Potential Bears top pick draws comparison to a familiar face
Bears fans will appreciate this comparison.
Will Anderson Jr. is in the conversation to be the number one pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Anderson is widely considered to be the top position player in the class.
With the Chicago Bears holding the first overall pick, and without a QB need, Anderson could very well be a Bear come April.
With the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine kicking off on Thursday, we got to see Anderson's measurables and his performance in multiple drills. Interestingly, his numbers are strikingly similar to a player that Bears fans know well: Khalil Mack.
The measurables between the two are almost identical. Anderson is an inch taller and has slightly longer arms. Even with Anderson's bigger frame, the Alabama product bested Mack's 40-yard dash and 10-yard split times. Anderson ran a 4.60 40-yard dash while Mack ran a 4.65. In the 10-yard split, Anderson had a time of 1.61 while Mack had a 1.64.
Essentially, the Bears could be in a position to draft a slightly bigger and faster version of Khalil Mack.
After GM Ryan Poles traded Mack one year ago, the Bears are desperate to improve their pass rush. In 2022, no team in the NFL had fewer sacks than the Bears did. Mack, as a member of the Chargers, had 8 sacks by himself. The entire Bears team finished the year with just 20 sacks.
During his college career at Alabama, Anderson collected 34.5 sacks, 58.5 tackles for loss, and 204 total tackles over three seasons. In 2021, the star LB finished 5th in Heisman Award voting. That level of production is desperately needed on this Chicago team.
If the Bears indeed keep the first pick, grabbing a defensive playmaker seems like the best move.
