3 strengths and 2 weaknesses of DeMeco Ryans heading into 2023

Strength: Player development

It is a small sample size but over the past five years with the San Francisco 49ers, DeMeco Ryans has shown he can develop younger players quickly. A perfect example of this is Fred Warner, who was a third-round pick by the 49ers in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Over the past five seasons, Ryans was Warner's position coach for three of them and defensive coordinator for two. It didn't take long for Fred Warner to make an impact as he would start every game as a rookie and has emerged as one of the best inside linebackers in the NFL with first-team All-Pro nominations in two of the past three seasons.

Warner isn't the only player that has developed under DeMeco Ryans' coaching as Azeez Al-Shaair also had success playing for Ryans. He was an undrafted free agent signing in 2019 and due to injuries would end up starting 13 games in 2021. This offseason he signed with the Tennessee Titans and looks to be in line to be the starter.

This player development could be invaluable for a young Texans roster with rookies like Will Anderson and C.J. Stroud who could be in line for significant snaps this season.