The 2022 Class
The 2022 class is on this list primarily because the rookies were forced to play more than they usually would as the team lacked talent across the roster. That being said, Houston saw some early returns on their investments from their 2022 class. Derek Stingley Jr., Jalen Pitre, and Dameon Pierce each played early and often and were difference-makers throughout their rookie years. Other rookies who made contributions from the 2022 class were Christian Harris and Kenyon Green.
Stingley started and played in nine games as a rookie while recording one interception. Stingley’s 2022 season was cut short due to injuries but Texans fans got a glimpse of what was to come from Stingley during his rookie campaign. Pitre was thrown into the fire early as a rookie and played and started in all 17 games throughout the year. He ended up recording five interceptions and a whopping 147 tackles and was one of the few bright spots from the 2022 Texans. Pierce won the starting running back job over Marlon Mack in the pre-season and shined in his first year as a pro. He finished the year with 939 rushing yards and five total touchdowns before going on season-ending IR after week 14. Harris played in 11 games and recorded 74 tackles to go along with one pick-six. While he did struggle on the field, Green got valuable experience in his rookie season as he started 14 games and played in 15 total as a rookie.
While the 2022 class did not see the immediate success that the 2023 class saw, the players listed above got valuable playing experience during their rookie seasons. The continued development of the 2022 class is going to be important for the Texans going forward.