CJ Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. will always be intertwined, as the Houston Texans selected those two back-to-back in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and those choices have changed the fortunes of the franchise overnight. Stroud spoke on the bond he has with Anderson.
“Man, I’m super proud of Will, just the person he is, not only just on the field, but off,” CJ Stroud said, via NBC 2. “How encouraging he is being, not only in my life, but in the locker room and his family and then just being so family-oriented and always showing everybody love. His mom and my mom are very close. … So, I just think it’s super dope that he’s able to get what he deserves on the field and he doesn’t see a double team every play. So, I definitely love the fact that he came out with a big game and I know he has a lot more coming for him and I definitely know that he’ll continue to be great.”
After selecting Stroud with the No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft, the Texans made the bold move to trade up to No. 3 with the Arizona Cardinals to select Will Anderson Jr. There was some buzz that Houston could pass on a quarterback and select Anderson with their second pick, because the team liked him that much. Instead, the Texans got the best of both worlds and turned their franchise around in the blink of an eye.
Stroud has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, while Anderson is a huge part of what might be the best pass rush in the NFL. Just two seasons ago, the Texans were in contention for the top pick. Now, they are dreaming of their first Super Bowl win.
Texans gear up for road test vs. Packers
The Texans are set to face the Green Bay Packers in what will be one of the top games of the Week 7 slate. Like Houston, the Packers have a young quarterback that they believe is the future as well in Jordan Love. Green Bay has visions of representing the NFC in the Super Bowl, as the conference seems very open.
It will be interesting to see how Love fares against Anderson and the dangerous Texans pass rush. Stroud will also have to avoid a ball hawk in Xavier McKinney on the back end of the Packers’ defense. This could be a preview of a matchup that we see in February.
