The NFL will be the last time Will Anderson starts out on the bottom and needs direction. Naturally the No. 3 overall pick is willing to take it.
Throughout Houston Texans training camp, the rookie defensive end has gone against three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil on the practice fields at Houston Methodist Training Center. Anderson is grateful for the experience in honing his craft against one of the elite pass protectors in the league.
“Going against him every day, he gives me pointers every day,” Anderson told “Green Light with Chris Long” podcast. “If he wins a rep, he’ll smile at me. If I do something good, I smile at him — and I just love that competition.”
Although Tunsil is 6-5, 313 pounds, the athleticism of his game is what impresses Anderson.
“Just as far as the NFL to college — it’s no hands. Offensive linemen aren’t just going to shoot their hands at you. They’re going to be really passive, kind of more finesse. And that’s kind of what he is and why he’s so good is because he can stay square for a really long time on his pass sets.”
According to Anderson, Tunsil also has the ability to guide and misdirect the momentum of his opponents.
Said Anderson: “With L.T., he’s gonna bait you, clamp you up, and hold on to you and just kind of take you wherever he wants to go. But, you know, that’s just the good thing about going against him.”
Tunsil is entering his eighth season and his fifth with the Texans. Houston traded considerable assets to the Miami Dolphins at the end of the 2019 preseason, but it has paid off for the Texans. All three of his Pro Bowl seasons were in Houston, the most recent in 2023 when he started all 17 games.
