Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. has been a wrecking machine through the first eight games of the season. He leads the league in sacks with 9.5, has 17 quarterback hits, putting him on track to have a career-high this season and has 12 tackles for loss.
Last year, Anderson was the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year after recording career-highs in sacks (12), tackles for loss (20) and quarterback hits (23). But with how well he has performed this season, ESPN predicts Anderson will win DPOY this year. If he were to be the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, it would be the first time a Texans player has won that award since future Hall-of-Famer J.J. Watt back in 2015.
Here is what ESPN had to say about why Anderson will
win DPOY this year:
“He's the best pass rusher in football at the moment, and though there are so many talented players around the NFL, I think a majority of people who watch the league closely each week would choose Anderson without needing to give it much thought.
Anderson leads the league with 9.5 sacks in eight games. He has 17 hits and 12 tackles for loss. He's also fourth in quick pressures despite being chipped or double-teamed more often than the three other players ahead of him on that list. Anderson leads the league with 11 sacks created for himself or his teammates, three full sacks ahead of anyone else. And just for fun, as if all of this weren't enough, Anderson also ranks in the top 10 in run-stop win rate on the edge.
Anderson, who will play today after appearing on the injury report with an ankle strain, will take on the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Stadium at Noon on FOX.
Of course, Anderson looks just as devastating and unblockable on the tape. The Texans have lined Anderson up on the interior more often this season, with devastating results. At 243 pounds, he shouldn't be able to bully offensive linemen, but he routinely just drives them backward for pressure or runs through double-teams as if they are high school linemen. And he still has the speed and athleticism around the edge to be completely unblockable in key moments. He might be the best player in the league at any position.”
In addition, ESPN also lists Anderson on their first-team All-Pro team. He was also an All-Pro last season and has been named to the Pro Bowl twice, in his rookie year in 2023 and last season. However, Anderson was not the only Texans player listed on their All-Pro team.
ESPN also listed kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn as a first-team All-Pro. Fairbairn was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October and has only missed one of his 19 field goal attempts this season. However, that miss actually was blocked, so it is not actually a reflection on Fairbairn. He has also made all 21 of his extra point attempts through the first eight games.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: ESPN lists Houston Texans DE Will Anderson Jr as favorite for DPOY
