DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
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Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans reacts before a game against the Tennessee Titans.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans are coming off a 2024 regular season in which they ranked fourth in sacks and sixth in total defense. If they want to repeat those feats, they will need a repeat effort, if not better, from their top-10 pass rushing duo of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr.
On July 9, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler revealed the network’s annual survey ranking players at every position. This one included input from participants.
It solidified Anderson and Hunter’s spots.
Will Anderson & Danielle Hunter combined for 9 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 TFL’s and 4 QB hits in #Texans 23-20 win.
Appropriately, converged on AR final play of the game for the sack and forced fumble 😤 pic.twitter.com/PSgqocze5N
— Shaun Bijani (@ShaunBijani) October 28, 2024
No other team has two players ranked in the top 10 this year.
Per Fowler, an anonymous AFC executive noted Hunter’s “Cyborg” moniker, citing his “incredible” athleticism and expanded arsenal of pass rushing moves. Moreover, the executive believes Hunter will “age well,” and can produce a “few more” seasons with 10-plus sacks.
A presumably different AFC executive said Anderson has “a complete skill set.” They noted his steady progress so far and said the youngster “will keep improving.”
An NFL personnel evaluator noted that Anderson lacks “any glaring weaknesses.”
Texans DEs Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. Draw Rave Reviews
Danielle Hunter, Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
GettyDanielle Hunter #55 and Will Anderson Jr. #51 of the Houston Texans celebrate against the Los Angeles Chargers during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.
Anderson, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2023 draft, ranked eighth while Hunter was ninth. Fowler noted Hunter was “arguably” a better pass rusher than Anderson. Still, Anderson and Hunter’s highest rankings were both sixth place, while their lowest was unranked.
That underscores how their rankings were splitting hairs.
Hunter led the Texans with 12.0 sacks, with Anderson adding 11.0 from the other side, giving Houston a formidable 1-2 punch off the edge.
“Hunter was downright dominant in his ninth NFL season, ranking first in pass rush win rate (26.4%) among players with a minimum of 200 snaps,” Fowler wrote. “He also ranked first in pass-rush wins (77) and incompletions credited (36).
“Hunter’s four pass-rush interceptions created were tied for first.”
Fowler called Anderson a “classic pass rusher” and “cornerstone” who possesses a “prototypical combination” of power, size, skill, and speed.
“In Year 2, Anderson finished in the top 10 in sacks (11, tied for 10th) and pass rush win rate (21.3%, seventh, minimum 200 rushing attempts),” Fowler wrote. “His ability to finish also improved, as he converted 19.0% of his total pressures (58) into sacks (11). As a rookie, his sack conversion rate was 10.9%.”
Texans Need More Interior Pass Rush
Tim Settle, Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
GettyTim Settle Jr. #98 and Will Anderson Jr. #51 of the Houston Texans react after a defensive stop against the Chicago Bears.
Anderson and Hunter are fine off the edge, but the Texans could stand to get more juice from their defensive tackles in 2025. Tim Settle led the way with 5.0 sacks, with Mario Edwards tallying 3.9 sacks in second place.
Versatile veteran Denico Autry, who can play inside and out, added another 2.0 sacks, meaning the Texans’ top interior trio combined to tie Anderson’s singular effort.
The group performed well in advanced metrics.
However, Anderson also acknowledged he, Hunter, and the Texans’ front must get home more often in 2025 than they did in 2024.
“We left a lot of sacks out on the table, and that’s why I’m talking about going back to being precise,” Anderson told reporters in May. “How good can you be at the process of attacking the throwing arm? How good can you be at taking the ball away? Getting a strip sack, picking it up, taking it to the crib? So, those are the things that we want to start putting into our bag – and finesse moves and stuff like that – taking our game to the next level, especially for me.”