Texans Trade, Pick of Will Anderson Earns Top Draft Grade

The Houston Texans scored big when they drafted Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr., and SI says it's an "A+" pick ...

The Houston Texans shocked with a blockbuster trade in the first round in the 2023 NFL Draft, trading up nine spots to select Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. with the No. 3 overall pick. 

New head coach DeMeco Ryans gets a giant building block for his defense as the franchise looks to improve their defense that ranked 27th in points allowed. 

The team at Sports Illustrated also gives the selection an exemplary grade. Why SI says it's an "A+" pick:

After trading the 12th pick among others to move up nine spots, the Texans addressed their defense with Anderson. A two-time Nagurski Award winner, Anderson is the draft’s best prospect, having racked up 27.5 sacks over the past two years with the Crimson Tide. First-year head coach DeMeco Ryans got his quarterback in Stroud, and then landed his defensive cornerstone only minutes later. 

The selection came just one pick after the Texans drafted their franchise quarterback in  Ohio State CJ Stroud, No. 2 overall.

Anderson came into the draft as arguably the top-rated prospect and pass rusher. In three seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Anderson recorded 205 tackles and 34.5 sacks in 114 career games.

"It came down to what we felt was best for the football team," general manager Nick Caserio said. "It was an opportunity to get a player we thought very highly of. We knew he wasn't going to last. We felt that adding him to our football team is something we wanted to do."

The draft continues Friday with the second and third rounds beginning at 6 p.m. ET. One of the biggest storylines, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis still remains on the board with the Tennessee Titans as the favorites to land the widely expected to go in the first round.

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