During his first season, Wright was already prepared to help the defensive lineman with Houston. Still, in April, Christmas came early for him as Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio drafted Will Anderson Jr. with the third overall pick in the draft.
Anderson would become everything the organization thought he would be, and more so during his rookie season. In his first career start against the Baltimore Ravens, he had six total tackles (four solo) and a sack, becoming the first rookie in Texans history to record a sack in Week 1.
Per Next Gen Stats, Anderson’s six quarterback pressures were the most by a rookie in Week 1 since Nick Bosa San Francisco 49ers) and Josh Allen (Jacksonville Jaguars) in 2019.
The former back-to-back Southeastern Conference (SEC) Defensive Player of the Year was a disruptive force and a continuous migraine headache for offensive linemen. He finished the season with seven sacks and ten tackles for loss in 13 starts and was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Even with the accolades and praises placed on him by the media and fans, Anderson still felt like he could have given more, and that is what stood out to Wright.
“We had a conversation, and last year he just felt like he was playing hard and taking coaching, but he really didn’t feel like he was developing his rush,” Wright told reporters after Wednesday’s practice. “He feels like this year, knowing the scheme like he does, he can now focus on what he needs to get better at.”
Anderson is a perfectionist who takes his craft very seriously, so when he struggled last season, Wright would break down the film with him to find out where Anderson wasn’t being effective.
“Every time he hits a wall, or there is a struggle, we go back to the film, and it is something simple,” said Wright. “It is never anything out of this world. It is something he knows that he has to go back and execute. He is a student of the game. When he hit the rookie wall a little bit last year, it wasn’t something that was huge. It was something so small, and when you tell him, he goes out and does it. He has been easy to coach.”
One trait that stood out to Wright about Anderson early on during training camp this season is that he has become a more vocal leader both on and off the field.
During Wednesday’s practice, the offensive and defensive units engaged in two heated battles. Anderson was in the middle of both, helping to restore peace and reminding the team that they were all one unit.
“He is the undisputed leader of not only the d-line (defensive line), but the defense and the team,” Wright said about Anderson’s leadership. “He is the standard; he is the culture. He shows up every day and brings it. I have to slow him down. He just continues to get better. He doesn’t accept no, and there is nothing he feels he can’t do. He is just a great kid, and I can’t say enough about him.”