NFL Draft: How far can the Chicago Bears trade back and still land Will Anderson Jr.?

Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. is exactly the kind of blue-chip pass rusher the Chicago Bears defense desperately needs. He’s been considered a contender for the first pick in the NFL Draft since his true freshman season, and when the Bears secured the No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL draft, Anderson was a popular pick for Chicago in early mock drafts.

But as with every NFL Draft season, elite players’ stock always suffers from draft fatigue. It’s a syndrome that annually plagues draft analysts around NFL Combine time. Those elite prospects who’ve long been viewed as plug-and-play can’t-miss starters begin accumulating doubts and “cons” in their evaluation, and their place atop mock drafts begins to slide.

It’s beginning to happen with Will Anderson, who, in Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft, isn’t the first edger defender drafted. That distinction belongs to Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson, who comes off the board at No. 3 to the Arizona Cardinals.

“First edge rusher off the board? Over Will Anderson Jr.?!?,” Jeremiah wrote. “There’s a lot of love for Wilson around the league. His combination of size, length and production has teams very intrigued.”

Daniel Jeremiah remains high on Will Anderson Jr.

Anderson doesn’t have a major slide in Jeremiah’s mock, and, to be fair, Jeremiah isn’t souring on the Alabama star. He has Anderson headed to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 5 overall.

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But if Jeremiah is correct — if Anderson isn’t viewed as, potentially, the best non-quarterback in the 2023 draft — the Bears could roll the dice and accept a trade offer from a team picking later in the top 10 who may be willing to offer the farm for the No. 1 overall. This shift in the 2023 NFL draft narrative could be huge for GM Ryan Poles and the Bears” trade opportunities.

There’s another thing to consider: what if the Chicago Bears are one of those teams that “has a lot of love” for Wilson? Is there a chance Wilson could be Poles’ target if the Bears trade out of the No. 1 pick?

I like Tyree Wilson quite a bit. I think he has double-digit sack upside. He’d be a fantastic addition to the Bears’ defense, but Will Anderson is on another tier regarding explosive athleticism and twitch. Sure, there are many ways to sack a quarterback, but in today’s NFL, where speed and juice are kings, Anderson’s skill set is exceptionally valuable.

I have a hard time believing Wilson will leapfrog Anderson in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, but if his ascent continues to build momentum, the Chicago Bears will be huge winners. Adding another player into the top-five conversation will give Ryan Poles more confidence in any trade-back scenario.

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