The Houston Texans finished the 2022 season with a record of 3 – 13, with one tie, which landed them the number two pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Texans have been mired in mediocrity since the 2020 season when they finished with a record of 4 – 12. The team has won 11 games over the last three years.
Over the last three NFL drafts, they’ve selected only two first-round picks, having lost both first rounders in each of the 2020 and 2021 seasons in the trade to acquire Laremy Tunsil. A deal that in my opinion set the team back, was the DeAndre Hopkins deal as well.
The team also gave up their first-round selection from 2018 in the deal that resulted in the team selecting DeShaun Watson in 2017. We all know how that worked out but in the deal that sent Watson to the Browns, the Texans acquired an additional first-round selection in the 2022 draft, which landed them guard Kenyon Green.
The deal also netted the team an additional first rounder in this year’s draft, at number 12 overall, as well as extra picks later in this draft and 2024.
It will be vital to the success of the Texans’ 2023 season to hit on these two first-round selections but what more is needed? What do the Texans need to do to have what might be considered a successful first season under new head coach, DeMeco Ryans?
Let’s take a look at what I believe to be the five keys to a successful 2023.
The Texans have the second pick in the NFL Draft and most assume they’ll go with one of the top quarterbacks in this draft, despite some rumors they could go with either edge rusher, Tyree Wilson or Will Anderson Jr.
One direction they could go is edge with the second pick, then trade up from 12 and still get one of the top quarterbacks in this draft. Either way, they have to find their franchise quarterback.
The team doesn’t necessarily have to win ten games for this season to be considered successful. No one is expecting this team to make the playoffs but what you’re looking for is a quarterback to get better as the season goes on.
Does the starting quarterback look overwhelmed and confused? Does he show poise and confidence? Is he a leader, does the team rally around him and fight for him? These are questions that can be answered as the season progresses and if the organization can say yes to these, they just might have their guy.
Let’s remember, some of the best in the league weren’t exactly ripping defenses their rookie year, so don’t put any unnecessary pressure on a young rookie signal caller in year one.
The Texans allowed 38 sacks a season ago, good enough or 13th best in the league. That’s not bad but when you have a rookie quarterback trying to learn the NFL game and process everything in front of him, protection is paramount.
Texans’ fans I’m sure remember the David Carr days and many believe the lack of protection doomed Carr’s career. Getting Tunsil extended was a huge step in the right direction, along with signing former Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Shaq Mason. A signing that will go under the radar as far as protecting the quarterback is tight end Dalton Schultz, who is an adequate blocker and will help in protection.
Additionally, leaning on running back Dameon Pierce and newly signed Devin Singletary will also help in protecting their quarterback. The Texans have the horses to rely heavily on their run game, which on paper could be very good and should take pressure off their signal caller.
They also added center Michael Deiter, who will compete with Scott Quesenberry for a starting role; however, Deiter comes over with a less-than-stellar resume, having given up 12 sacks between 2019 – 2021, when he started 23 games.
As previously mentioned, leaning on the run game will be big for the Texans and whomever their starting quarterback might be.
Dameon Pierce became one of the top backs in the league and will be a huge asset for the Texans’ run game. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry, totaling 939 yards and chipped in 30 receptions on 39 targets in 13 games played.
Adding Devin Singletary to the mix is a great option to spell Pierce too, giving the Texans a solid one-two punch in the backfield. Singletary comes over from the Buffalo Bills, where he averaged 4.7 yards per carry in his career. He’s also shown an ability in the passing game as well, with 145 career receptions and has a combined 20 touchdowns since coming into the NFL.
The Texans as a team averaged a paltry 3.7 yards per rush attempt in 2022. Only the Bucs were worse in both yards per carry and total rush yards. They managed only 1,476 total yards on the ground. These numbers must improve to help out the quarterback and go toward a successful season. Upgrading the offensive line with Mason and adding a solid back in Singletary should pay dividends for this offense.
The Texans’ run defense was abysmal in 2022, finishing dead last allowing 2,894 yards with a yard per carry of 5.0 yards. They gave up 25 rushing touchdowns as well, second worst, only to the Chicago Bears.
The team went out and acquired defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, along with former Pro Bowl linebackers, Cory Littleton and Denzel Perryman. These three should help shore up the run defense and it’s likely the Texans use one of their two top-12 selections to select another defensive player.
According to PFF, Rankins received a 2022 grade of 73.1, while Perryman and Littleton were each graded at 74.2 and 72.2, respectively.
The team also brought over another defensive tackle, Hassan Ridgeway from the San Francisco 49ers. He played under Coach Ryans last season and knows his defensive style and scheme.
Houston added a lot of new faces on the defensive side of the ball already this offseason via free agency. The defense will look vastly different from a season ago and should be greatly improved under the tutelage of this new coaching staff with Coach Ryans’ defensive background.
As I stated at the beginning of this article, the Texans have been mired in mediocrity for some time now. The Watson drama was just the start and something they badly needed to move on from, which they have.
The team is now on their fourth head coach since Bill O’Brien’s tenure ended after the 2020 season and has not won more than four games in a season since then. Coach Ryans brings success with him and is well-respected by players and fans around the league.
It will be imperative that Ryans and this new coaching staff instill an attitude of winning within the locker room and get the players, specifically, the leadership on the roster to buy into what Ryans is selling.
Similar to what Coach McDermott did with the Buffalo Bills early in their roster rebuild, Ryans has already signed a few of his former players to join him. This is important for two reasons. It provides instant leadership on the roster, as well as players who can help others learn and understand Ryans’ scheme.
The expectations of making the playoffs should not be placed on this team to determine if 2023 was successful. Proper roster building takes time and patience. The Texans have some draft assets in both this year and next, along with some solid free-agent signings, I believe the team can get this organization turned around and is already headed in the right direction.