In the 13th of a 32-part series, we are featuring all National Football League teams with a prediction of where each team will finish within their division, key off-season acquisitions and their top fantasy stars. Here are the Houston Texans.
Key Off Season Acquisitions
In free agency, the Texans came to terms with two key players on offense and two key players on defense. The offensive players Houston signed were Robert Woods of Gardena, California to a two-year deal worth $15.25 million and tight end Dalton Schultz of Sandy, Utah to a one-year deal worth $6.25 million. The two key defensive players Houston signed were free safety Jimmie Ward of Racine, Wisconsin to a two-year deal worth $13 million, and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins of Covington, Georgia to a one-year deal worth $9.75 million.
Woods had 53 catches for 527 yards and two touchdowns this past season in Tennessee. Schultz had 57 catches for 577 yards and five touchdowns this past season in Dallas.
Ward meanwhile had 50 combined tackles (38 solo tackles and 12 assisted tackles), two quarterback hits, one tackle for a loss, three interceptions, five pass deflection and one forced fumble last season in San Francisco. One quarterback hit and the forced fumble came in a 35-7 49ers win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 11. Another quarterback hit came in a 38-13 49ers win over the Arizona Cardinals on January 8, and the tackle for a loss came in a 21-13 49ers win over the Seattle Seahawks on December 15.
Rankins spent two years with the Jets after five years in New Orleans. In 15 games in 2022, he had 43 combined tackles (25 solo tackles and 18 assisted tackles), four tackles for a loss, seven quarterback hits, three sacks, and forced fumble. The forced fumble came in a 20-17 Jets win over the Buffalo Bills on November 6. Houston also acquired guard Shaq Mason of Columbia, Tennessee in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on March 14, named DeMeco Ryans of Bessemer, Alabama as their new head coach, and selected quarterback CJ Stroud second overall and linebacker Will Anderson Jr. third overall in the NFL Draft.
Top Fantasy Stars
Houston does not have any players ranked in the top 10 in any fantasy position.
Projected Finish
Houston made improvements in the offseason after going 3-13-1 a year ago. The question is have they made enough to get out of the basement in the AFC South? The answer is yes. Indianapolis seems to be in disarray at the moment with no clear sense of direction. This will allow the Texans to be better than the Colts, and finish in third place.
