Houston Texans Land Strong Ranking Among NFL's Top 10 Defenses

The Houston Texans' defense enters the 2025 season looking primed to stand among one of the best units across the entire league, having both star talent and depth in the front seven and secondary to be well-rounded, explosive, and a tough matchup for any opposing offense.

But, when taking a step back, where exactly would the Texans' defense stand as a whole when stacked up to the rest of the NFL's elite groups?

In the eyes of NFL.com's Gennaro Filice, the Texans come into the 2025 season as a projected top-five defense, specifically ranked fourth in the NFL, thanks to a rounded-out secondary and pass rushing unit to make Houston a super explosive group for next season.

"Pat Surtain II became just the second outside cornerback to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors in the past 30 years, but he wasn’t the only young CB to level up in 2024. Derek Stingley Jr., who received first-team All-Pro honors alongside Surtain, fully realized the NFL potential everyone envisioned," Filice wrote. "Now he headlines a spectacular secondary that also features a couple second-year studs (CB Kamari Lassiter and S Calen Bullock) and a pair of feisty playmakers (NB Jalen Pitre and S C.J. Gardner-Johnson).

"Combining that coverage unit with the relentless edge-rushing duo of Will Anderson Jr.and Danielle Hunter, DeMeco Ryans is cooking with some high-octane gas on the defensive side of the ball. The soft spot remains at defensive tackle, where a lack of true difference-makers fuels a lingering concern that this team could get gashed on the ground. That said, Houston’s run defense finished last season in the top half of the league in most metrics, with back-seven players like linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair routinely rallying to the football."

"Houston has ranked 15th in defensive points allowed during each of the first two seasons of the Ryans era, but I think the group can crack the top five in 2025, thanks to improved depth, continued development and a whole heap o’ havoc-wreakers."

The only teams ahead of the Texans? The Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, and Denver Broncos; all elite groups in their own right. But for the Texans, it's a great company to be surrounded by.

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

For the Texans, even if their offense has some ups and downs, notably on the offensive line, this defense could present enough upside in terms of the pressure they generate both on the quarterback and opposing receivers to make Houston competitive on a weekly basis.

The Texans will inevitably have one of the best pass rushes in the league, headlined by Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., while also having a stacked secondary at safety and cornerback, headlined by Derek Stingley Jr., that will make Houston one of the toughest matchups to throw against for the 2205 season.

Perhaps in due time, Houston can reach even further up the totem pole of top NFL defenses, but for now, they seem to be almost unanimously accepted as at least a top-five defense for the season ahead.

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