Nothing Will Anderson has done in his three NFL seasons has been surprising to Alabama fans. After a dominant three-year run with the Crimson Tide, Anderson immediately translated to the NFL and became one of the league's best edge rushers.
In three seasons, Anderson has racked up 30 sacks, improving that number in each season of his career so far. He had seven as a rookie, 11 in his second season, and 12 this past season. Anderson added 20 tackles-for-loss in 2025 and finished as the runner-up to Myles Garrett in the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year race and was a first-team All-Pro for the first time.
Anderson, who won't turn 25 until December, just keeps getting better. He hasn't yet reached his peak, and further accolades are sure to come.
There's a reason the Texans rewarded him with a monster contract extension this offseason. The former Crimson Tide superstar signed a 3-year, $150 million deal with Houston.
Anderson was ranked as the No. 3 edge rusher in the NFL behind Garrett and Micah Parsons in an ESPN article that polled executives, coaches, and scouts around the league. According to one scout, the former Alabama star is still underrated:
"I still feel like he's underrated to a degree," an NFC scout said. "True three-down force multiplier who demands attention and has the rare ability to elevate the play of teammates."
An NFC scout believes Will Anderson is still underrated despite dominant start to NFL career
Anderson was the NFL's leader in pass-rush wins off the edge last season with 62, per ESPN. He also led the NFL in forced incompletions (43) in 2025, which was six more than any other player in the league.
In a normal year, Anderson's work would have been good enough to capture the Defensive Player of the Year award. Unfortunately for Anderson, it was a record-setting season for Garrett, who broke Michael Strahan's single-season NFL sack record.
But it won't be Anderson's last chance for the award. He just keeps getting better and better every year.
Perhaps he'll make a push for Garrett's record in a few years. Regardless, Anderson has separated himself as one of the elite defensive players in the NFL.
"Combination of speed to power then his strength and effort," a separate NFC scout told ESPN. "He's better than I expected, to be honest."
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