The 2024 season marked only the third time the Houston Texans clinched back-to-back 10-win seasons. Those victories signify that they are the AFC South’s top team and one of the conference’s strongest contenders.
While they are already knocking on the door, as proven by their two Divisional Round appearances, they have a fantastic opportunity to remain an elite franchise in the coming years. Credit that possibility to Texans general manager Nick Caserio and his staff for drafting and retaining some of their young studs.
Pro Football Focus’ Jonathon Macri identified important players in the Texans’ core when he ranked the league’s top 25 players under 25 years old. Macri included three of Houston’s stars in the list, with Will Anderson Jr. getting the highest rating at seventh overall and second highest among edge rushers behind Jared Verse.
Anderson has a three-year PFF grade of 89.6 and an average win above replacement of 0.27 since 2022. Macri wrote about the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year, “Anderson improved upon his excellent debut season with a top 10 PFF overall grade (88.8) for the position in 2024. Anderson also improved his run defense in Year 2, cracking the top 10 in PFF run-defense grade (81.1) for the first time in his career.”
Texans Finally Found a Franchise Quarterback
GettyC.J. Stroud could be in for a bounce-back season after the Houston Texans’ offseason moves.
Houston’s fortunes turned around after selecting C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. In addition to leading the Texans to a playoff victory, he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award after finishing with 319 completions for 4,108 passing yards and 23 touchdowns.
While his numbers dropped, especially his touchdown-to-interception ratio, last season, he undisputedly remains the team’s best option at quarterback. Meanwhile, Macri ranked Stroud 12th among the top 25 NFL players under 25 years old. He had a three-year grade of 86 and an average WAR of 2.67.
Macri wrote, “Stroud ranks behind only Jayden Daniels on this list in average PFF WAR generated over the past three seasons, and it’s worth noting that he did so on a larger sample size. Stroud will turn just 24 years old during the 2025 season, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Year 3 is his best season yet.”
Stroud got most of his touchdown passes (6) in throws between the numbers that went for 10-19 yards. Within that range, the former Ohio State standout completed 54 passes out of 80 attempts for 919 yards.
Houston Causes Matchup Problems with this Defensive Back
GettyDerek Stingley Jr. #24 of the Houston Texans warms up before the game against the Detroit Lions.
It took a while before Derek Stingley Jr. lived up to the hype that surrounded him after becoming the third overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, once he had his breakout season, he turned into one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks.
Macri ranked him one spot behind Stroud, thanks to his three-year grade of 78.8 and an average WAR of 0.43. The PFF writer added that Stingley “delivered a top five PFF coverage grade in 2023 and then finished the 2024 season with the second-best mark, behind only reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II. Stingley also allowed just a 39.6 NFL passer rating when targeted, the best mark in the league in 2024.”
Stingley became a First-Team All-Pro member after establishing career highs in tackles (54), pass deflections (18), and interceptions (5) in 17 games. Those numbers and accolades led the Texans to reward him with a three-year, $90 million contract extension, nearly three times higher than his four-year rookie scale contract.
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