Houston Texans' Veteran Defensive Lineman Among NFL's Most Underappreciated Players

Tennessee Titans defensive end Denico Autry (96) celebrates a sack against Houston Texans quarterback Case Keenum (18) during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA

It is well known at this point that the Houston Texans put together one of the best offseasons in recent memory. They built on their already lethal offense and improved mightily on the defensive side of the ball - with an emphasis on the defensive line.

One of those additions is soon to be 34-year-old Denico Autry who will be entering his 11th season in the league after spending the last six seasons split between two other AFC South teams, the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans.

Autry's career has seemingly improved as he's gotten older, a difficult trend given the wear and tear a football player's body takes on from season to season. Autry's stats aren't jaw-dropping, but he has been a constant force along the defensive line for the respective teams he has played, earning him a spot on NFL.com's most underappreciated players list.

"Well, Autry certainly isn’t underappreciated by the AFC South. The former undrafted free-agent signee of the Raiders really came into his own during a three-year stint with the Colts. Then he spent the past three seasons racking up 28.5 sacks with the Titans. And in March, he signed with the Texans, giving Houston a powerful, versatile defensive lineman to complement edge terrors Will Anderson Jr. and fellow free-agent addition Danielle Hunter. Titans star Jeffery Simmons was NOT happy about Autry’s intra-divisional relocation, while Texans OL Tytus appeared quite pleased about not having to block him anymore."

Autry signed a two-year deal with the Texans this offseason and will be bringing his prowess of getting into opposing offensive backfield with him. He will likely continue to be productive from his position with many offenses paying attention to his teammates on the edge rather than what is happening up the middle.

The Texans will be buying for another good regular season before looking to make a deep run into the playoffs, and it will take every player on the team playing at their best for them to accomplish their lofty goals as they boast one of the toughest schedules in the NFL in 2024.

Stick with TexansGameday for more coverage of the Houston Texans throughout the 2024 season.

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