NFL

HEIGHT: 6'3.5"

WEIGHT: 253

HAND: 9 7/8"

ARM: 33 7/8"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.60

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: TBD

BROAD: TBD

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POSITIVES

— Good get-off, quick to react to the snap with good acceleration while taking short, powerful steps to maintain his base.

— Takes on blocks with low pad level and quick, accurate hands on the offensive lineman’s chest to gain leverage.

— Recognizes blocking schemes well to put himself in a good position to take on blocks—i.e., working wide versus reaches or shooting his hands to play the cut.

— Physical at the point of attack with plenty of strength to set the edge against offensive tackles versus outside zone. He’s a lot stronger than his frame would suggest.

— Gap-disciplined, won’t leave his assignment until the running back commits. Has no issues shedding blocks with his hand placement and strength, and has the agility to cross the face of the offensive lineman he’s engaged with to make tackles in the adjacent gap.

— Can be lethal when slanting with his get-off and movement skills. Gains ground laterally and vertically with his L-step and can get penetration easily.

— Powerful for his size as a bull-rusher to put offensive tackles on skates. Also works to get on an edge and has developed several inside countermoves off the bull rush.

— Excellent change of direction for a defensive lineman to test offensive linemen’s ability to redirect and consistently win with inside pass-rush moves. Also uses his hands well to get clean wins that lead to sacks.

— Has shown solid hand-swipe and arm-over moves to win on the outside that he can develop in the pros.

— Recognizes and anticipates chip blocks well, which allows him to take them on and avoid getting caught off guard or put on the ground.

— Effort rusher who will get coverage sacks.

— Effective on stunts as both the penetrator or looper. As the penetrator, his get-off and aggressiveness at the point of attack will catch offensive linemen off guard and get them off their feet. As the looper, his change of direction and agility allow him to move laterally without losing ground, and he has the acceleration to win and close on the quarterback.

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NEGATIVES

— Could afford to add weight to maintain his physical playing style in the NFL.

— Might struggle to get extension versus NFL offensive tackles. Wasn’t routinely locking out tackles in college, more just getting them off his frame with enough room to shed the block.

— Against power, counter and split zone, doesn’t get his eyes inside to see and get underneath pullers as the spill player in run fits.

— Likes to lunge and leave his feet to make tackles, leading to a high rate of missed tackles.

— Doesn't have a go-to outside move that he consistently wins with, and lacks top-tier bend to turn a tight corner at the top of outside rushes.

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2022 Statistics

— 13 G, 51 TOT, 17 TFL, 10 SK, 1 INT, 2 PD

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NOTES

— A 5-star recruit in the 2020 class, No. 17 nationally, No. 1 WDE, per 247Sports' composite rankings

— DOB: Sept. 2, 2001

— 40 career starts

— 2021 Honors: Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner (CFB’s top defensive player), unanimous first-team All-American, SEC Defensive Player of the Year

— 2020 Honors: FWAA Freshman of the Year, Freshman All-American, SEC All-Freshman team

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OVERALL

The best way to describe Will Anderson Jr.'s college tape is that everything just looked easy for him. From his movement skills to how effortlessly he took on blocks, it almost looked like he was getting bored out there. That's part of the reason why he’s been considered the top player in this year’s draft class since last January.

As a pass-rusher, Anderson is impressive with his inside countermoves. His speed off the ball puts pressure on tackles vertically, and once they open their hips, he has the quickness and change of direction to dart inside and leave tackles grasping at air.

He also has an effective bull rush that he’ll use to set up those inside countermoves and allows him to be effective when turning speed to power.

The biggest concern about the Alabama product’s pass-rush arsenal is that he hasn’t shown a go-to move that he can win with on the outside. He also isn't super bendy to turn tight corners at the top of the rush or around the edge. With that being said, he’s shown flashes with the hand-swipe and arm-over moves mentioned above. The latter is more that he just lacks the elite bend that one might expect from a potential No. 1 overall pass-rusher.

While Anderson led the nation with 17.5 sacks in 2021, he's probably an even better run defender. He’s hard to move one-on-one with his strength and leverage at the point of attack, and he has little to no issues getting off blocks with his excellent hand placement.

He needs to do a better job of getting his eyes inside when unblocked to see pullers coming and shore up his tackling form, but those are two very fixable flaws.

He’d fit best as a stand-up outside linebacker in a scheme that uses a lot of odd fronts and occasionally has edge-rushers drop into coverage. He held his own when Alabama asked him to do the latter, which suggests he can be asked to zone-drop in the NFL as a change of pace.

As far as even fronts go, Anderson can play with his hand in the dirt as a defensive end as well, so he’s scheme-versatile and a plug-and-play type of player. He just might be a little more effective as a stand-up outside 'backer.

---

GRADE: 9.6 (Top-Five Prospect)

OVERALL RANK: 1

POSITION RANK: EDGE1

PRO COMPARISON: Khalil Mack

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Written by B/R NFL Draft Scout Matt Holder

The Dallas Cowboys earned a decisive 27-13 win over the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night. For now, they remain alive for both the NFC East title and the conference's No. 1 seed.

One might believe that the Cowboys feel pretty good heading into their Week 18 finale against the Washington Commanders, but they shouldn't.

While the final score might indicate the sort of clean and complete performance Dallas wants to see heading into the postseason, it wasn't that. The Cowboys surged in the second half, but they played a mistake-filled first half that provided more questions than answers.

Quarterback Dak Prescott committed three turnovers in the first half, and Dallas limped into halftime with a mere four-point lead.

A three-turnover first-half for the Cowboys. Dak Prescott’s pass behind Dalton Schultz and intercepted by Kevin Byard, his second of the game. Prescott also suffered a deflected INT and fumbled a snap.

— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) December 30, 2022

It's easy to chalk up Dallas' slow start to the emotional aftermath of last week's big win over the Philadelphia Eagles. However, it continues a troubling trend for the Cowboys. Yes, they beat the Eagles—though Philadelphia was without star quarterback Jalen Hurts (shoulder)—but before that, they narrowly escaped the lowly Houston Texans and blew a big lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars to lose in overtime.

It's not as if the victory over Philadelphia was truly that much of a feel-good moment either. With backup quarterback Gardner Minshew II running the offense, Philly dropped 442 yards and 34 points on the Dallas defense.

Of course, the Cowboys did gain a little momentum by beating Philadelphia, and they should have been able to add to it against the Titans. Tennessee has been slumping—it has now lost six straight—and entered Thursday night without several key players, including standout running back Derrick Henry.

#Titans inactives for Thursday Night Football vs. Cowboys

RB Derrick Henry
CB Kristian Fulton
DB Josh Thompson
S Amani Hooker
LB Dylan Cole
OL Nicholas Petit-Frere
DL Denico Autry
DT Jeffery Simmons

— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) December 29, 2022

This should have been a bigger blowout than it was, especially considering the mistakes Tennessee made.

The Titans turned it over twice and committed a whopping 10 penalties for 124 yards. Despite Tennessee's miscues—and Dallas winning the time-of-possession battle by nearly seven minutes—the Cowboys only had a 44-yard advantage offensively.

Despite Henry's absence, Tennessee still rushed for 97 yards and averaged 4.0 yards per carry. With quarterback Joshua Dobbs making his first-ever NFL start, the Titans matched Dallas' 4.9 yards per offensive play. Though the Titans had nothing to play for in this game—their Week 18 game against the Jaguars will settle the AFC South regardless—the Cowboys struggled to put them away until late.

Given Tennessee's offensive personnel, this marked the third straight game in which Dallas' defense has played poorly. It has now surrendered 87 points over its last three games. That isn't ideal.

Dallas has given up at least 300 yards of offense in six consecutive contests.

Prescott's streak of turning the ball over is far from ideal, too. He's now turned it over in six straight games and is tied for the league lead in interceptions. This is despite him missing five games earlier in the year with a hand injury.

Dak Prescott has been intercepted 14 times in 11 games this season. His previous high was 13 in 2017 when he started all 16 games. Not all of the picks are on him but it doesn't matter. The Cowboys can't play this sloppy against playoff team and expect to win.

— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) December 30, 2022

While Prescott did finish with 282 passing yards and two touchdowns, that was to be expected. The Titans have been atrocious against the pass and entered Week 17 ranked 31st in passing yards allowed and 29th in passing touchdowns surrendered.

The Cowboys cannot expect to turn the ball over frequently, play lackluster defense and still get past teams like Philadelphia (with a healthy Hurts) and the San Francisco 49ers in the postseason.

What might be most frustrating is that there isn't much for Dallas to learn from Thursday's game. Good teams learn from bad performances, something linebacker Micah Parsons touched on between the loss to Jacksonville and the win over Philadelphia.

"Really, every loss is a chance to learn and get better," Parsons said, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. "Losing close ones sucks, but there's always something you can look at and learn from it."

What is there to learn from outlasting a short-handed Titans team that hasn't won a game since before Thanksgiving? Aside, possibly, from the fact that T.Y. Hilton (four catches, 50 yards) can be a factor or that CeeDee Lamb (11 catches, 100 yards) can beat a bad secondary, not much.

On top of everything, the Cowboys potentially suffered another serious injury-related loss when center Tyler Biadasz exited with an apparent ankle injury.

Initial belief from the Cowboys is that center Tyler Biadasz suffered a high ankle sprain tonight against the Titans, a person familiar with situation said. It being a Thursday game helps him. More time to recover before playoffs.

— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) December 30, 2022

Injuries were already a concern for Dallas, as running back Tony Pollard (thigh) and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (neck) both missed Thursday's game. Parsons is dealing with a hand injury, while cornerbacks Anthony Brown (torn Achilles) and Jourdan Lewis (Lisfranc) are on injured reserve.

In the postseason, it's often the healthiest teams that have the best chances to go far. It doesn't look like Dallas is going to be one of those teams. That's a major problem, as is the fact that the Cowboys stumbled through a sloppy win on Thursday.

The reality is that this may have been the Cowboys' last chance to gain some real momentum before the Wild Card Round. If the Eagles get past the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Dallas will have nothing to play for in Week 18.

The Cowboys could use the Washington game to rest their starters and prevent further injuries. Their last truly dominant win came in Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts, and that feels like a lifetime ago.

Dallas cannot possess the confidence of a true title contender. The chance to change that was there on Thursday, and the Cowboys didn't grab it.

Instead of riding high away from an efficient and complete performance, Dallas limps toward the postseason with concerns about its ability to beat teams that aren't missing their best players.

The New York Giants could clinch their first postseason berth since 2016 with a win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, and they understand the urgency of the situation.

"Yeah, you don't want to leave it to chance," running back Saquon Barkley said Thursday, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan. "The way you do that is by doing what you've got to do this week. That is really it."

Entering this season, the Giants were pegged as one of the teams projected to finish near the bottom of the league. New York has shocked the masses with an impressive 2022 campaign under first-year head coach Brian Daboll, as the team enters Week 17 with a record of 8-6-1.

However, the Giants have struggled down the stretch, going 1-4-1 over their last six games. They're coming off a heartbreaking 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings last week on a last-second field goal.

Per Raanan, New York is a 5.5-point favorite against the Colts, who have been eliminated from playoff contention with a 4-10-1 record. Much of the Giants roster has never experienced the postseason, including Barkley.

"Obviously, the first four years it didn't happen. Now there is a chance; it's a possibility," Barkley said. "It's a beautiful thing when looking at all the ups and downs, whether it's in my personal career or as an organization what we've been through the last couple years. It will be special. We have a chance to do it."

If the Giants fail to punch their ticket to the postseason this week, they will face the daunting task of defeating the NFL-leading Philadelphia Eagles (13-2) in the regular-season finale. New York would obviously prefer to secure its spot in the playoffs by taking down Indianapolis.

"I think everybody knows what [is at stake]," Daboll said. "But what we can control is, again, the same stuff we try to control each week—making sure we're prepared, ready to go, and go out there and put our best foot forward."

The Green Bay Packers will play the Minnesota Vikings Sunday in a rematch of their Week 1 game when Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson caught nine passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-7 win.

On Thursday, Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander offered his perspective on that game to reporters, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky, calling the performance a "fluke."

"You've just got to be real: He don't jump in no super suit and get dressed and jump outside, you hear me? I don't either, sometimes. But he [is] human, is what I'm saying. We ain't putting too much on nobody.

"He's a really good receiver. But at the end of the day, I'm a really good corner. We've got really good corners. We've got really good linebackers, D-line, whatever it is. You don't want to put too much focus on that one person because it's like, the first game, that was a fluke."

Jaire Alexander's thoughts on #Vikings WR Justin Jefferson. Said he's a top-3 receiver in the NFL, but JJ's 9 receptions for 184 yards and 2 TDs in Week 1 against the #Packers was a "fluke." pic.twitter.com/yqZIoP6ktM

— John Miller (@JohnMillerNBC26) December 29, 2022

On one hand, using "fluke" to describe another great single-game performance from the unquestioned top wide receiver in football this year could be seen as unconvincing.

In 15 games, the former LSU star has caught 123 passes for 1,756 yards and eight touchdowns, and he's a near lock for the Associated Press' Offensive Player of the Year award.

However, the "fluke" comment didn't necessarily come off as disrespectful to Jefferson's talents based on the context of Alexander's other remarks.

Of note, Alexander said that he feels Jefferson is a top-three NFL wideout, with Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver (and ex-Packer) Davante Adams No. 1 and Miami Dolphins wideout Jaylen Waddle in the top three as well.

He also stressed the quality of the Packers defense, which got off to a rough beginning but has improved lately.

For starters, the pass defense is now eighth in Football Outsiders' DVOA metric. Green Bay has also registered six interceptions over the past three weeks and seven sacks in the last two.

The Packers won all three games, including an impressive 26-20 road win over a Miami Dolphins team that was held scoreless in the second half.

Ultimately, Green Bay's defense is playing better now than it was when Minnesota's passing attack sliced through the Packers over three months ago, and fellow cornerback Rasul Douglas has moved forward.

"I don't really remember that game," Douglas said. "I kind of knocked all the first-half-season games away."

It's unlikely that Jefferson authors a repeat performance with a stat line akin to 9/184/2, but days like that haven't been outliers for him either.

Remarkably, Jefferson eclipsed his 184-yard total against the Packers in two other games this year (223 yards against the Detroit Lions and 193 yards versus the Buffalo Bills). He's also caught 10 or more passes six times this year.

Kickoff Sunday will go down at 4:25 p.m. ET from Green Bay's Lambeau Field. It's a big game for both teams: The 7-8 Packers are looking to win out to make the playoffs, while the 12-3 Vikings still have an outside shot at the NFC's No. 1 seed. They can do that with a pair of wins and two Philadelphia Eagles losses.

Helping keep Joe Burrow upright in the pocket has its perks.

The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback gifted the team's offensive linemen with a cruise trip as a Christmas present even though he won't be joining them, per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network.

"I don't like boats," he said. "What if you get stuck out there?"

Burrow has reason to be thankful for his offensive line.

While his season got off to a rough start when he was sacked a combined 13 times in the first two games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys, he hasn't been sacked more than twice since an Oct. 31 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Cincinnati's offensive line unit has shown notable improvement as the season progresses. That's one reason why the Bengals are riding a seven-game winning streak and challenging for the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the AFC.

The three games this year that Burrow was sacked more than three times came against defenses featuring star pass-rushers Micah Parsons, T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett, so some struggles up front are understandable.

Cincinnati's offensive linemen will now get to go on a trip as a result of their hard work.

The Tennessee Titans will reportedly start Josh Dobbs for Thursday night's matchup with the Dallas Cowboys over rookie Malik Willis, according to Justin Melo of TheDraftNetwork.com. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network confirmed the news.

It will be Dobbs' first NFL start.

The Titans selected Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, and he has served as Ryan Tannehill's backup this season. He has started three games in Tannehill's absence.

Willis was one of the more promising quarterbacks in a relatively weak 2022 draft class at that position. He spent two seasons at Auburn before transferring to Liberty, where he spent his junior and senior seasons.

The 22-year-old had a solid 2021 season, completing 61.1 percent of his passes for 2,857 yards and 27 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 878 yards and 13 scores.

The Titans have gone just 1-2 in his three starts this season. He's thrown for only 276 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions while completing just 50.8 percent of his passes and taking 10 sacks. He has also rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown.

Dobbs has appeared in six games throughout his NFL career. He's completed 10 of his 17 pass attempts for 45 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.

With Tannehill still injured, the Titans had to decide between the inexperienced and struggling Willis or the journeyman Dobbs. They reportedly have chosen the latter.

Las Vegas Raiders star Darren Waller offered a vote of confidence in the team's new starting quarterback, Jarrett Stidham.

Waller told reporters Wednesday that he and his teammates "took note that he knew what he was doing" in training camp, which helped build belief in his abilities. The roster is now looking to maintain a unified front around Stidham with him taking over for Derek Carr.

"The only thing that's productive is to support Jarrett going forward," he said. "We're rallying around him and letting him know we believe in him and doing what we can to prepare for San Francisco."

This will be Stidham's first start since entering the NFL, and he hasn't done much in his limited time on the field. The 2019 fourth-round pick has gone 32-of-61 for 342 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions in 11 appearances.

Benching Carr seems to be less an endorsement of Stidham and more a sign of the Raiders' plans for the three-time Pro Bowler. If Las Vegas cuts or trades Carr shortly after the Super Bowl, then it's only on the hook for a fraction of his $34.9 million salary cap hit in 2023.

But saying the quiet part—Stidham is a placeholder and a clear downgrade from his predecessor—doesn't achieve much. Las Vegas hasn't even been mathematically eliminated from the postseason yet.

You can't blame Waller for remaining outwardly optimistic about the Raiders' chances with Stidham under center.

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry is listed as doubtful for Thursday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys because of a hip injury, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Sitting Henry at this point is risk mitigation by Tennessee. The Titans are in a must-win game in Week 18 against the Jacksonville Jaguars if they want to secure the AFC South title, and the outcome of Thursday's clash with the Cowboys won't have any bearing on their pursuit of a postseason berth.

Henry has amassed 319 carries for 1,429 yards and 13 touchdowns through 15 games. The ex-Alabama star is a two-time Pro Bowler who won the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year award in 2020.

He led the NFL in rushing touchdowns and rushing yards in 2019 and 2020, notably running for 2,027 yards in the latter year. Henry's 2,141 yards from scrimmage also paced the NFL in 2020.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't practice on Wednesday because of a knee injury, though it isn't expected to keep him out of action in Week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings.

#Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is not practicing today. He will be on the injury report after taking a shot to his knee Sunday in Miami. It’s not an issue expected to keep him out Sunday vs. Vikings.

— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) December 28, 2022

Rodgers has dealt with a thumb issue for much of the season and suffered a rib injury during a Week 12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. His health concerns have played a role what has turned into a disappointing campaign for the 7-8 Packers, though the team's postseason hopes are still alive

The 39-year-old has completed 64.8 percent of his passes for 3,331 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

That Green Bay is fighting for its playoff life means Rodgers will almost assuredly play unless he's absolutely unable to go. Having to rely on Jordan Love down the stretch wouldn't be ideal for the Packers.

The team surprised many when it selected Love with a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft despite having Rodgers. The 24-year-old started just one game as a rookie and is yet to establish himself at the NFL level because of the presence of the veteran.

It seems unlikely that will change despite Rodgers' latest injury.

Arizona Cardinals star J.J. Watt announced Tuesday he's retiring from the NFL after the 2022 season:

Koa’s first ever NFL game.
My last ever NFL home game.

My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure.

🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/wXbDUcHM8B

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) December 27, 2022

https://t.co/alM0DjDzYr pic.twitter.com/zCQ8gAq2WS

— TJ Watt (@_TJWatt) December 27, 2022

Watt has 9.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 33 total tackles through 14 games this year. He soaked in the scene following Arizona's 19-16 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday:

pic.twitter.com/FdMzx6AJpJ

— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) December 26, 2022

The 33-year-old got off to a blistering start when he entered the NFL in 2011. Through his first five years, he was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, a four-time All-Pro and led the league in sacks twice. His three DPOY nods are tied for the most all-time with Lawrence Taylor and Aaron Donald.

Thanks to a series of injuries, his career has taken a turn since then.

Having already undergone offseason back surgery, Watt only made three appearances in 2016 before he required another back procedure.

That was the beginning of a trend for Watt. From 2016 to 2021, he appeared in 55 out of a possible 97 games.

Most recently, Watt battled multiple injuries before his first year with the Cardinals ended after seven games. He had 16 tackles, one sack and 10 tackles for loss in his limited time on the field.

How serious does an injury have to be to sideline #AZCardinals DE JJ Watt? Sources say he actual tore his labrum, his bicep, and his rotator cuff — and dislocated his shoulder. Watt was playing some of his best football and helped change the culture for the undefeated AZ team.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 28, 2021

While he didn't boast the kind of longevity some elite pass-rushers enjoyed—his 111.5 sacks rank 26th all-time—the five-time Pro Bowler is a near-lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Following @JJWatt's announcement that he will retire after this season, we can confirm that he'd first be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2028. pic.twitter.com/OQt6sOf66P

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) December 27, 2022

Pro Football Reference gives him a Hall of Fame Monitor score of 126.00, which is fifth-highest among defensive ends. The four players ahead of Watt have all been enshrined in Canton, Ohio.