After being selected third overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, Houston Texans rookie Will Anderson Jr. is ready for a position change from linebacker to defensive end.
During Houston's rookie minicamp over the weekend, Anderson discussed how his time at Alabama equipped him to tackle any obstacle.
"Yeah, just being at Alabama they kind of prepared us for a little bit of everything, hand in the dirt, you know, playing in two-point stance, so it just kind of made me versatile. I'm very excited," Anderson said Saturday. "However they want to use me, it's just going to be anything I've kind of did at Alabama, so I'm super excited. But just to do anything they need for the team."
With Anderson set to play defensive end with his hand on the ground in Houston, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans is confident the highly touted rookie defender will adjust.
"It's not a huge position change for Will," Ryans said Friday. "Will will be an edge defender for us, and that's what he did at Alabama. Mostly at Alabama he was standing up; we'll have him down in a three-point stance. It's not a big-time position change for him. We won't have him playing over the guard like he did some there later in his career, so it's not a huge position change for Will."
At 6-foot-3, Anderson generated 34.5 sacks in 41 games for the Crimson Tide. He also won two straight SEC Defensive Player of the Year awards.
The Texans hope Anderson can make a similar impact immediately after the team ranked last in rushing defense in 2022. Anderson is confident that he and Ryans are on the same page as they prepare for the 2023 season.
"God blessed me and I was fortunate enough to be in this program to share that with a coach who has the same mentality as me, the same grind, grit, and relentless mindset," he said. "So it's going to be easy for me grasp what he's saying, what he's trying to get across to the team. Like I said, I'm just super excited to be part of this. It's a big blessing and opportunity."
