Texans' Will Anderson Jr. 'Super Excited' About Changing Positions After NFL Draft

Will Anderson Jr. is "super excited" to transition from linebacker to defensive end with the Houston Texans.

"I'm very excited, however they want to use me, it's just going to be anything I kind of did at Alabama," Anderson said, per HoustonTexans.com's Deepi Sidhu. "So I'm super excited, but just to do anything they need from me for the team."

Anderson spent three years as a starting linebacker for the Crimson Tide before the Texans traded up to select him with the No. 3 pick, but he previously played as a defensive end at high school in Hampton, Georgia.

Now, Anderson is transitioning back to a familiar role. Like at Alabama, he will be an edge defender. Unlike at Alabama, he will defend from a three-point stance, not standing, head coach DeMeco Ryans told Sidhu.

"Being at Alabama, they played me very versatile, so when we'd go to any type of flex defense, I was already playing a 5-technique, which I'm kind of used to playing on the outside of the tackle, so the 4 was always an adjustment for me," Anderson said. "My regular position was always the hand-in-the-dirt 5-technique and stuff like that, keyed in on the outside pad of the tackle, so I'm already kind of used to that."

Houston gave up the No. 12 and No. 33 picks, as well as a 2024 first-round selection and a 2024 third-rounder, to get the Crimson Tide's two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year. At that price, it was clear the Texans planned on Anderson being a cornerstone of their defense for the near future.

The Texans already have No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud preparing to take on the role of QB1. By moving Anderson to defensive end, arguably one of the team's most important positions, Houston sets up the team to get the most possible value out of an expensive 2023 draft.