Where Does Houston Texans' Will Anderson Jr. Rank Among PFF's Top Rookies?

Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. has impressed early in his rookie season.

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio and coach DeMeco Ryans pushed the chips to the center of the table by trading up to No. 3 overall in April's NFL draft for the opportunity to take former Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. 

Thus far, Anderson has been the 13th overall ranked rookie through the first month of the 2023 season, according to Pro Football Focus. 

"While Anderson may not be racking up the sacks, he has been making his presence felt on the edge, producing a 21% pass-rush win rate in three of his four games," PFF wrote. "A single poor showing may hold down his overall win rate, but he still ranks in the top 25 among all pass-rushers in that metric." 

Houston Texans pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. has had a nice start to his NFL career.  / USA Today

In his first four NFL games, Anderson has 15 combined tackles, five quarterback hits and a sack. Among defensive rookies, Anderson's 76.7 grade is seventh. Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter is the top-ranked defensive rookie, with his 92.2 PFF grade trailing only Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane among first-year players. 

Obviously, the hope for the Texans would be that Anderson climbs higher on this list as the year goes on, something that would require even more consistent pass rush wins and, ideally, sacks of the opposing quarterback. 

It's also worth pointing out that while valuable, grading systems like this don't consider intangibles, and given that Anderson has already been named a team captain, he's likely had quite the impact on changing the culture in Houston. 

The reality here, though, is that Anderson wasn't just taken with the No. 3 overall pick, as the Texans traded a 2023 first-round pick and their 2024 selection in the top round for the right to draft him. 

The Texans have had a surprising 2-2 start, so the Arizona Cardinals are currently slated to have the No. 13 overall pick via their trade with the Texans. But there's a good chance that the pick will eventually be a top-10 -- if not top-five -- selection. And to justify giving up that type of haul, Anderson will have to become a cornerstone player in Houston.