The league now knows what method of attack Will Anderson Jr. will start with for the Houston Texans in 2023, as he’ll be operating out of the three-point stance to begin his edge rushing career per head coach DeMeco Ryans on Friday. However, that lineup philosophy comes with strong reactions, plus scrutiny, for the third overall pick in the draft.
Main Issue Will Anderson Jr. Could Face
In tracing back to clips of Anderson’s time with Alabama, he mostly attacked out of the two-point stance. He rarely was asked to rush with a hand in the dirt. His biggest play from the three-point stance was a botched screen-pass attempt that fell into his hands and became a touchdown.
Still, adjusting from the two to a three is a deeper learning curve than most fans think, as noted by PFN’s Brett Yarris.
“The main issue is feel for getting across the line,” Yarris began. “If you’re used to doing it out of a two, there’s a certain body freedom you feel in being able to attack right away. Your eyes see more sooner, and it allows for you to have a bit more of a creative rush plan.”
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Anderson showed levels of comfortability when attacking standing up. From the two-point stance, defenders again gain an advantage in locating where the ball is going with their eyes while also using both hands to engage blockers right away.
From a three-point stance, it becomes far different. Defenders aren’t just forced to lift their heads right away to see where the action is but face a 300+ pound blocker already solar eclipsing that view.
Then, defenders from the three have to get creative with their opposite hand (the free hand) to come up with their first rush plan. Oftentimes, this means attacking right away with the less dominant hand…which smart offensive linemen in the NFL can easily exploit. They can attack that hand and create discomfort for the rusher from there.
Can Anderson Effectively Attack Outside of His Normal Stance?
Alabama did experiment with Anderson in a four-point stance as a 4i (inside shade defensive tackle) against Tennessee. However, while Anderson gained penetration, the play ended with Hendon Hooker getting out of the rush and gaining positive yards.
Although he’s been lined up in a four and three-point stance, Anderson’s best examples of speed-to-power came out of standing up. That raises more questions about if he can be just as effective with his hand on the ground for Ryans.
“Is he a creative rusher out of the two? He’s obviously good at it, but is it raw athleticism, or is it planned creativity?” Yarris asked. “If it’s the latter, that’s where I’d expect to see the drop-off. If it’s more the former, the drop-off may come in the time learning the different techniques and how you get attacked inside to out from a three-point, especially when trying to set an edge.”
There is one benefit of being plugged in a three-point stance for Anderson, though. He noticeably delivered a false step as a stand-up defender. By going to the hand-in-the-dirt mode, that has the potential to eliminate that flaw.
Is Anderson Capable of Being the ‘Bosa’ for Ryans?
One reason behind the drafting of Anderson was to give Ryans his first potential pass-rushing tone-setter for the Texans — in the same breath Nick Bosa was for the San Francisco 49ers when Ryans was there.
Bosa, dating back to his Ohio State days, gained penetration out of the three stance. So his adjustment to the league wasn’t steep. Anderson is facing a different situation with Ryans likely to install his 49ers scheme in Houston.
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Anderson, though, comes with a freakish get-off and showed he can get around blockers in the toughest college football conference — the SEC. His speed and first snap explosion are more than capable of igniting the defense right away.
Still, Ryans and Texans DL coach Jacques Cesaire will have some teaching to do for Anderson with the hand-in-the-dirt plan for their third overall pick. But if Anderson is able to develop a new array of attack moves out of a stance he hasn’t always lined up in, Anderson could be seeing Pro Bowls and league-leading sack totals right away as the “Bosa” for Ryans and his Texans’ defense.