Will Anderson Jr. was always expected to be the foundational piece of DeMeco Ryans’ defense when the Houston Texans traded up nine spots in the 2023 NFL Draft to select him third overall.
Some would argue the former Alabama edge rusher was destined to be this era’s J.J. Watt down off NRG Drvie, though even that’s a high compliment for someone just transitioning to the next level.
Will Anderson Jr.'s second sack of the game.
A little stutter step, bull rush combo. I dig. pic.twitter.com/yqqWKyLfhR
— Jeremy Branham (@JeremyBranham) October 15, 2024
On Sunday, Anderson might have taken a step toward being the official heir of the three-time Defensive Player of the Year and a favorite to win the award himself this fall.
Anderson picked up three sacks against New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye in the Texans’ 41-21 victory at Gillette Stadium, a first for the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year.
“Proud of Will, massive game for him to be able to get off the quarterback the way he did,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Three sacks, also forced an interception there by [Eric] Murray. Just a really, really productive day by him and he stayed out there. Loved his energy, right? From start to finish. He came out.”
If you’re going to try to prove Will Anderson Jr didn’t deserve DROTY
PLEASE don’t just ignore that he is one of the best run defenders at the edge position in the whole NFL while also being one of the most doubled edges in the NFL.
He also had 17 more pressures than any… pic.twitter.com/diFpb81orD
— Jacob (@Stroud4MVP) February 10, 2024
On top of three sacks, Anderson also added a tackle for loss against running back Antonio Gibson in the second quarter. Murray’s interception was caused by a batted pass at the line scrimmage after Anderson won his one-on-one battle against New England’s offensive line.
With his performance, Anderson joined Watt as the only player in franchise history to record three sacks, four tackles for loss and a pass deflection in a game. Watt hit the marker twice during his 10-year career with the Texans after being drafted out of Wisconsin in 2011.
Will Anderson Jr today.
8 total tackles
4 tackles for a loss
3 sacks
1 pass defended that caused an INT pic.twitter.com/zgRNFJdhoX— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) October 13, 2024
While he doesn’t rank among the top three, Anderson’s 5.5 sacks are tied for fifth-most entering Week 7, alongside Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby. His nine tackles for loss currently lead the NFL, as does his 28 QB hits.
Watt, who finished with a franchise-leading 101 career sacks, won Defensive Player of the Year in his second season after totaling 20.5 QB takedowns. Anderson needs 15 more to surpass the total and performances like Sunday could help him reach the goal.
‘The Texans travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers this Sunday at noon CT.