The Houston Texans had the NFL’s two top rookies. Quarterback C.J. Stroud was named the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year Thursday night during the NFL Honors ceremony in Las Vegas, and then only a little while later, Texans defensive end Will Anderson won Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Anderson was selected third overall by Houston in the 2023 draft with the pick that originally belonged to the Arizona Cardinals. The Texans traded up to the third pick, giving up their first-round pick in 2024 and more.
Anderson played in 15 games as a rookie. He had 45 tackles, seven sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 22 quarterback hits. He was selected to the Pro Bowl.
Six of his seven sacks game in the final eight games of the regular season and he had one in the playoffs, as the Texans won the AFC South and won their first-round playoff game.
The Cardinals faced Anderson and the Texans. Anderson had two tackles, one of his seven sacks, two of his tackles for loss and two of his quarterback hits against them in a 21-16 Houston win.
Anderson won the award with 16 first-place votes out of 50 and a total of 151 points. In second place, Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter had 122 points with 14 first-place votes.
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