There’s a Kayvon Thibodeaux-Esque Player at the Top of the 2023 NFL Draft Class
Josh Frey
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The 2022 NFL Draft was one that did not necessarily have a ton of top-tier talent, but it was one of the deeper classes in recent memory. We might not see a ton of All-Pros or Pro Bowls when things are all said and done, but there should be plenty of players taken at the end of Day Two and even into Day Three that will be starters at the NFL level. On the other hand, the 2023 class looks quite different right now. We could see multiple superstars come out of this upcoming class, and at the very top, a prospect looks just as enticing as Kayvon Thibodeaux did at this time a year ago. That player is Alabama EDGE Will Anderson Jr.
From January until about November, Thibodeaux was seen as the clear favorite to go first overall in the 2022 draft. That obviously changed as the draft drew closer as it became a question of whether or not he would even go in the top 10 picks. However, he clearly was still seen fondly enough by some teams to go No. 5 to the New York Giants.
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Obviously, a lot can happen over the course of 12 months, but barring any catastrophic events, it does not seem like Anderson will have to go through the same judgments that Thibodeaux faced regarding effort, character, and competition. First off, he is playing for the gold standard of college football programs: the Alabama Crimson Tide. Not only is he going up against NFL talent on a weekly basis, but he is likely beating out NFL talent for that starting position in Alabama’s defense.
We also can’t say that he takes snaps off either, at least not in his first two seasons. Through 28 games, Anderson has recorded an absurd 41.5 tackles for loss, including 24.5 sacks. His 31 TFLs and 17.5 sacks in 2021 both led the entirety of NCAA football. His combined effort and skill were key components of Alabama’s national runner-up campaign in 2021.
Assuming that Anderson continues to play well in 2022, and Alabama doesn’t suddenly fall off a cliff in terms of relevance after decades of championship pedigree, it feels like a safe bet that he will be a major contender for the first overall pick a year from now.
