J.J. Watt perfectly explains why Will Anderson Jr. is only getting better for Texans

Armed with immensely valuable picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans ultimately left with two players that could be cornerstones for the franchise, one on each side of the ball with quarterback C.J. Stroud and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. And in each player's rookie season, they looked the part, winning their respective Rookie of the Year awards and each making the Pro Bowl as well.

Anderson, under defensive-minded head coach DeMeco Ryans, seemed to immediately arrive and look the part of the next great Texans pass rusher, obviously following the legacy of someone like J.J. Watt. In his rookie campaign coming out of Alabama, Anderson racked up 7.0 sacks and 10 tackles for loss en route to winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 15 games played.

So far in the 2024 season, though, Anderson has seemingly graduated from being one of the best young pass rushers in the NFL to just simply being one of the overall best at his position. Through nine games, Anderson has already bested his rookie season, notching 7.5 sacks with 11 tackles for loss and adding a fumble recovery to his credit.

Just turning 23 years old at the start of the regular season, Anderson is primed to be a force that opposing quarterbacks fear for years to come. But how is he making such a jump so quickly from a Defensive Rookie of the Year season? Someone who knows a lot about that in Houston, the aformentioned Watt, broke it down quite simply.

J.J. Watt explains why Will Anderson Jr. is only getting better for Texans

Watt joined Sterling Holmes of the Stacking the Box podcast last week and, when asked how Anderson has been able to improve and get better this season, the future Hall of Famer gave all the credit to the second-year pro for his hunger make strides in his craft.

"I think he's continued to grow as a player. He's not just the same player trying to make more plays. He is learning more about setting edges, he is learning more about using his hands, he's learning more about finishing at the top end of his pass rush moves, about mixing up moves and setting them up.

"So he's really growing as a player. He's not interested in staying the same, and I think that's what's made him so effective. I mean, the guy was Defensive Rookie of the Year last year, obviously, and he could easily just say, 'I'm good, I'm just going to go out there and do it again, just one year older, one year stronger.' But he's constantly evolving and growing and trying to be better."

You can watch the full interview between Sterling Holmes and Watt on Stacking the Box below:

Anderson deserves a bevy of credit, as Watt unpacked, for improving in the nuances of being a fierce pass rusher. Of course, the Texans have also helped with that as well, bringing in a veteran like Danielle Hunter opposite him in free agency this offseason while also garnering a full year of experience under Ryans and his staff.

Listening to Watt so plainly talk about the ways that Anderson is just tapping his potential, though, it sounds like we could still not even be seeing the best of the young Texans pass rusher at this point. And frankly, that's a thought that might keep opposing quarterbacks up at night.

J.J. Watt spoke to FanSided and Stacking the Box on behalf of DICK's Sporting Goods.

With the holidays fast approaching, J.J. recently added to his list by starring in the next chapter of his partnership with DICK’S Sporting Goods in the form of a new master adstarring the entire Watt family including brothers Derek and T.J. and parents Connie and John.In the spot, titled The Watts’ Holiday Classic, the family is finishing up a holiday trip at DICK’S Sporting Goods and, caught up in the mayhem of last-minute shopping, accidentally leaves J.J. behind. In his own comedic fashion, J.J. decides to take full advantage of the situation while paying homage to easter eggs of classic holiday movies like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually and A Christmas Story.