The Houston Texans’ joint training camp practices with the Miami Dolphins were beneficial as it gave both rosters a chance to work against guys who don’t have familiarity, which is closer to what an NFL season is truly like.
What Texans rookie defensive end Will Anderson picked up on during the two days of joint sessions with Miami was how the offensive linemen treated him as mostly a speedy edge rusher.
Anderson shared with reporters Aug. 16 how he used other traits to counter his speed.
“Oh, yeah, really because they sleep on my power,” Anderson said. “So, they see me and my front and they’re like, ‘Oh, he’s probably just a speed guy,’ and then boom — I hit them with power as a counter, anything like that. So, it’s just good having that speed to power — a lot of people wouldn’t think that my body type would have that.”
The two-time Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year generated 34.5 sacks over three seasons at Alabama. Most of the sacks were due to the 6-4, 243-pounder’s agility and quickness, although another element remained.
Whether using speed or brawn, Anderson is well aware that hand placement is crucial to setting up his first move, a tenet of coach DeMeco Ryans’ new system.
Said Anderson: “The first step is the most important step — getting off the ball. And your hand placement, Coach [Ryans] always harps on that, having great hands, having great feet. Those two things tie together really well. So, just making sure that your hands are right on the breastplate of the tackle, not getting up too high so that he can get underneath you. Those are things that you watch on film and come back and get better at.”
Anderson will have another opportunity to demonstrate his speed and power as the Texans host the Dolphins for their second preseason game Aug. 19 at NRG Stadium.
