HOUSTON – Ever since Texans general manager Nick Caserio drafted Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and Alabama defensive end Will Anderson Jr. with the second and third overall picks of the first round, they were earmarked for success.
Both lived up to high expectations.
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Stroud was named the Pro Football Writers of American NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Rookie of the Year while Anderson was named the PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Both are top candidates to win leaguewide recognition for those respective awards at NFL Honors program at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
Stroud, 22, became the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game. He joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to lead the NFL in passing yards per contest and touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio.
He passed for a rookie franchise-record 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, five interceptions and a passer rating of 100.8, marking the third-best passer rating by a rookie in NFL history. His 4,108 passing yards rank third in NFL all-time lists among rookie quarterbacks while leading all rookies this past season in all major passing categories. Stroud finished the season with 4,557 total passing yards, including the postseason, which is the second-most ever by a rookie. He also began his career with a record 192 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, the most ever by a player to begin a career. Stroud led the league in passing yards per game (273.9), while also pacing the NFL in touchdown-interception ratio (4.60), becoming just the third player in NFL history to finish first in both categories.
Anderson had 45 tackles, 10 for losses, 67 pressures, seven sacks and one blocked field goal.
He set a new rookie franchise record for most sacks in a single-season and his 67 pressures led all rookies in the NFL this year. Returning from a high-ankle sprain, Anderson also had a pair of sacks against the Tennessee Titans in a key late-season win.
Stroud becomes the first player in Texans history to earn PFWA Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors while Anderson Jr. joins Dunta Robinson, coach DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing as Texans who have claimed the Defensive Rookie of the Year nod.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com