At long last, week one in the NFL is upon us. Hype is high, and every team believes they have a chance to reach the top of the mountain. For the Houston Texans, that conversation starts with the defense, and one player in particular: Will Anderson Jr.
Anderson won the award for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, and he has only gotten better since. He tallied seven sacks as a rookie, and he improved to 11 in 2024 and 12 last season. Anderson also tallied career-highs in tackles (54), forced fumbles (3) and fumble recoveries (2).
As we approach 2026, NFL executives and scouts have named Anderson as the most likely to win the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Will Anderson Jr could be a major problem for NFL offenses this season
One ESPN writer recently predicted Anderson to finish third in the league in sacks. However, league executives seem to have a different perspective.
"Anderson can become the fifth edge rusher in the past six years to win this award. Fending off reigning champ Myles Garrett won't be easy, but voters in such exercises often like to predict ascending young players breaking the mold.
Anderson is 25, squarely in his prime, and has improved his sack total in each of his first three seasons, from seven to 11 to 12. Houston has a realistic chance to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl thanks to a vaunted defense led by Anderson.
'He can have the type of 15-sack season that will define him, especially with Danielle Hunter on the other side," an NFL personnel evaluator said. "You can't double both. He can be the leader of that defense, which is just nasty.' "
The Texans begin their 2026 campaign against the Buffalo Bills and former MVP quarterback Josh Allen. For Anderson, it could be a matchup he looks forward to, as he grabbed a season-high 2.5 sacks against the Bills last season.
As long as Anderson is lined up against Bills OT Spencer Brown, he will have his ears pinned back. According to NextGen Stats, Anderson created pressure on nearly half (41.7%) of his matchups with Brown last season, which marked the third-highest single-game pressure rate against a pass blocker in his career.
A multi-sack game against one of the leagues best teams would be a strong start to a DPOY-caliber season. Anderson will look to join legend J.J. Watt (2012, 2014 & 2015) as the only Texans player to take home the award. Over the past 25 years, just five players have won the award at age 25 or younger: Luke Kuechly (22; 2013), Watt (23; 2012 and 25; 2014), Khalil Mack (25; 2016), Nick Bosa (25; 2022) and Pat Surtain II (24; 2024).
From a team perspective, the Texans and Bills could eventually see each other in the playoffs as well, so both will look to establish their spot atop the AFC.
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