Welcome to the NFL young beginner! After being important players in their universities, rookies must once again earn their places in the pros. Who are they and what hopes do they raise? Come and discover these new gems. Will Anderson has had a successful start to his rookie season in line with his success with Alabama.
William Anderson Jr.
Born September 2, 2001 in Hampton, Georgia
1m93 for 110 kilos
Edge, Houston Texans
Coach DeMeco Ryans took care of the 49ers defense and he based his work on the talent of Nick Bosa: he knows the importance of having a player dominating opposing offensive tackles. Will Anderson is yet another good pick for Houston in the 2023 draft, along with quarterback CJ Stroud and receiver Tank Dell.
If I were a project: be the defensive leader of the franchise
After choosing their offensive leader (CJ Stroud) with the 2nd pick of the 2023 draft, the Texans continued by recruiting their defensive counterpart. By giving a 2023 2nd round (pick 33) and a 2024 1st round to the Cardinals, Houston obtains the 3rd 2023 pick and selects Will Anderson (34.30 minutes on this live).
Because he was also trained at Alabama, DeMeco Ryans had received from his contacts all the information on the player and also on the man. The Houston coach told Sports Illustrated that he then fell “in love” with Will Anderson when he came to Houston: each franchise can bring 30 college players to their premises before the draft.
“He is passionate about this sport and he has a lot of energy. His thirst for learning is limitless, which is every coach's dream. »
A player of his caliber under a rookie contract is an asset in the reconstruction of the Texans. Now 3rd in the hierarchy of Edge, Jerry Hughes is 35 years old and this season is undoubtedly his last in the NFL. Jonathan Greenard is having the best of his four NFL seasons in 2023, but he is also playing on his last year of contract.
Having Will Anderson is the assurance that the pass rush of the Texans has a leader for the seasons to come.
If I was a starter in the NFL: no mistake on the merchandise
According to the ESPN website, Will Anderson signs an impressive 25% in pass rush win rate after 14 weeks of competition. With this result, he ranks 3rd in the NFL, only behind Micah Parsons (37%) and Myles Garrett (30%)!
By putting opposing quarterbacks under pressure, he forces them to play very quickly and therefore potentially make mistakes. Houston bases its success on this battle of turnovers with a margin of +8 between recovered balls and lost balls (4th in NFL).
Even if he is mainly a quarterback hunter, Will Anderson is also effective against the run and the Texans are the 2nd NFL defense in yards conceded per rush!
The investment is very important with a contract of 38 million dollars for the 3rd choice of the 2023 draft: Will Anderson justifies each hundred.
If Will Anderson was a quality: little prince of lifting a fork
Will Anderson moves with speed and agility around offensive tackles (see video analysis at the end of the article). In terms of foot movements, Will Anderson is at the top but to beat opponents, a pass rusher must also know how to use his hands. His signature move is Fork lift.
When the defender is contacted by his opponent's hand, he grabs his opponent's wrist and lifts his arm. Thus freed from this marking, the defender takes the opportunity to overflow to the side where he removed the hand of the offensive lineman.
Will Anderson is already an expert in this very effective technique, he now needs to enrich his range.
If Will Anderson was a fault: tending to rush
Explosive from the start and fast on the following supports, Will Anderson is a threat arriving at full speed. But this propensity to sprint towards opponents sometimes works against him.
Arriving very quickly in his defensive zone, he is not always positioned at the right angle of attack: a meter too far to the left (or right) does not allow him to secure his tackle. Consequently, Will Anderson could only do better than 19% of missed tackles in the NCAA!
Who better than a defensive expert like his coach DeMeco Ryans (991 tackles in the NFL) to help him progress in this area? The rookie learns quickly and after 12 NFL games, his missed tackle percentage was only 9%.
If I were a course: it should not be ignored
Born south of Atlanta, Will Anderson grew up a fan of the University of Georgia football team. The Bulldogs, however, passed on this player!
His level was not in question but the previous year, the number 1 university in the state had stocked up at his position with Nolan Smith (Eagles) and Travon Walker (Jaguars). In 2020, Georgia therefore focused its recruiting efforts on interior player Jalen Carter (Eagles).
Will Anderson then signed with the rivals of Alabama and in his freshman season, he rewarded the Crimson Tide with 10 tackles for losses including 7 sacks. The following season, he splashed the country with his talent: 31 tackles for losses including 17.5 sacks!
If I were an NFL player: Von Miller (Bills)
Also a top 3 pick (2nd pick in 2011), Von Miller is a model for Will Anderson. More than 130 career sacks for Von Miller (playoffs included)!
Will Anderson offers a similar profile, both from the point of view of the respective sizes and through a game full of speed to overwhelm the linemen and put the quarterbacks under pressure.
In the movie Matrix, Neo Anderson is the chosen one. In the NFL, his namesake could also become one.
