admin
Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio and head coach DeMeco Ryans have done an exceptional job building a young core for their roster to make them a threat for years to come. Despite three straight losing seasons and nine combined wins with three different coaches, the crop of talent that currently calls Houston has been a blessing toward back-to-back AFC South division titles.
Players like quarterback C.J. Stroud, receiver Nico Collins, edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., defensive back Jalen Pitre, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., receiver Tank Dell, cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safety Calen Bullock are the cornerstones of the team, as well as other depth pieces who could emerge in the coming years. Even more name like Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel and Cade Stover could become pieces that look promising and take Houston over the top and out of the “darkhorse” conversation.
SB Nation’s Joseph Acosta ranked the top six young cores in the NFL heading into 2025 and put the Rams at No. 5, just ahead of the Seattle Seahawks and below the Los Angeles Rams.
“You can make a legitimate argument for the Texans being higher because they hit on the QB, but slotting them here feels like a good stopping point,” Acosta wrote. “Stroud is great, a throwback signal caller who throws with touch and precision. Anderson Jr. is one of the focal points of the Texans’ defensive front and is due for another big campaign in 2025, and Lassiter came on extremely strong to end his rookie season. Outside of that, the young core of this team has a lot of question marks. If WR Tank Dell can come back healthy and Houston gets some production from their youth on the offensive line, they could end up much higher.”
Houston’s lack of young offensive line depth is the most concerning part for Acosta. This group is legitimately missing a ton of options for the long haul after the trade of five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, though rookie Tay Ersery is looking the part of a promising option during the early stages of training camp.
The final missing piece for the Rams’ young core at defensive tackle. Right now, the Texans are rotating multiple linemen on one-year deals, but they have upside to hold down the fort for the impending season, but for the long-term, Houston should look to invest in a younger option via the draft in 2026.
Having the quarterback is always a great starting point. With four members of the secondary locked up, a bona fide top 10 pass-catcher, plus a premier pass-rusher who wants to remain in Houston long-term, the key positions are filled. The rest of the roster is mostly filled out with veterans, which is a big reason why the Texans remain a true contender in the AFC once more.
#Analyst #ranks #Texans #young #core #among #NFL
