Will Anderson Jr. knows a thing or two about rushing the passer. The Houston Texans selected him with the No. 3 overall pick out of Alabama in the 2023 NFL Draft because they believed he could be a star pass rusher, and through two seasons he's more than delivered.
The point is, what he says about the art of getting after the quarterback in the NFL carries some weight, and that's actually good news for the Green Bay Packers. How do the Packers and Anderson collide here at this point of the offseason?
The Texans star was recently asked by Kevin Clark of "This is Football" who he felt the best offensive lineman he's faced in the NFL is. His answer: Packers right tackle Zach Tom.
"Probably, what's the dude... No. 50 Tom from Green Bay," Anderson said. "He's like a quick setter, he punches really quick. He has a really good step off the ball, a kick off the ball. He's good. More on the leaner side. Quick feet. Explosive hands. He can get back really well. I would say he is up there."
Anderson also mentioned Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who he faces every day in practice. Tunsil is a 6-foot-5, 313-pound behemoth of an offensive lineman who went No. 13 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft to the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins traded him to the Texans in 2019 and he's been a staple of Houston's offensive line since.
As far as Tom is concerned, in true Green Bay fashion, the Packers selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Wake Forest. They slowly but surely developed him into a quality starter on their offensive line. He's 6-foot-4, 304 pounds, so he's smaller than Tunsil. Being on the "leaner side" helps him stay athletic as a pass protector, though, if you were believe Anderson's evaluation.
No matter who it is lining up against him, though, Anderson has been a star for the Texans through two seasons. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 after collecting seven sacks and 22 quarterback hits. He notched 11 sacks and 19 quarterback hits in 2024.
