Just depends on how you feel about those guys.
2023 TEXANS DRAFT DISCUSSION
- Thread starter gwallaia
- Start date
He doesn't look like a freak athlete, but his production is quite freaky.
He made his presence known 4 out of 5 times he rushed the passer.
Did the Texans give up too much for Will Anderson Jr
The Houston Texans made one of the boldest moves in franchise history by trading up for Alabama star edge rusher Will Anderson Jr and there were mixed reviews.
torotimes.com
Especially if you watch his game tapes in 2021, he looked unblockable quite often.
badboy
Hall of Fame
Don't know about NFL yet but his last two years college he was significantly better. I don't care about physical if he gets freaky statistics and WA does, I'm in his corner.
beerlover
Hall of Fame
Already stated the obvious, hands down best prospect in 2023 draft.
Anderson played in all of the available 41 games during his Alabama career, finishing with a 37-4 record. Anderson's Tide won the 2020 College Football Playoff national championship game and the 2020 and 2021 SEC titles.
- 2nd in Alabama career sacks (34.5)
- 2nd in Alabama career tackles for loss (62)
- 2nd in Alabama single-season tackles for loss (34.5, 2021)
- 3rd in Alabama single-season sacks (17.5, 2021)
- Bednarik Award (2022)
- Rotary Lombardi (2022)
- Lott IMPACT Trophy (2022)
- Nagurski Trophy (2021-22)
- Unanimous All-American (2022)
- First-Team All-SEC (2022)
- Unanimous First-Team All-American (2021)
- First-Team All-SEC (2021)
- Shaun Alexander-FWAA Freshman of the Year (2020)
- Freshman All-American by FWAA, 247 Sports and The Athletic (2020)
- SEC All-Freshman Team (2020)
- 2nd-Team All-SEC by AP (2020)
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
If someone still doesn't understand that the cost of getting Anderson was actually the cost of getting Stroud, they don't understand the real situation. Or they don't want to understand.
Those 2 were physical freaks but that really didn’t amount to much. Give me a high motor guy like Cushing, Watt or Ryans, which I think Anderson has. I think Anderson has a much better work ethic than Mario and Clowney.
beerlover
Hall of Fame
We understand and if it’s the natural order because of position, a franchise QB makes even more sense to trade up.
badboy
Hall of Fame
Even better, WA may start a trend of drafting uninjured players
Yep
and their approach was smart because the price didn’t increase as much.
This is the guy I wanted and they took a big gamble.
I’m impressed!
Texansphan
Football connoisseur
Those are the haters and they are not worth the time or the effort.
You can lead a horse to water...
beerlover
Hall of Fame
Anderson is more freaky, you know why? Besides as you mentioned, work ethic and doesn’t take plays off, most amazing stat line is not the sacks or tackles for loss, crazy as they are, it’s his availability. Played in all 41 games even meaningless bowl game for the team. I still remember JJ Watts last game for Wisconsin against Oregon. Remember saying Texans gotta draft this guy, completely unblockable & high motor.
The Pencil Neck
Hall of Fame
I saw one guy (PFF dude, maybe) who totally refused to treat Anderson/Stroud as a package deal and refused to look at it in that light. He was even told that if they pick Anderson at 2, they don't have the opportunity to pick Stroud at 3 OR they have to trade a lot more to get him. And the guy refused to listen to that or really even consider that logic.
TheRealJoker
Hall of Fame
There aren’t many situations better for Anderson to be successful than this one. He’s got the perfect coach to bring out the best in him going into the NFL. And he appears to have the work ethic needed to be a defensive cornerstone player.
He will be the best player on defense day 1. He will wreck games. He will change the culture down on Kirby.
beerlover
Hall of Fame
You nailed it.
And yet people continuously give them both the time and the effort..
The pasture has so many rabbit holes it's hard to walk
cuppacoffee
Resident Grouch
badboy
Hall of Fame
My mind is made up. Do not confuse me with logic or facts!
badboy
Hall of Fame
I like both Will Anderson and JC Stroud's enthusiasm for playing for Houston. I realize that they are happy just to be in the NFL but I think they really are pleased to come to houston . They were excited about playing with each other also. Stroud rooting for Dell; these are things building chemistry.There aren’t many situations better for Anderson to be successful than this one. He’s got the perfect coach to bring out the best in him going into the NFL. And he appears to have the work ethic needed to be a defensive cornerstone player.
He will be the best player on defense day 1. He will wreck games. He will change the culture down on Kirby.
Texansphan
Football connoisseur
Patrick Mahomes - he is the only elite QB among them.
powda
The bridge between stupid and useless is short.
Though fans booed the pick, I really did like the Watt selection at the time. Everything I'd seen and read about him was glowing. Wade was really thinking outside the box on that and he was only able to do it because of Clowney's freakish talent. I was definitely surprised though.
Had Clowney been less gifted, I would've liked the Watt pick a lot less.
Anderson isn't nearly as gifted as Mario or Clowney. Maybe that's why he was available in trade...
Ummm, Watt was drafted 3 years before Clowney
Yeah, Mario was under appreciated here
beerlover
Hall of Fame
Will Anderson is underrated and Mario/Clowney overrated.
powda
The bridge between stupid and useless is short.
I don't agree with this at all.
By whom?
Perhaps we'll see, but that's beside the point.
beerlover
Hall of Fame
Under appreciated really? He had his chance to shine with all the pieces in place, came up lame after 5 games. Texans would have been formable in playoffs. Nagging injuries always keep him from playing an entire season. Texans still willing to pay the man but he wanted out, they could have just franchised him but wanted to do right by him. Whatever.
Anderson's college production is indeed very impressive but it's irrelevant when discussing whether or not he's a physical freak.
powda
The bridge between stupid and useless is short.
Has he (both really) not been chastised by the Texans fan base? Neither of them left overrated by anyone here...
And yet - for context:
After the last few years of putrid dl play, a lot of us would've killed to have them in their prime. I think a lot of us would appreciate them more now.
Fact of the matter is, both were physical freaks who didnt live up to their talent. And you're comparing them to a guy who hasn't taken a snap yet. Time will tell.
Your mention of how Jc left is a nonstarter and not relevant to the rest of your post. It only shows WHY you're biased. ( I hated that trade to.)
Anderson is under 6'4", only weighs 253 lbs, and has a 4.60 40 time according to his WIKI page which is not the measurements & stats of a physical freak edge rusher.
You may not care about those sorts of things which is fine, but it's what my post was about.
Now Anderson may go on to make all of forget about JJs accomplishments here in Houston. I hope he does.
You're only remembering his last year here. His first 4 years he played every game and went to the pro bowl twice. Fifth year he played 13 games. Sixth year is when he only played 5 games. He had 14 sacks in 2007 and 12 in 2008 and was a beast in the run game. And that was with Richard Smith and Frank Bush as DC's. Yeah he was under appreciated
beerlover
Hall of Fame
Your opinion not mine.
badboy
Hall of Fame
beerlover
Hall of Fame
High Effort Premium Edge 110% every down. Stats only reflect part of total package. Football player first, not just a workout warrior to run his forty faster or cut/add weight to fit a position. True he has yet to make his mark, will have to wait and see, I’ve said that multiple times, but he shows more flash, more drive and sustainability than two #1’s.
A long, explosive, rangy edge who can rush inside — or stand up and play linebacker — Anderson is a modern-day defensive weapon who is almost positionless in the front seven. Not unlike Dallas youngster Micah Parsons in so many ways, we haven’t seen everything Anderson can do on a football field yet. The Texans are not messing around. You love to see it. — Baumgardner
That's right Bad Boy non-freaky guys sometimes have great NFL careers including some very prominent edge rushers of our time and here's one of the best examples, and BTW some of you guys get so defensive, so butt hurt because I simply said Anderson wasn't a physical freak, OK, and I hope he turns out to have a great career here while in the NFL.
***ESPN.com
Arizona State defensive end Terrell Suggs took his second crack at improving his 40-yard dash speed and he failed.
Running on an artificial surface Friday, Suggs ran 4.87, 4.9 and 4.93 40s weighing 258 pounds. A month ago, he ran similar times even though he had been training for three months to become faster and prove to teams he has great speed off the corner.
Those who attended the March workout at Arizona State felt that Suggs may have cost himself the fourth pick in the draft by running in the 4.8 and 4.9-second range. The Cardinals, who have been looking for a pass-rusher, appeared to be the most interested team in taking him with the sixth pick, but his poor time may make that less certain.
The workout featured head coaches and front office personnel from the Cardinals, Chiefs and Texans along with other teams.
Suggs set a collegiate record with 24 sacks last season, but most top pass-rushing defensive ends run in the 4.6 to 4.7 range.
John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
Ok fine you are off subject so I'm also gonna digress myself -
Unless Anderson has an incredible career, like I mean JJ-incredible we paid too much for him because IMO the only college player-NFL rookie non-QB who any team paid that much for I can think of who might have been worth that kind of Draft capital was ATL's draft of Julio Jones.
Care to comment ?
I'm thinking Anderson will have a long productive career, like Justin Houston. Is he going to be like Bruce Smith, Watt etc... Doubtful, but he can still have a great career.
Texian
Hall of Fame
I'm thinking Anderson will be a good player but there are other players in this draft who could have better careers. When you factor in what they had to give up getting him it could end up being a disappointment.
badboy
Hall of Fame
Good exchange. Love the discussion. Speaking only for me I am not butt hurt. Hemorrhoids haven't acted up long time.
badboy
Hall of Fame
JJ is the metric for Anderson? How about TJ or Bosa?
beerlover
Hall of Fame
Guess you missed earlier discussion -
Let that little nugget sink in. It’s the packaged combination of franchise QB with franchise edge #2 & #3. With franchise QB (Stroud) off the board, a bigger fish on the line for a franchise QB halted that discussion. Opening window for teams interested in a non QB (Will Anderson) to move up. Texans probably graded Will #1 overall on their board, that would make sense to me & Texans had draft capital nobody else could beat. Texans kept real quiet about their interest in Stroud, which was key to be able to also add Will Anderson, taking competing teams out.
The Rams rookie QB has some SERIOUS arm strength. https://t.co/vUEC25wglC" / Twitter