The Houston Texans were one of the teams that felt good about their roster last year, but things ended on such a sour note. With C.J. Stroud throwing four interceptions and the offensive line needing a revamp, the Texans took that personally.
Houston decided to bring in Braden Smith, Wyatt Teller, and Evan Brown through free agency. They continued to add talent upfront by nabbing Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge in the first round. With some stability being created along the offensive line, Houston believes that Stroud will return to his 2023 form.
Despite the belief inside the Texans' building that they can compete for a Super Bowl, the feeling isn't the same everywhere. The Athletic's Austin Mock released an article ranking all 32 teams following the draft. His model uses several metrics and projections, which had the Texans land at No. 14.
Texans don't get love in rankings by The Athletic
There are no questions about Houston's defense, as they are one of the best units in the league. They have two elite edge rushers with a secondary that has playmakers all over the backend. The doubts are around the offense.
Mock wrote, "On offense, however, the outlook remains bleak beyond a solid group of wide receivers. Houston's offensive tackles rank 26th, its interior offensive line ranks 21st, and that's before we get into the conversation about quarterback C.J. Stroud, who has struggled since a fine rookie season in 2023."
And while the points that he made are reasonable, there's also faith that the offensive line will make strides next season. Teller and Smith are two veterans who have played good football in the league for multiple seasons. Houston added both guys and believes they'll be solid starters on the right side.
Trading up for Rutledge was a surprise, but he's a player who's ready to contribute on day 1. They hope that Aireontae Ersery improves after an uneven rookie season, but the tools are there. The Texans didn't end the 2025 season as they wanted, but they entered the playoffs on a nine-game win streak.
Houston's defense is championship caliber, and the front office knows it. That's why they went into this offseason with a clear plan to upgrade the offensive line, and they achieved that goal. Yet, they are a fridge playoff team in this ranking.
The AFC is loaded, but there's reason to believe Houston can be better than the Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, and Kansas City Chiefs, all of whom were higher than the Texans on this list. Houston does need to prove it on the field, but they are certainly better than the 14th team in the NFL and the 7th overall team in the AFC.
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