October 08, 2022
Albert Cesare/USA TODAY NETWORK
The Saints will have to be really bad for the Eagles to have any shot at Alabama DE Will Anderson.
During the college football season each year, as long as you're watching the games, we point out five players each week to keep an eye on who make logical sense for the Eagles in the following year's draft.
Gaye is a raw, but long, lean, and athletic edge rusher from The Gambia, likely to be a developmental project at the next level. In 19 career games, he has modest production, with 5.5 sacks, 14.0 TFLs, and 7 batted passes. Odd music choice here:
The Eagles have an immediate need for edge rusher talent, but could also look to add to the long-term pipeline. Gaye should be a Day 3 guy, assuming his production doesn't explode the rest of this season.
Charbonnett played two seasons at Michigan before transferring to UCLA. In 2021, he carried 202 times for 1137 yards (5.6 YPC) and 13 TDs, while adding 24 catches for 197 yards through the air. He is also off to a nice start in 2022, with 417 yards on 65 carries (6.4 YPC) and 5 TDs.
Charbonnet is a north-south runner who breaks tackles and finishes runs. He has good vision and doesn't often leave meat on the bone. He can also play on passing downs because he is thought of as a good pass protector, and while you're not going to pretend he's Brian Westbrook by lining him up in the slot, he will make catches as a checkdown guy who can then gobble up yards after the catch. A look:
While Charbonnet has had a productive college career and his skills should translate to the next level, he is not a big play threat and will likely not wow anyone at the Combine. He can probably be had on Day 3 and play as a committee back in the NFL.
Kuithe is a very undersized tight end, but he has speed, he can break tackles after the catch, and Utah lines him up all over the formation. In 2021, Kuithe had 50 catches for 611 yards and 6 TDs. He has also been used on occasion on jet sweeps throughout his career. In the NFL, he'll probably transition to a big slot, and in many ways he reminds me of Zach Pascal, who is the same height and has a listed weight of 215 pounds. A look:
Pascal will be a free agency next offseason. My guess is that he will be back with the Eagles, but if he moves on Kuithe is a player who could fill a similar role as a late Day 3 guy.
Anderson is the No. 1 prospect on many early 2023 NFL Draft big boards, and he probably would have gone No. 1 overall in 2022 had he been draft eligible. First, a quick snapshot of his impressive production at Bama:
| Will Anderson | Tackles | Sacks | TFL | FF |
| 2020 | 52 | 7 | 10.5 | 1 |
| 2021 | 101 | 17.5 | 31.0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 27 | 5.0 | 9.0 | 0 |
That's 33 games, 29.5 sacks. He also has a pick-six this season.
In addition to his obvious ability to get to the quarterback, Anderson takes pride in blowing up the run game, and is a hard-nosed, physical player who gives outstanding effort. He has even demonstrated that he can cover if you want to drop him on occasion. He's so gifted that he can play DE, SAM, and kick inside on obvious passing downs. Speed, burst, power, athleticism — it's all on display in his highlight video below.
It would be pretty crazy if the Saints are bad enough for the Eagles to have a shot at drafting this guy.
Earlier this season we profiled another A&M safety in Antonio Johnson. Richardson is a strong safety prospect who could fill a role the Eagles thought they were filling with K'Von Wallace. Richardson is an instinctive player who has plenty of experience facing high level talent in the SEC.
TAMU JR S Demani Richardson likes to hit but athleticism, football IQ, secure tackling are his biggest assets. Here avoids "rub", still tracks down K. Toney in open field for a short gain. Cover skills and a willingness to play vs. the run will make him a valued DB. #SnapScout22 pic.twitter.com/q9dFBK8xNV
— Chad Reuter (@chad_reuter) July 17, 2021
Richardson also fits the profile of the type of safety the Eagles have tried to convert to linebacker in recent years.
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