Texans 'Head-Scratcher'? Kiper Slow to Praise Will Anderson Jr. Trade

Amidst the praise surrounding Houston's first-round picks, ESPN's Mel Kiper questioned whether moving up for Will Anderson Jr. was worth it.

When the Houston Texans walked away from the first round of the draft with both C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr., several analysts lauded their aggressiveness in securing both their franchise quarterback and a premier pass rusher. 

However, while the Texans were considered by many to be a first-round "winner" ESPN's Mel Kiper was not as complimentary of their picks. Namely, their trade up from No. 12 to with the Arizona Cardinals No. 3 to land Anderson which he called a "head-scratcher" for Houston.

"In a vacuum, I love the prospects they added," Kiper wrote. "Yes, Stroud is my third-ranked passer, but I had him at No. 5 overall on my Big Board -- he was just behind Will Levis in my position rankings. Anderson had outstanding sack production in college and could rack up 10 sacks per season." 

"The reason I wrote "in a vacuum" there is because of the haul Houston had to send to move up. This is a roster that needs a ton of help, so are we sure that 2024 first-rounder won't end up in the top five again?"

Kiper does raise a valid point in terms of what Houston gave up to move up for Anderson. They traded pick No. 12, No. 33, first- and third-rounders in 2024 to for the Alabama prospect and pick No. 105 in this year's draft. For a rebuilding team that is a haul that could give some pause. 

"That's why I'm putting Houston in the head-scratching category, even though I'm hedging a little bit," Kiper wrote. "I like the players, but I don't love the trade for a team that is still rebuilding."

That being said, if Stroud and Anderson pan out like the Texans think they will then this all becomes a moot point. The haul given up to add a potential game-changing pass rusher to a defense in sore need of help will be worth it if he revitalizes the Texans defense. 

There will undoubtedly be plenty of draft grades given out surrounding the Texans' first-round moves, especially Anderson. At the end of the day, though, the Texans went out and got their guys, players they believe can turn them into contenders in the near future. 

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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