Will Anderson Jr. has been a highly touted prospect for a while, long before he was eligible for the NFL draft.
Anderson was a difference maker at Alabama from his freshman year on. He won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, given to the nation’s top defensive player, two times in a row. He has NFL size and athleticism and his production came in the SEC, which was full of future NFL talent. He is an elite prospect with a high ceiling and a high floor too.
For a while it seemed like a foregone conclusion that he’d be the top defensive player off the board in this NFL draft, the first one he was eligible to enter. That’s why it’s a surprise to see BetMGM’s odds for the first defensive player to be selected on Thursday.
Tyree Wilson is listed as the favorite as the first defensive player drafted. He is -135 odds. Anderson is next at +100.
Is it possible Anderson won’t actually be the first defensive player selected? And many fans will wonder, who is Wilson?
Tyree Wilson could go as high as No. 2 overall
Anderson has been a popular name to anyone paying attention to college football or the NFL draft. Wilson is a bit more unknown.
Wilson, who was an edge defender at Texas A&M for a season before transferring to Texas Tech, has impressive size at 6-foot-6, 271 pounds. He was a bit of a late bloomer in college. He had three career sacks through two seasons, then had seven in each of his final two seasons.
Wilson’s long arms and size stand out. As does his improvement late in his college career. Some NFL teams will see that and dream about another leap once he reaches the NFL. Wilson wouldn’t be the first player to go very early in the draft due to an untapped next level.
But is he better than Anderson, who has already done it in the SEC for three dominant seasons? Is this a case of the NFL overthinking things?
Or is it just another example of nobody, including oddsmakers, knowing what’s going on in the few days leading up to the NFL draft?
Will Anderson Jr. or Tyree Wilson?
The key to the Anderson vs. Wilson decision could be the Houston Texans. They have the second overall pick and, based on which way the wind is blowing, reports indicate they’re willing to bypass a quarterback. If the Texans don’t trade the pick and don’t take a quarterback — for what it’s worth, BetMGM’s odds have Will Levis as the favorite to go No. 2, though that could be after a trade — it would be an absolute shock if they don’t take Anderson or Wilson. Wilson would be a surprise to many but not as much as, say, an offensive tackle.
If a quarterback goes No. 2, the third overall pick could settle the first defensive player debate. The Arizona Cardinals have the third pick and while it seems unlikely they’d take a quarterback, they could also trade down. If the Cardinals stay at No. 3, do they prefer Anderson or Wilson if both are on the board? It seems like nobody knows as the draft approaches.
It will come down to whether teams prefer Anderson’s production and ability off the edge, or Wilson’s size, potential and versatility along the line. Since Anderson was a freshman in 2020, it seemed like that wouldn’t be much of a question. He was projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick. Anderson is very unlikely to be the first pick in this draft. That will almost surely be his Alabama teammate Bryce Young.
But not even the first defensive player drafted? That would be a surprise, even if the odds are predicting it.
