The Houston Texans' defense has been universally recognized as the best overall unit in the NFL as of the ending of the 2025 season. Unfortunately, after today's blockbuster trade news, that notion may soon come under a higher level of scrutiny in 2026.
As you might've heard by now, the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Rams have agreed on a shocking trade that sends All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett to Los Angeles in exchange for Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick. The transaction adds Garrett to a defense that finished as the 17th-overall unit last season (327.5 yards per game), which includes their 10th-best scoring prevention mark at 20.4 points per game.
This move actually helps Houston due to the fact that they will no longer have to game plan for the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year for their week 10 matchup against the Browns. Even better, Garrett is no longer in the AFC as a whole, thus their time against the ferocious pass rusher will come in either multi-year intervals or in the Super Bowl (here's hoping).
But from a pure roster construction standpoint, the Rams just showed the rest of the NFL that they're sliding all of their chips into the middle of the table right now. If you're the Texans, all that does is create more urgency to maximize the prolific defense that they have in place right now.
Myles Garrett blockbuster turns up temperature on Texans to perform
In the ever evolving NFL landscape, what could be true for one season can quickly be proven false the very next season. At the end of the 2025 season, Houston's elite All-Pro pass rushing duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, along with their sticky-fingered secondary that features another Al-Pro and multiple Pro Bowlers in defensive backs Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter and Calen Bullock, seemed like far-and-away the most dangerous set of defensive players of the last decade.
Their "Super Bowl Defense" moniker was quickly circulated amongst national audiences, which then turned into widespread jeering when they fell two wins shy of heading to Santa Clara for the big game for the first time in franchise history. This has only led to more fuel for the defense's fire though, as multiple offseason additions and several returning players have them in position to only build from where they left off at in January.
The roster upgrades may not be done though, as much has been made of the fact that Houston still potentially has a need for a third defensive end to rotate in alongside Anderson and Hunter for various key moments of games.
Texans defense could still use a third defensive end
In an earlier piece, I mentioned that defensive ends like Joey Bosa, Cam Jordan, Von Millers and even Jadeveon Clowney could be options for Houston's consideration in the event they decide to make one more splash addition before training camp begins in July.
I believe that a player of their caliber could act as an infusion of nitroglycerine on a team that's already on the fast track to repeating as the best unit in football for back-to-back campaigns. It would fulfill a need while also upping the ante on a conference that Houston finished in the final four of for the last three consecutive years.
Garrett being a Ram has no immediate impact on the Texans. Although, it does make for a heck of an arms race at a time where Super Bowl windows are either closing rapidly, or just truly opening for the first time.
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