Arizona Cardinals select Will Anderson Jr. in SB Nation’s 2023 NFL Mock Draft

With the third pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select Will Anderson Jr., edge rusher out of Alabama.

The 21-year-old Anderson is one of the most productive pass rushers in college football history and had one of the single best seasons in 2021 when he posted an astounding 17.5 sacks, 31 tackles for loss and 101 total tackles and finished fifth in the Heisman voting.

We tried to talk with the Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, and Las Vegas Raiders to trade back in the first round, but no one wanted to bite.

That left me with having to make a pick and quite frankly it was an easy decision after Cat Scratch Reader took C.J. Stroud on behalf of the Carolina Panthers, and Battle Red Blog snagged Bryce Young for the Houston Texans. That made this pick easy for me.

As of right now, DraftKings Sportsbook has Anderson with +270 odds to be selected No. 3 overall. Anthony Richardson, the quarterback out of Florida, is the odds-on favorite at this spot at -140, but that pick doesn’t make any sense for the Cardinals with Kyler Murray behind center.

If the Cardinals could have moved down in this mock, they would have taken Anderson Jr. at pick No. 4 or 5 and Christian Gonzalez at No. 7.

However, it worked out, and the Cardinals get the best player in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Not a bad day.