Will Anderson was a bonafide stud at Alabama, and if the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans didn’t have clear needs at quarterback, he likely would’ve been the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
Instead, Houston was able to secure his talent with the third-overall selection, and to hear coaches and teammates tell it at the Texans’ organized team activities press conferences, Anderson is making a great first impression.
Coach DeMeco Ryans went out of his way to praise the rookie edge rusher in comments made on Tuesday, telling reporters that he sees dominant traits in Anderson.
“It’s not just defense; it’s every position for us,” Ryans said. “I’m looking for guys who want to compete, guys who want to help us win. Defensive line, we want guys who are explosive, guys who are physical, guys who can set the edge, guys who can get after the quarterback. That’s what we’re looking for. Either side, it doesn’t matter which side you play on, that’s what we’re looking for out of all of our defensive ends.”
Second-year safety Jalen Pitre chimed in on Anderson’s drive to the effect that Ryans described, making it clear that Houston’s newest defensive star has a motor that should serve the Texans well next season.
“Yeah, [he is] another guy that plays with his hair on fire, a guy that is excited about the game of football and loves to do what he [does],” Pitre said of Anderson. “He made a play in OTAs today, and he had a celebration. So it’s a guy that’s used to just making plays. I love to be around that type of energy.”
While fans will have to wait for training camp to see Anderson put on a show in person, the descriptions of his talent from Ryans and Pitre serve to foreshadow great things to come from the young pass rusher.
Watch for his star to continue rising through the rest of the offseason and for the hype around his ability to gain some serious traction once the Texans face opponents in the preseason this summer.
