Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. is considered the top prospect in this class, even though he is not expected to go No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers. There is expected to be a run on quarterbacks at the top of the draft, but Anderson will likely be the first defensive player off the board. However, a new report claims that may not be the case.
Peter King of NBC Sports writes that he would not be surprised if Texas Tech pass rusher Tyree Wilson is picked ahead of Anderson on draft night, and specifically brought up the Houston Texans at No. 2 overall as a potential landing spot, based on what he’s heard from sources around the league.
DeMeco Ryans could look at Wilson after his year in San Francisco “and say, ‘I got my Nick Bosa,'” a league source who knows Ryans told King.
One coach with a pick in the top 10 also told King that, “Wilson will be a better pro than Anderson.”
With The First Pick Newsletter With The First Pick Newsletter Prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft with the day’s big stories + mock drafts, big board updates and more. I agree to receive the “With The First Pick Newsletter” and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge Paramount’s Privacy Policy See All Newsletters Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error processing your subscription.
The 6-foot-6, 271-pound Wilson recorded the most pressures in the Big 12 last season with 50 despite missing three games due to injury. He had the highest pressure rate in the conference as well (20.7%). Anderson on the other hand is a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and finished his career at Alabama with the second-most sacks in program history behind Derrick Thomas with 34.5. He’s been one of the best defenders in college football, and recorded the most sacks (34.5), tackles for loss (58.5) pressures (207) and QB hits (71) in the FBS over the past three seasons.
If you want to put stock into what King wrote, you could make some good money off of it. Wilson is +500 to be the first drafted defensive player over at Caesars Sportsbook, while Anderson is the heavy favorite at -425. You can also bet Wilson to be the second overall pick at +800.