Stroud had 8,123 yards and 85 touchdowns in his prolific two years as Ohio State’s starter, finishing as runner-up in Heisman Trophy voting each of those seasons. For a franchise that has not had any real consistency at the QB position since Deshaun Watson, the 21-year-old will have the opportunity to come in and play a major role in Houston’s attempt at rebuilding.
On the other side of the ball, many considered Anderson to be the best player available in the draft, as his length and quickness off the edge translated into 34.5 sacks and 204 tackles in three seasons at Alabama.
Though the two have only been teammates for a day, they’re already looking toward the next steps to help turn things around for the Texans, albeit from opposite sides of the ball.
The pair met during the draft process, including visiting the Texans at the same time, and developed a friendship over the course of the weeks and multiple run-ins. Both believe that that strong connection can only benefit the team, as they’ll be able to work together as they prepare for the season ahead.
“I just feel like God be doing things for a reason. We’ve just been building this bond, building this thing over time, had to connect, and had to learn about each other,” Anderson said. “Now, we’re fixing to be teammates. So, it’s fixing to be that much easier knowing how a person works and how his mindset is.”