Round 1, Pick 3: DE/OLB Will Anderson

[PAtexansFAN_99]

I'm with Texans02, Anderson better be insane. If Nolan Smith turns out to be better and we could've taken him at 12 then just kept our next year first and 33 plus some, that's gonna look rul bad. He has to be so good to justify the trade.

[lumberjackchris]

1 hour ago, PAtexansFAN_99 said:

I'm with Texans02, Anderson better be insane. If Nolan Smith turns out to be better and we could've taken him at 12 then just kept our next year first and 33 plus some, that's gonna look rul bad. He has to be so good to justify the trade.

Love Lance Zierleins comp of Demarcus Ware. His 2021 tape is just unreal. 

[ET80]

23 hours ago, PAtexansFAN_99 said:

I'm with Texans02, Anderson better be insane. If Nolan Smith turns out to be better and we could've taken him at 12 then just kept our next year first and 33 plus some, that's gonna look rul bad. He has to be so good to justify the trade.

As someone who watched a lot of Anderson and Smith - I can comfortably say you shouldn’t be worried. Nolan Smith is a Toyota Camry, Will Anderson is a Porsche 911 GT3. Nothing is wrong with the Camry, it’s actually a very good and reliable vehicle. The 911 GT3 is an engineering marvel, one of the most stunning vehicles on the planet.

I do think it’s fair to say he’s the best defensive player to declare since Chase Young in 2020. He’s got the production, pedigree size, speed, work ethic and temperament to be a transformative presence. People have went as far to say that he’s the best player Nick Saban has ever coached. (Let that sink in a bit). Saban absolutely loved him as well:

This organization NEEDS that. Price be damned. I understand trepidation, but no pick at 12 or 33 is going to give you this sort of tone setting leadership - and I doubt anyone in 2024 will, either.

[UKTexans]

On 4/29/2023 at 11:16 PM, ET80 said:

As someone who watched a lot of Anderson and Smith - I can comfortably say you shouldn’t be worried. Nolan Smith is a Toyota Camry, Will Anderson is a Porsche 911 GT3. Nothing is wrong with the Camry, it’s actually a very good and reliable vehicle. The 911 GT3 is an engineering marvel, one of the most stunning vehicles on the planet.

I do think it’s fair to say he’s the best defensive player to declare since Chase Young in 2020. He’s got the production, pedigree size, speed, work ethic and temperament to be a transformative presence. People have went as far to say that he’s the best player Nick Saban has ever coached. (Let that sink in a bit). Saban absolutely loved him as well:

This organization NEEDS that. Price be damned. I understand trepidation, but no pick at 12 or 33 is going to give you this sort of tone setting leadership - and I doubt anyone in 2024 will, either.

This makes me feel a lot better about the trade. 

[Texans02]

Don't take my stance as a big stand against the bold move for WAJ. I'm just pushing a level of expectation.

You can't get taken at 1.3, which was acquired with a lop-sided trade, and become Whitney Mercilus. Not even Jadeveon Clownshoe. We need him to be a Demarcus Ware, Von Miller, JJ Watt, Khalil Mack kind of player. A guy who really sets a standard on defense.

Honestly, the same goes for Stroud. If he becomes a top 10 (maybe top 12) starter, it's a win. Anything less is getting dicey. We need him to be an above average starting QB when extension time rolls around, so we're confident in paying him big and building around him long-term.

I hope they both make us completely forget about "draft capital" because they end up being top of the league guys.

 

Edited May 2, 2023 by Texans02

[Pastor Dillon]

8 hours ago, Texans02 said:

Don't take my stance as a big stand against the bold move for WAJ. I'm just pushing a level of expectation.

You can't get taken at 1.3, which was acquired with a lop-sided trade, and become Whitney Mercilus. Not even Jadeveon Clownshoe. We need him to be a Demarcus Ware, Von Miller, JJ Watt, Khalil Mack kind of player. A guy who really sets a standard on defense.

Honestly, the same goes for Stroud. If he becomes a top 10 (maybe top 12) starter, it's a win. Anything less is getting dicey. We need him to be an above average starting QB when extension time rolls around, so we're confident in paying him big and building around him long-term.

I hope they both make us completely forget about "draft capital" because they end up being top of the league guys.

 

I’ve been a big Stroud guy but if Levis turns out better we will always remember what we gave up to get Anderson when we could have taken him 2nd and drafted Levi’s in the 2nd

[UKTexans]

10 hours ago, Texans02 said:

Don't take my stance as a big stand against the bold move for WAJ. I'm just pushing a level of expectation.

You can't get taken at 1.3, which was acquired with a lop-sided trade, and become Whitney Mercilus. Not even Jadeveon Clownshoe. We need him to be a Demarcus Ware, Von Miller, JJ Watt, Khalil Mack kind of player. A guy who really sets a standard on defense.

Honestly, the same goes for Stroud. If he becomes a top 10 (maybe top 12) starter, it's a win. Anything less is getting dicey. We need him to be an above average starting QB when extension time rolls around, so we're confident in paying him big and building around him long-term.

I hope they both make us completely forget about "draft capital" because they end up being top of the league guys.

 

100% agreed.

Although if neither pan out it's fair to say NC will be gone.

This draft is the definition of boom or bust.

[ET80]

On 5/2/2023 at 5:00 PM, Texans02 said:

You can't get taken at 1.3, which was acquired with a lop-sided trade, and become Whitney Mercilus. Not even Jadeveon Clownshoe. We need him to be a Demarcus Ware, Von Miller, JJ Watt, Khalil Mack kind of player. A guy who really sets a standard on defense.

I get this - really, I do - and I honestly think Anderson IS that sort of player, a Ware/Miller clone who will turn out big plays routinely and stuff the stat sheet as well as make huge plays in crunch time situations. Allow me to make a bold proclamation: One day in the next 4-5 years, Will Anderson Jr will be the highest paid defensive player in football. That’s the level of player he’ll be. You have pedigreed football people thinking this guy is going to be a monster. When you see these guys bet on a player - follow that bet. When people nickname you “The Terminator” they don’t do so because you’re hitting the ceiling at Whitney Mercilius.

A lot of my dogged confidence in Anderson does come from the presence of DeMeco Ryans, a guy who got a ton of production out of Nick Bosa. Bosa is a great player with several baseline tools that made him unique - but Ryans took him to elite status by putting him into position to succeed. Will Anderson has a lot of those same tools and has the disposition on the field to use them to the maximum of his ability - giving that to Ryans in his Wide 9 front is giving a pyromaniac a match, he’s going to set something on fire.

My belief in Anderson is 75% on him - but there’s a good 25% of that going to Ryans’ ability as a coach. He’s going to be the most out of him. Had this been someone like Lovie Smith, I’d probably be less bullish. I’d be bullish with the Kendall Roy stunt double in Arizona (Jonathan Gannon) but not as bullish as I am with Capt. Meco and The Terminator.

[Texansfan713]

It wasnt too long ago around this time last year people were calling Will Anderson an elite prospect.  What changed a year later?  The fact he had less sacks in 2022 than he did in 2021?  He is going to be a game changer the minute he steps on the field for us.  The trade will be well worth it. 

Edited May 4, 2023 by Texansfan713

[UKTexans]

1 hour ago, Texansfan713 said:

It wasnt too long ago around this time last year people were calling Will Anderson an elite prospect.  What changed a year later?  The fact he had less sacks in 2022 than he did in 2021?  He is going to be a game changer the minute he steps on the field for us.  The trade will be well worth it. 

The draft is hilarious.

12 months out everybody is a stud. Can't miss prospect.

Then after the season, after the combine, after the pro days and interviews suddenly those can't miss prospects are bums and you should really wait till next year's draft which is loaded with can't miss prospects.

[tab]

i dont follow college so i dont know much about Will's playstyle, but watching his post draft interviews, he has some great charismatic energy. I hope they've already had JJ in there talking to him and giving him pointers

[JohnChimpo]

As a Cowboys fan, I’ll say that I’m good with having Texans games on TV after a few years of not watching, and it has a lot to do with Anderson. I think he’s going to be great.

[ET80]

Reminder of what sort of player we got:

This guy… is setting a tone.

This guy… is creating an identity for a franchise that really hasn’t had one since Prime Watt roamed these streets.

This guy… is going to let opposing teams know who the Houston Texans are. 

This guy… isn’t found at 12 + 33.

[ET80]

More from the future Defensive Player of the Year:

Trevor Lawrence needs to worry.