Will Anderson Jr. has been praised as the best defensive player in the 2023 NFL draft class by most and to some, he is the best overall prospect in the class. Positional needs will lead to a quarterback being the first overall pick, potentially his former teammate Bryce Young, but Anderson deserves to be one of the top picks.
Though it is unclear what the order will be, there are a few players that are generally expected to be drafted within the first five picks. Young is one, Anderson is another and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud joins the select few.
Most draft experts have agreed within the last week or so that Young will be the first overall pick to the Carolina Panthers. What the Houston Texans will do at No. 2, however, remains a mystery.
Many believe the franchise will look to draft a quarterback. With Young off the board, Stroud would likely be the pick. There is a large group that believe the Texans would rather select Anderson, the former Crimson Tide outside linebacker.
Nate Davis of USA TODAY recently revealed his latest 2023 mock draft and has Anderson being selected by Houston.
He writes about his size, abilities and dominance, which are all valid points that have been discussed at length during the draft process. There is another justification hidden within Davis’ reasoning: an NFL agent.
Davis agrees with other draft analysts that the pick will be between Anderson and Stroud, but he claims the deciding factor could be the fact that Stroud’s agent, David Mulugheta represents Deshaun Watson.
“[T]here are other factors to consider,” writes Davis. “Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud is represented by David Mulugheta, who is also the agent of disgraced former Houston QB Deshaun Watson – the man who left this organization in tatters on and off the field.”
Anderson and Stroud are both stellar players that deserve the notoriety and praise that come with being a top-five NFL draft pick, but could the decision really come down to the front office choosing one player over the other because of an agent?
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Anderson and other former Alabama players preparing for the 2023 NFL draft.
[lawrence-auto-related count=1]
[lawrence-auto-related count=1]
[mm-video type=video id=01gywexxrha0fh28qnmr playlist_id=01eqbz6mkdd99nyvkm player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gywexxrha0fh28qnmr/01gywexxrha0fh28qnmr-37471562ddb014ad4883fd63e291da99.jpg]
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.