5 Houston Texans to keep an eye on in NFL preseason Week 1
- All eyes will be on C.J. Stroud
- Xazavian Valladay has a chance to prove himself
- Jonathan Greenard is ready to bounce back in 2023
Will Anderson Jr.
On the defensive side of the ball, all eyes should be on Will Anderson Jr., who the Texans traded up to third overall to select the former Alabama Crimson Tide pass rusher. He was considered to be the best defensive player in this year's NFL Draft and so far has done nothing to dissuade that.
Through the start of training camp, Will Anderson Jr. has impressed head coach DeMeco Ryans in terms of how he has practiced, according to Mark Inabinett of AL.com. There is no question that he has the potential to be a cornerstone piece of this defense for years to come.
During his time at Alabama, he was incredibly productive with 27.5 sacks and 48 tackles for a loss in his final two seasons. The question will be how long it might take to replicate some of that production in the NFL and this first preseason game might be a good indication of that.