 5th-year senior Week 4 stat line: Not great I’ve been hearing some hype about Duncan in recent weeks. This was easily his biggest test, going up against a stout Michigan defense. As a run blocker, he more than held his own, opening up some really nice holes. Unfortunately, he had a disastrous day in pass protection. Duncan got called for an early hold and had a few other plays that could have been penalized. He struggles with speed and power rushers, giving up a few sacks and at least five pressures by my count. His hand placement and footwork were sporadic. It led to a lot of running around from Taulia Tagovailoa. I still believe Duncan has a lot of upside, given his build and clear athleticism, but he looked a lot more like a Day 2 project than a first-round caliber tackle on Saturday.
Brennan Armstrong, QB, Virginia 5th-year senior Week 4 stat line: 19/38, 138 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 11 carries, 29 yards, lost fumble I will admit, I was not a huge fan of Armstrong’s game heading into the 2022 season. I don’t love his throwing motion and he posted double digit interceptions for the second year in a row in 2021. Friday night once again highlighted why I do not believe Armstrong has an NFL future. He did not go through his progressions on a number of occasions, deciding where he was going to go with the ball pre snap. He missed open receivers and turned the ball over twice. I know he is learning a new offense, but there are some issues that seem to be independent of the scheme. I was hoping he would be able to flash enough potential to entice me, but as of now, I have a UDFA grade on Armstrong.
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