Did the Texans pay too much to trade up for Will Anderson? | PFF 2023 NFL Draft Show
The Pro Football Focus live draft show breaks down Houston’s move to make back-to-back picks in the first round and select the Alabama edge rusher.
Video transcript
- The part of this that is a little bit concerning-- now, them having multiple first-round picks next year makes this manageable. But even if you like both of these players, the Texans aren't close right now. Like, the rest of that roster is not close, I don't think.
SAM MONSON: No, I mean--
- So you're giving up prime assets to make that team a lot better. And it needs to get a lot better.
SAM MONSON: Yeah, I mean, the point Steve made is the thing, right? Think what Will Anderson has to become to justify what they gave up to make it happen.
- Right.
SAM MONSON: Even if we forget about the third-round pick in 2024, which is still a reasonable-- a reasonably high draft pick that could easily become a contributing player--
- Holy cow.
SAM MONSON: --12, 33, and a first next-year is essentially three picks, in the first round or thereabouts, that are-- those are starters. Like, you're probably getting a starter with the first round or the 33rd overall pick.
So he has to be worth the same or more than three starting players for this to make any kind of sense. And as much as we think Will Anderson is a really good player, is maybe the safest, the cleanest defensive player in this draft, he isn't that.
He's not at the same level as the Bosa brothers, when they were coming out, as Myles Garrett. He's never put together one of those 90-plus PFF pass-rushing grade seasons, one of those incredible productive years. Never had that year. And there's not really anything in his profile that says he's going to get to that level for this to make sense.
- Phew. It's a--
CRIS COLLINSWORTH: [LAUGHS] It's tough. That's a tough one for me right there, especially in a year that it's not that great a top 10, you know? And maybe that's what it came down to. Maybe they just felt like they had one player or two players in mind that they wanted to do, and that was-- they didn't care after that. But, whew, I wouldn't have done the deal.
STEVE PALAZZOLO: Honestly, if he became Von Miller, if he became Khalil Mack, you can't justify the value. You will not get the value back, even if he becomes a Bosa brother or a Myles Garrett. It just doesn't work. The math just does not add up. You left four players of value on the other side of the trade who are going to add up to more value than Will Anderson, no matter which way you slice it.
CRIS COLLINSWORTH: I mean, eventually we're going to learn who the other teams were trying to trade up to that position. And we'll know by team who it was that they were going after. Probably a lot of them going after the quarterback position with Indianapolis right behind them.
SAM MONSON: Right. Right. Right.
CRIS COLLINSWORTH: So probably, in order to get that pick, Houston had to pay it because people were trading quarterback value to get there. And they still beat them to go get an edge. That's how much they loved Anderson.
