Texans Edge Will Anderson Jr. Earns Pro Bowl Nod

Houston Texans rookie defensive end Will Anderson Jr. is headed to his first Pro Bowl.

Will Anderson Jr. is headed to the Pro Bowl.

The Houston Texans rookie defensive end was named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster in place of Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro Maxx Crosby. Anderson was recently named the PFWA's Defensive Rookie of the Year. 

Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Drafted No. 3 overall out of Alabama, Anderson finished his rookie season with 13 starts, totaling 45 tackles including 10 tackles for loss, 67 pressures, seven sacks, one pass defensed, and one blocked field goal. Anderson’s seven sacks this season set a new rookie franchise record for most sacks in a single season and his 67 pressures paced all rookies in the NFL this year. 

Anderson's best performance of the season was in the Week 13 win against Denver, in which he racked up five tackles (three solo), two sacks, four quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, and one pass defended. The rookie edge rusher also put up stellar numbers against the Tennesee Titans in Week 17, totaling two sacks, three quarterback hits, and four pressures on a limited snap count. 

Anderson was also disruptive on special teams all throughout the season, but specifically in Week 3 at Jacksonville when he blocked a field goal, becoming the first Texans rookie to block a field goal since J.J. Watt in 2011. Anderson also had a pair of sacks in Week 17 against Tennessee and a six-tackle game in Week 5 at Atlanta.

"He deserves it," Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said of Anderson potentially winning Defensive Rookie of the Year. "Look at how it looked the previous years here, and you can see what the difference of him being there on the field. Just check the tape. Often times when he might not always make the play, he's one of the reasons why. He's going to set the edge, he's going to take on a double-team, he's going to make somebody miss, to set somebody else up free, so it's not always in the stats. He's really affecting the game in a lot of ways by just being a great player."

The Texans will now have two representatives on the AFC roster. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil was named a starter in the initial wave last month after being a staple for Stroud in pass protection. 

C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. Sweep Rookies of the Year? One Outlet Thinks So

Anderson is the first Texans defensive player to make the Pro Bowl since J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Benardrick McKinney were selected in 2018. Additionally, Anderson is the third rookie in franchise history to appear in the Pro Bowl, joining Jerome Mathis (2005) and Brian Cushing (2009).

The Texans finished the season with an 11-8 overall record and claimed their first AFC South division title since 2019.