LAS VEGAS — Will Anderson Jr. won the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award, outgaining both Jalen Carter and Kobie Turner by two first-place votes.
The Texans’ defensive end received 16 first-place votes, 21 second and eight thirds for 151 points.
Carter, the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive tackle, and Turner, the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive tackle, both had 14 first-place votes. Carter also had 14 seconds and ended up with 122 points. Turner had six second-place votes and seven thirds, finishing with 95 points.
Anderson had seven sacks, 67 pressures, 22 quarterback hits, 29 tackles, including 10 for a loss. He also had a blocked field goal on special teams.
Anderson joined teammate C.J. Stroud, who was the AP’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Anderson and Stroud are the fourth teammates to win the offensive and defensive rookie awards in the same season. Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner swept the awards last year for the New York Jets. Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore did it with the Saints in 2017 and Detroit’s Mel Farr and Lem Barney did it in 1967.
Stroud and Anderson were selected back-to-back with the second and third picks in the NFL draft.
How did the Texans get Anderson?
The Texans made a huge splash in last year's draft when they traded up to get Anderson with the third pick in the draft, one pick after they took C.J. Stroud.
Anderson was a three-year starter with the Crimson Tide, where he piled up 204 tackles, including 58 1/2 for a loss, and 34 1/2 sacks, which ranked second on Alabama’s all-time list.
The Texans traded the 12th and 33rd picks in the 2023 draft and a first- and third-round pick in 2024 to the Cardinals to trade up to nab Anderson. Houston also received the 105th pick in the 2023 draft in the deal. The 12th pick the Texans sent to Arizona in 2023 was part of the deal for Deshaun Watson.