Houston Texans defensive lineman Jerry Hughes has been in the NFL for 13 days. Rookie linebacker Will Anderson has been in the NFL 13 weeks. But his veteran teammate Hughes is enthralled.
"[Anderson is] just a smart, tough, physical guy," Hughes said, per ESPN Houston. "And I mean that’s something that you really love to see early on where you kind of got to pull him back versus encouraging him to kind of be aggressive, trying to get him to use different techniques."
Anderson has picked up praise from coaches and teammates all off-season since being drafted third overall in the 2023 draft out of Alabama. And he's already doing the little things right.
"I mean he’s here early getting in with all the coaches, and that’s just what you want to see from just a young player, someone who’s just eager to learn and is just doing all the right things early on," Hughes continued.
While at Alabama, the 6-foot-4 monster totaled 204 tackles, 58.5 tackles for loss, 34.5 sacks and an interception. He finished fifth in Heisman voting in 2021 after tallying 17.5 sacks in one season.
Anderson is a day-one difference maker for the Texans, and the rookie tandem of Anderson and quarterback C.J. Stroud has become the future of the franchise.
This is the case, at least, if you ask Hughes, a veteran who's played linebacker, defensive end and everything in between. When a guy with 67 career sacks in the NFL is giving you this kind of high praise, chalk it up as a good thing.
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