Will Anderson Jr.’s first year lived up to the lofty expectations cast upon him by his No. 3 overall draft selection, as the Houston Texans defensive end earned a Pro Bowl nod and the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award for the 2023 season.
But while that debut was a performance that most could be satisfied by, Anderson is not sitting back and resting on his laurels.
Anderson, speaking Friday with NFL.com, said even just a few months removed from his rookie year he already sees things on his tape that he can improve on, joking that he cringes when looking at some of his early play.
“Yes, going back, I’m like, ‘Bro, what are you doing?! Why were you doing that, like what were you thinking?’ I’m like, bro, I can’t watch this anymore,” he said. “But really just working my pass rush, man, keeping half-a-man (drills), working the edge, working on getting extension at the top of my rush and just finishing on the quarterback with precision. Those are the top things I’ve really been working on and focusing on this offseason.”
With a tangible target in mind of double-digit sacks in 2024, and an overall goal of continuing to grow as a trusted defensive presence, Anderson has put his offseason focus on becoming as strong as possible for the upcoming season, both in body and technique.
As part of this work, Anderson reached out to veterans at his position, including Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. Having worked out with Garrett earlier this year, Anderson said the reigning Defensive Player of the Year taught him strategies to maximize his power, as well as some of the more subtle aspects of perfecting their position.
“I just learned how to take care of my body, what workouts to do to get towards my position, and also small things like moves to do,” Anderson said. “But I just got to see the way he works, how relentless he is, how he attacks workouts, everything like that.”
In addition, Anderson has also had the opportunity to work alongside his new teammate Danielle Hunter, who came over to Houston this offseason after earning four Pro Bowl selections in eight years in Minnesota.
While the Texans added a number of veteran defensive linemen this offseason, Hunter specifically has been someone Anderson was eager to learn from and work with, noting that he was “jumping up and down” in excitement at the news of Hunter’s signing.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans said earlier this week that even with only a few weeks of workouts, he can see an instant “connection” between the edge rushers, and Anderson reiterated the sentiment, adding that his hope is the pairing can lead a dangerous pass-rush unit in 2024.
“Coach actually showed a clip of me and Danielle meeting at the quarterback and we were hugging after the play, running down the field,” Anderson said. "And that’s what I envision, that’s the vision that everybody in the room is envisioning, everybody just meeting at the quarterback, and who’s going to be the first one to get there. All of us just playing, having one heartbeat.
“Nobody is selfish in that room, we’re going to go out there and do our jobs. So that’s just what I envision, is just we’re all back there eating, everybody just causing havoc.”
While Anderson is taking advantage of his available resources to prepare for the upcoming season, he’s also been taking time off the field to teach others how to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season.
Anderson has teamed up with USAA -- official Salute to Service partner of the NFL -- and the Harris County Office of Emergency Management to raise awareness on hurricane preparation, especially in the Houston area.
“June marks the beginning of hurricane season, and Texas ranks top 10 in most hurricane-prone states. So we just want to raise awareness in the community to prepare and plan and recover from hurricanes,” Anderson said. “Get insurance, make sure you have great insurance, make sure you have first-aid kits on you, flashlights on you. Always be prepared, the weather can take a turn at any time in Houston, like it did this week. And then just don’t leave your animals behind either. Make sure you have a great plan for them as well. So those are just some of the things you can do to be a step ahead.”