The Houston Texans were a dark horse candidate for the AFC crown last offseason. Things did not go as planned. Due to a massive number of injuries on the defensive side of the ball and poor offensive line play, the team stumbled into the playoffs, ultimately losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. This offseason, many are questioning whether the team is ready to compete. While there are some questions, the team still has plenty of talent and a good coaching staff. That didn’t stop one NFL analyst from giving them a shockingly low post-draft ranking.
Houston Texans Receive Low Ranking
Fox Sports’ Danny Helman gave his post-draft power rankings, and he was not impressed with what the Houston Texans are doing. He has them ranked 18th, in the bottom half of the NFL. While he admits he likes the moves they made in the draft, he isn’t convinced it will make a difference this season.
“It all looks good in the aftermath of the draft. Houston managed to restock the receiver room and add a new offensive tackle in one weekend. After the initial excitement, though, is it enough? What are the odds all these rookies hit their stride quickly enough to make the Texans a better team than they were in 2024? It’s possible, but I have my doubts.”
Wide receiver was a huge area of need after Stefon Diggs left in free agency and Tank Dell tore his ACL. They picked a pair of Iowa State receivers, Jaylen Noel and Jayden Higgins, to help support Nico Collins. In the later rounds, they picked up some intriguing offensive talents. However, counting on rookies to contribute right away is risky. While I get what Helmen is saying, 18 seems a little low.
A Little Low For Me
It’s a little low for me. Having the Houston Texans ranked four spots behind the Chicago Bears is an insult to what Ryans has been able to do with this team on the field. Stroud is still a good quarterback, and the defense has a top-tier cornerback and edge rusher. Collins is one of the best receivers no one talks about. They should be a top-half-of-the-league team. However, I don’t think Helman is too far off.
It’s hard to look at the rest of the NFL and consider the Houston Texans a top ten team. Many teams have gotten way better and go into the season with significantly fewer questions. While there is a body of work, the Texans fell flat last year in big moments, looking discombobulated, especially on offense. They need to prove that last year was a fluke and not a sign of things to come.
Final Thoughts
The good news for the Houston Texans is that they are in one of the easiest divisions in football. While the Jacksonville Jaguars will be tough, the Colts and Titans have massive quarterback questions. They should be able to compete in the division. Once the playoffs begin, all it takes is for one team to get hot. Can the Houston Texans have a rebound year?
