When you're selected in the top five picks of the NFL Draft, the expectations placed on your shoulders are immense. 

For former Alabama star Will Anderson Jr., he exceeded those expectations after a rookie year that saw him earn the Defensive Rookie of the Year award and a selection to the Pro Bowl. 

But if he wants to level up and reach his full potential, there is a key area of his game that must be improved:

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Destin Adams' grade for Will Anderson Jr.'s rookie season: A-

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"I ended up giving an A- to Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr. of the Texans," said Destin Adams of A to Z Sports Indianapolis and NFL Draft. "They [Houston Texans] ended up giving up a future first, which obviously at the time they were crucified for because they gave up their own first instead of the Browns first, and they're first ended up being worse than the Browns first. They really had nothing to lose and had a sense of going out and trying to win these games because they weren't playing for draft pick range because they didn't have their own pick. So in the end, I think it did help them motivation-wise. I think that watching Will Anderson Jr. last year, he was a really impressive player. I think they did the perfect thing by going out and getting Danielle Hunter to play opposite of him because I still have some question marks about if Will Anderson is going to develop into an alpha in an edge room and be that guy that leads your team in sacks for years and years to come. So putting Danielle Hunter next to him is going to open up more possibilities for him."

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James Foster's grade for Will Anderson Jr.s rookie season: A

"I ended up going with an A for Will Anderson Jr.," said James Foster of A to Z Sports Film Room. "He was really steady throughout the season and in a lot of ways, he had kind of the opposite start and end to the year. To start out, he was winning a lot as a pass rusher with consistent pressure but he just wasn't able to convert them into sacks. I believe he had one sack the first week and then went seven or eight weeks without a sack. I remember doing a video where I was having to explain and make the case that he's still an effective player even though it hasn't translated to sacks. And then over the second half of the year, he starts racking them up. Some of them were just clean-up sacks. But he also won one-on-ones and got to the quarterback. I think that for Will Anderson Jr., the main thing that's going to determine whether he's a high-end number two or a true number one [pass rusher] is just how good he can get with his hands and if he can continue to add moves to his pass rushing arsenal. There are some times where he's trying to run through or run around guys, showing that he doesn't really have a way of defeating the hands of opposing linemen."

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Final Word

Hand usage, while seemingly trivial, is arguably the most crucial aspect of a pass rusher's technique. Every rep starts at the junction point or where the pass rusher meets the offensive lineman.

The less amount of time the rusher is engaged in that battle, the higher the likelihood they get to the quarterback. 

And how do you limit that time? By avoiding the hands of the opposing lineman, with hands of your own. 

That's the gist of why hand usage is so important without getting into the weeds of technique. 

If Anderson unlocks that part of his arsenal, the sky is the limit. 

Former superstar Alabama RB still questioned by analysts even after a promising rookie season

He can’t catch a break.