When the Houston Texans selected C.J. Stroud with the 2nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, it was rightfully viewed as a franchise-altering pick. But because Stroud plays the game’s most important position, and because he was so good so soon, it cast a shadow on the immediate impact that the 3rd overall pick in the very same Draft, Will Anderson, was making on Houston’s defense.
Don’t expect Will Anderson to remain in that shadow much longer. The former Alabama Crimson Tide star — who won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 and already has a Pro Bowl to his name — is ready to ascend, dominate, and emerge from the 2025 NFL season as a household name. And fortunately, he’s playing for a head coach in DeMeco Ryans who knows he has another level he can reach.
“I came out here all fired up and everything. DeMeco pulled me to the side and was like, ‘Now, it is about fine tuning those little things in your game. How precise can you be? How good can you be at taking the next step up?’” Anderson told Aaron Wilson of KRPC 2 Houston.
So what does the next step up for Will Anderson look like?
“Just being more detailed, more focused, a sense of urgency. Now that we have been in some of these big games, we know what it takes to be there,” Anderson continued. “It is about execution, it is about locking in, playing one game at a time, and everybody doing their job at the highest level possible.”
Will Anderson Worked With Myles Garrett During Offseason
If any defensive end currently in the NFL knows all about taking his game up a level, it’s Cleveland Browns mainstay Myles Garrett. Garrett, like Anderson, arrived in the NFL with high expectations, not only to turn into a star right away, but to transfer a Browns defense that had been lacking consistency and identity before he arrived.
Since a so-so rookie season in 2017, Garrett has continued to level up, going seven consecutive seasons with double-digit sacks, making six All-Pro appearances, and winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2023.
So what did Anderson learn from the future Hall of Famer?
“It really all came down to mentality. I had a good mentality, but working out with Myles and just seeing how he works and stuff like that it kind of changed my mindset a little bit,” Anderson said. “It is really just me versus me. That is the attitude I am taking on, it is me versus me. You don’t have to worry about anything anybody else says. How are you enjoying your process?”
Entire Texans Defense on Breakout Watch
Will Anderson isn’t the only member of the Houston Texans defense who has his sights set on making a leap in 2025. And while Anderson’s goal of reaching double digit sacks for the second season does seem attainable, a recently voiced goal of Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is significantly loftier and more difficult to imagine.
“Going based off of last year, plus the guys we got now, we should lead in interceptions probably by at least about 10 to 15,” Stingley told ESPN. “I mean, we know we can get the ball. We just got to keep going to get the ball.”
Houston finished second in the NFL in interceptions in 2024, picking off 19 passes, with Stingley and rookie Calen Bullock leading the way with five interceptions apiece. For context, dating back to 2010, only one team, the 2011 Green Bay Packers, have led the league in interceptions by 8 picks or more.
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