Two years into his NFL tenure, Will Anderson Jr. has become an instant impact for the Houston Texans’ turnaround under DeMeco Ryans. Not only did the 2023 No. 3 overall immediately become a disruptive edge rusher, who also broke J.J. Watt’s rookie sack record with seven and led all rookies in tackles for loss and pressure en route to a playoff bid and division title.
The 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year should take another step forward in his third season, staking his claim as a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He’s spent the offseason working out with former DPOY recipient Myles Garrett and has leaned up his muscle mass to make him more agile coming off the edge.
After totaling 11 sacks in 2024, Anderson hopes to break the single-season record set by Watt in 2012 ahead of a payday next offseason. Regardless, most pundits view the former Alabama star as a can’t-miss pass rusher who’s yet to reach his full potential.
Pro Football Focus is high on Anderson entering Year 3, ranking him as the ninth-best edge rusher in the league behind reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse.
“Anderson, the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year, elevated his game in Year 2, earning an 88.8 PFF overall grade — ninth among 119 qualifying edge defenders,” PFF wrote. “He hit his stride late in the season, with four of his five highest-graded performances coming in Week 12 or later, including both playoff games.
Perhaps PFF continues to bank on upside since this is the second time a former top-level rookie was set behind the current flavor at the position. C.J. Stroud recently appeared as the No. 14 quarterback on PFF’s list after having a “setback” behind a mediocre offensive line in 2024, while current Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels appeared at No. 6.
Injuries have hindered Anderson’s full potential, which could have factored into why he’s ranked below Verse. In both years, Anderson has missed multiple games due to lower-body issues. The good news for Houston is it features two of the league’s better backups with Darrell Taylor and Derek Barnett.
The Texans also have five-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter lined up opposite of Anderson. He also appeared on the list at No. 12, grading out in the top 20 for both run blocking and pass rushing.
“After eight productive seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Hunter signed with the Houston Texans as a free agent in March 2024,” PFF wrote. “In his first year with the team, he ranked among the top 20 edge defenders in both pass-rush grade (81.1) and run-defense grade (73.2).”
If the Texans duo can stay healthy, they could be the best pass-rushing team in 2025 without a close second in sight.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: PFF puts Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. low on its list of the NFL’s best edge rushers
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
