The Houston Texans traded up to select Will Anderson Jr. third overall in the 2023 draft, and the bill came due for how much of a difference-maker he has been since.
The Texans signed Anderson to a record-breaking three-year, $150 million contract extension during the 2026 offseason, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history in terms of average salary.
With that comes even greater expectations, but Anderson is capable of living up to them.
Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. Lands on Top 25 List
GettyWill Anderson Jr. is a driving force for the Houston Texans.
Anderson landed a spot on CBS Sports’ list of the top 25 players who are 25 and under, finishing sixth, the highest of any defender. The only other defensive player in the top 10 was Seattle Seahawks star cornerback and Super Bowl champion Devon Witherspoon, who ranked 10th.
Sullivan asserted that Anderson was “a key reason” for the Texans’ dominance in 2025.
“The Texans allowed a franchise-low 17.4 points per game and finished with the NFL’s No. 1 total defense (277.2 yards allowed per game) in 2025,” Sullivan wrote on July 7.
“The pass rusher posted the league’s highest pressure rate (21%) last season. His 50 pressures on third down in 2025 were the most ever recorded in a single season. Anderson also set career highs in sacks (12), tackles for loss (20) and quarterback hits (23), which helped him land a three-year, $150 million extension this offseason. That made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.”
The Ringer’s Diante Lee quoted a clip of Anderson’s highlights on X on July 6, saying, “Every few months I relent and say ‘okay everyone else is right, Myles Garrett is the best in the world,’” adding, “Then I watch Anderson again and… yeah.”
Danielle Hunter a Fitting Bookend for Will Anderson Jr.
GettyDanielle Hunter continues to be a menace to opposing quarterbacks.
As good as Anderson is, Danielle Hunter actually led the Texans in sacks in 2025. It was Hunter’s second straight season taking the crown, highlighting how the former Minnesota Vikings star has been a fine addition to a largely home-grown roster for the Texans.
CBS Sports’ Carter Bahns listed Anderson and Hunter among the NFL’s “top dynamic duos.”
“Very rarely will a team roster two of the top five players in the league at one position. One can easily argue that there are five more talented edge rushers than Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, but from a pure production standpoint, they both stood in the most elite tier among last season’s pocket disruptors,” Bahns wrote in June.
“The Houston Texans were a top-two defense in the NFL last year by scoring and yardage, and opposing quarterbacks logged an average passer rating of 76.1 against them, good for the second-lowest mark against any team. Anderson and Hunter were the engines of that machine. They play wonderfully off each other and could be even more dangerous in 2026, as an improved run-stopping unit should help force even more obvious passing situations.”
The Texans have Anderson and Hunter under contract through at least the 2027 season, setting them up to continue their dominance as a duo.
Texans’ ‘Biggest Strength’ has Looming Weakness
GettyThe Houston Texans have depth behind Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., but it is largely unproven.
ESPN’s Mike Clay picked “edge rusher” as the Texans’ “biggest strength” heading into the 2026 season, citing Anderson and Hunter’s presences.
Clay noted that it was a toss-up between edge and cornerback.
“The former gets the nod after generating 46-plus sacks for the third season in a row,” Clay wrote on July 6. “Hunter remains a major force, and his 15 sacks in 2025 and 114.5 since he entered the league in 2015 are both third highest in the NFL in those respective spans.
“Anderson Jr. finished second in the NFL with 62 pass rush wins last season and has 23 sacks in two seasons playing opposite Hunter.”
However, the Texans are also top-heavy.
“If I’m the Texans, I’d be concerned with … backup edge rusher,” the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander wrote on July 1. “After Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, there is little experience on the edge. If any one of those players get hurt, Houston may have a problem on its hands.”
The Texans boast numbers, even if their depth is largely unproven, especially in their system. Veteran newcomers Ali Gaye, Dominique Robinson, and Logan Hall join rookie Sabastian Harsh and incumbents Dylan Horton and Solomon Byrd behind Anderson and Hunter.
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