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With Super Bowl 57 in the rearview mirror, everyone's focus in the football world is on the 2023 NFL offseason, and one of the biggest events of the offseason is always the draft. Following the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Combine, teams should have a good idea of who they want to select with their first round pick. Rebuilding franchises with top picks such as the Chicago Bears are certainly under pressure to nail their strategy in the upcoming draft.
In 2022, the Bears finished with a 3-14 record, which was the worst in the league. This marked the second year in a row that they missed the playoffs, and despite their promising 2-1 start, Chicago lost their final ten games of the season to ensure that they would finish as the worst team in the league.
Even though they earned the top overall pick in the draft, the Bears had their bright spots in 2022. Chief among them was quarterback Justin Fields, who put together a breakout sophomore campaign that saw him become just the third quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.
With Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud headlining the 2023 NFL Draft class, Chicago is in an interesting position. Considering the season Fields just had, it's seeming more and more likely the Bears will trade out of the first pick in the draft. And as that move becomes more and more likely, so do the chances that Will Anderson Jr. emerges as a possible pick for the Bears. With that in mind, let's see why Anderson is the perfect fit for the Chicago Bears in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Why Will Anderson Jr. is the perfect fit for the Bears
In three years under Nick Saban at Alabama, Anderson absolutely wreaked havoc as an outside linebacker/edge rusher. Anderson recorded 204 tackles, 114 of which were solo, four pass deflections, one forced fumble and a pick-six. Most notably, he recorded 34.5 sacks, leading the country with 17.5 in 2021. That same year, he also had an FBS-best 34.5 tackles for loss.
Anderson also racked up a decent amount of individual accolades, which is headlined by his two unanimous All-American selections. Additionally, he is a two-time winner of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which goes to the best defensive player in college football, regardless of position. And to top it off, Anderson also earned back-to-back SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Anderson played an important role in Alabama's National Championship victory back in 2020. As a true freshman, Anderson finished the season with seven sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, which might be his most impressive accomplishment, all things considered.
With the Bears apparently set at quarterback with Fields, they will likely draft someone on the defensive side of the ball with their first-round pick. In 2022, Chicago allowed quarterbacks to complete 67.2% of their passes, which was in the bottom five of the league, while also allowing 2,674 rushing yards, which was good for 31st in the league. Additionally, they allowed 31 rushing touchdowns, which was the worst mark in the league.
While their record does not show it, things could have gone very differently for Chicago in 2022, as half of their losses came in one score games. This means that a better defense could have helped the Bears finish with a much better record.
With Jalen Carter's recent arrest warrant for his involvement in a car crash, the Georgia Bulldogs draft stock will likely take a dip. Because of that, Anderson could end up being the first defender off the board.
The Bears could opt to stay at No. 1 and end up selecting Anderson. Another scenario would see them trade down, perhaps with the Indianapolis Colts at No. 4, and hope that he will fall to them there. Either way, Chicago has a real shot at bringing the star Crimson Tide pass-rusher aboard.
On paper, Will Anderson Jr. is the perfect pick for the Chicago Bears in the 2023 NFL Draft. It will depend on what the front office decides to do, though, but this option is still very much on the table for the Bears.
