Defensive players to watch for the Houston Texans

If the Bucs offense wants to put up points on Monday Night Football, they're going to need to have a very calculated game plan centered around these three players on the Houston Texans' defense.

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) runs onto the field before the game against the Baltimore Ravens. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans aren’t perfect, but they’re a very solid football team. Despite losing to the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 14-9 in Week 1, the Texans – much like the Buccaneers – have high expectations for 2025. 

READ MORE: Buccaneers get huge update on Chris Godwin and Tristan Wirfs

The Texans have their fair share of weapons on both sides of the ball, each of which will require special attention by the Buccaneers as they look to move to 2-0 when these two teams square off on Monday Night Football next week.

Houston Texans' defensive players to watch

As a team, the Texans' defense is going to be their strength this season. And the Buccaneers will need to watch (and plan for) several players in particular if they hope to prevail on Monday.

CB Derek Stingley Jr.

Dec 1, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) warms up before the game agains the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

Derek Stingley is the highest-paid corner in the NFL for a reason. The third overall pick out of LSU in 2022, Stingley has demonstrated exceptional athleticism, elite instincts, and supreme ball skills – all while continuing to improve each and every year he’s been in the league. In 2024, Stingley had his second consecutive season with at least 5 interceptions, and he earned first-team All-Pro honors for his overall impact. Many teams avoid Stingley altogether by intentionally targeting the opposite side of the field. It’s unlikely the Buccaneers employ that drastic of a game plan based on the confidence they have in their offense, but Baker Mayfield better be very calculated when throwing his way if he wants to avoid throwing his first interception of 2025. 

OLB Will Anderson Jr.

Dec 25, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) runs onto the field before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Like Stingley, Anderson was also the 3rd overall pick by the Texans, just one year later. As a rookie in 2023, Anderson was rock solid for Houston, recording seven sacks in 15 games. Last year, with Danielle Hunter coming over from Minnesota in free agency to bookend the other side of the defensive line, Anderson really established himself as one of the league’s premier edge defenders. Not only is he extremely fast and twitchy, but he has a relentless motor and the discipline required to excel as both a pass rusher and a run defender. Based on what we’ve seen so far in his career, it’s safe to assume that Will Anderson will take yet another step forward this season and officially establish himself as one of the game's true premier edge defenders.

OLB Danielle Hunter 

Dec 15, 2024; Houston Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter (55) runs onto the field before the game against the Miami Dolphins at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

At 30 years of age, Danielle Hunter is certainly older than his partner in crime, Will Anderson, but he’s just as (if not more) effective at this point in his career. Now in his 10th year in the NFL and his second in with the Texans, Hunter remains one of the league’s most underrated players despite his prolific production when it comes to generating sacks and disruptive plays in the backfield. Over the past three seasons, Hunter has consistently wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks with a total of 39 sacks over that span, including a career high 16.5 for the Vikings in 2023. His length, power, wide array of pass rush moves and his durability have allowed Hunter to become one of the most consistent pass rushers in football for the past decade.

READ MORE: Could 49ers' Brock Purdy miss Week 6 vs. Buccaneers?

Final Thoughts

With a makeshift offensive line trying to navigate the absence of Tristan Wirfs, there's no question that the Buccaneers are going to have their hands full on Monday when it comes to dealing with the combination of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. The same goes for Derek Stingley Jr., who very well may be the best corner in football alongside Patrick Surtain Jr. in Denver.

Can the Buccaneers win this football game? Absolutely. But they'll need to account for the three defensive players above if they're going to do it.

READ MORE: Crucial Buccaneers offensive player doesn't practice Thursday ahead of Week 2

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