The Houston Texans shocked most of the football world last season, bouncing back from a three-win campaign to win the AFC South championship. With plenty of returning weapons and some exciting new ones, they’ll enter the new year as the favorite to do it again.
Here are the franchise’s five most valuable people for 2024:
5. Head coach DeMeco Ryans
Upon arriving in Houston, Ryans immediately changed the team’s culture, helping transform a 3-13-1 team to a 10-7 division champion in only his first season manning the sidelines.
Last season’s success, paired with offseason upgrades to the roster through free agency and the draft, has only heightened expectations for 2024. After leading the franchise’s remarkable turnaround behind “positive, upbeat energy,” how Ryans fares against new challenges in year two could tell us a lot about the franchise’s direction.
4. Wide receiver Nico Collins
The Texans added four-time Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs this offseason, and while he’ll be another massive upgrade, it’s arguable that Collins is more vital to the franchise, now and in the future.
Diggs is coming off another incredibly productive year (107 receptions, 1,183 yards, eight touchdowns) but will turn 31 in November. That’s not to say he can’t still be impactful, but at 25, coming off a breakout year, Collins may have a decidedly higher ceiling.
Furthermore, if the Texans want Collins to grow into quarterback C.J. Stroud’s No. 1 option long-term, it’s crucial that he builds off his 2023 output (80 receptions, 1,297 yards, and eight touchdowns).
3. Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.
Stingley is one of the Texans’ top tone-setters and is considered, by many, to be among the top cornerbacks in the NFL. The former first-round pick, entering his third season, has even more room for growth.
In 2023, Stingley earned the fifth-highest coverage grade (84.9) among corners, per Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, he’s impressed in camp, with defensive coordinator Matt Burke telling Aaron Wilson of KPRC that the third-year pro was “one of the best ball corners in the league.”
Injuries are a concern as Stingley has missed 14 games over two seasons, but if he can limit time missed, he’ll again be one of the Texans’ biggest difference-makers.
2. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil
Tunsil is arguably one of the best left tackles in the NFL and is invaluable to the Texans as Stroud’s blindside protector.
Last season, he allowed only five sacks over 556 pass snaps, earning the second-best pass-blocking grade (85.4) among tackles per PFF. Meanwhile, according to an ESPN survey in July, NFL league executives, coaches, and scouts ranked Tunsil as the third-best offensive tackle in the NFL, behind only Penei Sewell and Trent Williams.
1. Quarterback C.J. Stroud
Unsurprisingly, the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year tops the list for the Texans. Because, as overused as the statement might be, Houston will only go as far as Stroud takes them.
Stroud had massive expectations entering as the No. 2 overall pick, but his arrival may have been ahead of schedule, throwing for 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. With another year to grow with returning weapons (Collins, Tank Dell, Dalton Schultz) and offseason additions Diggs and running back Joe Mixon, the sky could be the limit for the second-year quarterback.
Meanwhile, Stroud is coming into the campaign under no illusions that repeating last year’s success will be easy.
“It’s gonna be harder,” quarterback C.J. Stroud told the Associated Press. “We have a target on our back this year, and that’s how you should want it.”
