The Texans Won The Will Anderson Trade
I don’t have many regrets about the things I had to say during our 2023 NFL Draft coverage. We blow every other publication out of the water. You know this by now if you pay attention. It’s really more of a nitpick thing. I wish I would have given the Texans more credit for the draft they had. The Will Anderson trade was a no-brainer for Houston and that’s so obvious now.
In fairness, I gave Houston a B. The B grade might actually be accurate based on the way they botched most of the later round picks. However, I should have given Houston more credit for the move they made for Anderson.
Hand up, I did not see the Texans winning the AFC South, winning a playoff game, and ending up 27th pick in the draft. Of course, that 27th overall pick goes to Arizona as part of that trade. A pick that everyone thought would be a hell of a lot higher than 27 before the trade. The Texans traded up from 12 to 3 to take Anderson and sent that 2024 first, 2024 third, and pick 33 to Arizona.
What’s worse is that Arizona then wasn’t content picking at 12 and moved up to 6 to select Paris Johnson. They gave up that 34th pick to move up for Johnson. Arizona moved pick 33 to Tennessee for Will Levis. Pick 34 became Sam LaPorta.
So what I’m trying to tell you is that Arizona got significant equity moving down and then didn’t even reap the rewards of it watching a player like LaPorta go to Detroit instead. What’s more hilarious is that Detroit was prepared to take Jahmyr Gibbs at pick six if Arizona didn’t present that offer.
The butterfly effect is real…
Will Paris Johnson and whoever the Cardinals pick at 27 be enough to make it worth not taking Will Anderson? After notching seven sacks his rookie year, I’d reckon the Texans are happy with the choice they made. As they should be. Houston never would have found a pass rusher like Anderson picking 27th. It sure as hell looks like a damn good deal for the Texans less than a year later.
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