If all goes according to plan for the Houston Texans in 2020, these three players will have breakout seasons that earn them their first Pro Bowl nods.
Last season, the Houston Texans had three players named to the 2020 Pro Bowl: quarterback Deshaun Watson, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and left tackle Laremy Tunsil. It was Watson’s second Pro Bowl nod, Hopkins’ fourth, and Tunsil’s first.
That trio of stars joined the ranks of an extremely short but nevertheless impressive list of fellow Pro Bowlers that still remain active and on Houston’s roster as of this writing (minus Hopkins now, of course, after his trade to Arizona).
It’s a list comprised of just two individuals: defensive end J.J. Watt (five Pro Bowl nods) and inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney (one Pro Bowl nod).
There’s no reason to think the Texans might not be able to up their Pro Bowl selections in 2020, however. Despite the abundance of talent on fellow conference contenders like the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, Houston should be able to add to their tally this season — if there is indeed a season, obviously.
Even with Hopkins now playing for the Cardinals, expect the other two Pro Bowlers last year — Watson and Tunsil — to repeat this season. Both would presumably have to either suffer serious injuries or have their play substantially fall off a cliff to get passed over.
Who else might join them though in Las Vegas come January?
Here are the three most likely candidates for first-time Pro Bowl honors from the Houston Texans roster.
3. Tytus Howard
For the first half of 2019, Tytus Howard played well enough to deserve serious consideration for getting named to the Pro Bowl last year.
Houston’s first-round draft pick out of Alabama State, Howard opened up the season starting at left guard but was quickly shuffled over to right tackle when it became obvious he could handle the extra pressure and responsibility.
Bookending the offensive line opposite Tunsil, Howard played more like a seasoned veteran than a 23-year-old kid fresh out of an FCS school.
Unfortunately, he struggled with injuries and staying healthy during his rookie year. A partially torn MCL cost him a couple games before he was finally sent to injured reserve at the end of November.
What could have been though?
Howard will open training camp, the preseason, and presumably Week 1 of the regular season inked in at right tackle. If he can build off what was an extremely promising rookie year cut short by injuries, he has a real shot at earning his first Pro Bowl berth in only his second NFL season.
2. Zach Cunningham
As USA Today’s Mark Lane put it in a June feature on Zach Cunningham, the inside linebacker “was so close” to getting his first Pro Bowl nomination last season. Cunningham was named as an alternate behind Darius Leonard, Tremaine Edwards, and Dont’a Hightower on the AFC’s roster at the position.
In his third pro season, Cunningham compiled 142 tackles — 99 of them solo — to go along with two sacks, two fumble recoveries, and two passes defended. He also had 16 tackles and two pass breakups in Houston’s two postseason appearances last year.
As Lane noted in his piece, though, the stats don’t tell the full story when it comes to Cunningham. According to ProFootballFocus, the former Vanderbilt Commodore led all linebackers in run stops last season with 47 — 10 more than third-place Bobby Wagner from the Seattle Seahawks and eight more than second-place Luke Kuechly of the Carolina Panthers.
Playing alongside savvy veterans Benardrick McKinney and Whitney Mercilus in the Texans linebacking corps, don’t be surprised if Cunningham takes the next step this season and becomes the first Houston defensive player to get named to a Pro Bowl since McKinney, J.J. Watt, and Jadeveon Clowney all got the nod together back in 2018.
1. Brandin Cooks
Three things immediately stand out as shocking when it comes to Brandin Cooks:
- Though he’s entering his seventh season in the NFL, Cooks is still just 26(!) years old.
- Assuming he makes the Texans’ final roster (and he will), Cooks will open the season for his fourth different team in seven years … despite his unquestioned status as a WR1/WR2.
- Though he’s had over 1,000 yards receiving in four of his six seasons, Cooks still has never been named to a Pro Bowl.
All three of those truths are shocking when you consider Brandin Cooks as a player and a talent.
In short: It’s high-time he finally makes his way to the Pro Bowl.
Will Fuller might technically be considered the elevated WR1 on Houston’s roster because of his seniority and experience, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Cooks ends up outplaying Fuller this year and finishing with more receiving yards.
Both have injury risks attached to them, but Cooks at least has finished four complete regular seasons in his career — Fuller has yet to go wire-to-wire even once.
It should be an encouraging sign that DeAndre Hopkins was a Pro Bowler in each of Deshaun Watson’s three years in the NFL (2017, 2018, 2019).
While no one should expect Cooks to replicate Hopkins’ levels of success and statistical production, he at least has a very good opportunity in front of him this season to finally earn that elusive Pro Bowl nod that’s thus far escaped him throughout his impressive career.