Texans Edge Will Anderson Jr. Wins NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award Over Rams Tackle Kobie Turner
Houston Texans rookie edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award during the NFL Honors show on Thursday night, beating out Los Angeles Rams nose tackle Kobie Turner.
Turner was also joined by Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devin Witherspoon.
A third-round pick out of Wake Forest, Turner recorded 57 combined tackles, 16 quarterback hits, nine sacks and eight tackles for a loss during his excellent rookie season.
Nov 26, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner (91) with linebacker Byron Young (0) and defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Anderson notched 45 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 67 pressures, 7.0 sacks, one pass deflection, and one blocked field goal across 15 games. His 7.0 sacks set a new rookie franchise record for most sacks in a single season. He also led all rookies in pressures.
Turner is part of what appears to be a franchise-altering rookie class, despite general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay not having a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Rams receiver Puka Nacua was also one of five finalists for Offensive Rookie of the Year after catching 105 passes for 1,486 yards in 2023. Outside linebacker Byron Young, also a third-round pick, had 61 combined tackles, 19 quarterback hits, eight sacks and eight tackles for a loss in a tremendous rookie season himself.
QB Matthew Stafford - who was nominated for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year - was the third Ram up for an award,
