Houston Texans: 3 Reasons why they can 3-peat in the AFC South

3. Defense has improved on paper compared to 2019

Here is the deal with the 2020 defense of the Houston Texans … it is an unknown with more potential than given credit for. The Texans defense has the unsung talent on their roster to be a sleeper for defenses in the NFL players like Johnathan Joseph and D.J. Reader to name two of the bigger players from last season’s roster.

Returning is J.J. Watt, who missed eight regular-season games in 2019, and not only that, when he was gone the Texans defense took a step back without his pass rush. Having Watt back will be huge for this franchise as he enters his 10th season.

Also on the defensive line a player who will jump into the headlines is defensive end Charles Omenihu, and don’t look past Angelo Blackson, Albert Huggins and Brandon Dunn at defensive end.

Yes, the Houston Texans lost Reader in free agency, but in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft the addition of Ross Blacklock helped the Texans recover from the loss of Reader to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Also, a linebacker to be excited for is always Whitney Mercilus, but don’t look past Jacob Martin, as he came to the Texans last year in the Jadeveon Clowney trade. Martin needs more snaps during games to see what he truly can do for the defense, but in his snaps played last season he showed there is much potential.

In the secondary, it has to be improved from the previous season, and with a mix of veterans and younger talent the improvement should be there. A veteran to watch is Bradley Roby at cornerback, and at safety Justin Reid is about to take a huge step in his pro football progression in season three.