The Houston Texans produced a bold and bountiful 2023 draft class to cap off April.
The bountiful part came in their nine-man class, which matched their total from a season ago, and was the first time since 2013-14 the Texans had back-to-back classes of at least nine players.
The bold part of the Texans’ class came within the first three picks of the draft. Houston picked Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud No. 2 overall, and then managed to pull off a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for the chance to take Alabama defensive end Will Anderson with the very next selection.
According to Eric Edholm from NFL.com, the Texans earned an A-minus overall for their selections. Particularly the Anderson selection was intriguing as it gives new coach DeMeco Ryans a player who can excel in his scheme.
Will Anderson Jr. was dinged a bit for his lack of elite size and occasional penchant for sloppiness (penalties and missed tackles), but at his best, he’s a Khalil Mack-style game-influencer. Anderson can scream off the edge thanks to elite get-off and close fast with a great internal GPS system. He can be a star in the hands of DeMeco Ryans and Matt Burke, able to rush inside and out, drop in coverage and defend the run.
Anderson generated 51 combined tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, an interception, which was returned for a touchdown, and a pass breakup through his final 13 games with the Crimson Tide last season. Houston hasn’t had a playmaker off the edge since J.J. Watt left the team after the 2020 season. If Anderson were to have a fortunate enough season to collect double-digit sacks, it would be the first time since 2018 the Texans had a defender with double-digit sacks. Anderson would also be the first rookie in franchise history to do so.
