Houston Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. receives prestigious honor ahead of 2024 season

The Houston Texans took a huge risk in the 2023 NFL Draft. They sent a handful of draft picks to the Arizona Cardinals for the third overall pick, netting them Will Anderson Jr. A year later, Anderson has since established himself as a cornerstone of the Texans organization.

He received Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and a Pro Bowl nomination for the 2023 season, recording 45 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 67 pressures, 7.0 sacks, one pass deflection and one blocked field goal in 15 games. His 7.0 sacks set a new franchise record for most sacks in a single season by a rookie.

Anderson is one of the many reasons the Texans are entering training camp with big championship ambitions. According to Touchdownwire, Anderson has taken the helm as the Texans’ non-QB MVP heading into next season.

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“Even with the addition of Danielle Hunter, Anderson’s potential remains a mystery heading into his sophomore year, but he has spent time working on drills with All-Pro Myles Garrett. Like Anderson, Garrett had seven sacks as a rookie before racking up 13 the following season. Could the same happen for the former Alabama star?” — Cole Thompson, USA Today

Anderson had several standout performances throughout the 2023 season as a rookie. Yet, Houston’s Week 13 win over the Denver Broncos on Dec. 3 demonstrated the potential he possesses as an MVP-caliber player.

In the win, Anderson recorded five tackles, three tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, four quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and a pass deflection, which resulted in an interception for cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. inside NRG Stadium.

“I think Will obviously holds himself very high and his expectations high — I think — we’ve obviously watched all the tape — there’s room for Will to improve,” defensive coordinator Matt Burke said.

“He’s obviously had a great season and I like what he brings to the team and what he means to us, but there’s definitely some things he can improve on. I think there were times last year where Will was just throwing fastballs and being Will, and I think his understanding of defense and some of the things we just talked about with protections and those things is growing as I have conversations with him. So I’m excited to see where he goes, for sure.”

READ MORE: Texans quarterback CJ Stroud not nominated for 2024 ESPY

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Follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24.

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