With each offseason list before training camp, the theme for the Houston Texans seems to be one of not being very highly regarded when it comes to being a pro football team in 2021.
That should be the narrative for a team that is in the midst of a rebuild of a good amount of their roster, but still, it isn’t any fun seeing them near the bottom of every list.
In one recent rankings list by Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports, he ranked the best duos list, and with the uncertainly of Deshaun Watson playing for the Texans in ’21, the 32nd-ranked duo on his list was the Houston Texans duo of offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
Being that Cooks and Tunsil are the two best players on the Texans offense, it is tough to argue against this duo, especially since Watson is being excluded, so there is no issue there. However, in the description of Tunsil, he’s better than what he’s given credit for, as the CBS Sports article said the following:
"“In that case, you’re left with an underrated but injury-prone wideout best suited for No. 2 duties and a left tackle who’s never once played a full season. Houston is hurting.”"
Yes, we all can admit that “Houston is hurting,” but Tunsil is one of the very best offensive linemen in the entire NFL, so just mentioning in passing that he’s never played a full season is overlooking just how good Tunsil is at left tackle.
Excluding Watson, Tunsil is the best player on the current Houston Texas roster, and he’s a past Pro Bowl selection, so he deserves more credit than what was given.
Houston Texans: Brandin Cooks needs a big year for Texans success
As for Cooks, it might be better for him to be a No. 2 wide receiver, and he probably would be if Will Fuller wasn’t in Miami, so Cooks has to be the top option for the ’21 season.
Cooks is coming off a season where he had 119 targets, catching 81 passes for 1,150 yards with six touchdowns, all while averaging 14.2 yards per reception. Of his 81 receptions, 52 were for a first down, and his best catch went for 57 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
With Cooks being the top option for ’21 at the start of the season, it will be very interesting to see how teams not only defend him, but how he battles the pressure of being a top option for the entire season.
Sure, the Texans have many issues and obstacles to overcome in ’21, but this duo is the best the Texans have until they prove otherwise this season, and wouldn’t it be fun if others step up and the best duo for the Houston Texans is different by the time the season comes to a close?