Texans Will Anderson Jr. Named NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year Finalist
Will Anderson Jr. is up for more hardware after a breakout first year with the Houston Texans.
The NFL announced Thursday that Anderson was named a finalist of The Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, joining Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, Seattle Seahawks defensive back Devon Witherspoon, Detriot Lions defensive back Brian Branch, and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner.
Fellow teammate C.J. Stroud was named a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year. First-year coach DeMeco Ryans was named a finalist for Coach of the Year, while offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was named a finalist for Assistant Coach of the Year.
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Finalists were determined through The AP's revamped voting system, which asks voters to rank their top five picks for MVP and top three for other awards. The top five move on to the final round, where the winners will be announced at the 13th annual NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 8, 2024.
Anderson, who helped Houston win its first AFC South title in four seasons, was recently named the PFWA's Defensive Rookie of the Year. Stroud, who became the fifth rookie passer in league history to throw for 4,000-plus yards in their first season, was named the PFWA's Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Drafted No. 3 overall out of Alabama, Anderson finished his rookie season with 45 tackles including 10 tackles for loss, 67 pressures, seven sacks, one pass defensed, and one blocked field goal in 13 starts. Anderson’s seven sacks this season set a new rookie franchise record for most sacks in a single season.
His 67 pressures led all rookies in the NFL this year.
"He deserves it," Stroud said of Anderson potentially winning Defensive Rookie of the Year Monday. "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."
Anderson's best performance of the season was in the Week 13 win against the Denver Broncos, where 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.
Earlier this week, Anderson was named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster in place of Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby, becoming the first Texans rookie to be named to the roster since Brian Cushing in 2009. Anderson is also the first Texans defensive player to make the Pro Bowl since J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Benardrick McKinney were selected in 2018.
The Texans finished the season with a 10-7 record and will select 23rd in the 2024 NFL Draft.
