DeMeco Ryans Explains What Makes Danielle Hunter Special for Texans

The Houston Texans have gotten some major contributions from their star edge rusher Danielle Hunter this season.

In tandem with the Texans' other force in the pass rush, Will Anderson Jr., Hunter has made sure not to be forgotten in that mix. He's leading the team in sacks with eight on the year, has three games with over two sacks to his name, and in turn, has helped this elite Houston defense truly rise amongst one of the best in the league.

From the perspective of a tough, defensive-minded head coach like DeMeco Ryans, a player like Hunter is easy to love considering the impact he brings and the way he goes about his business, so it comes as no surprise that the Texans' head coach is loving how his veteran pass rusher has started this year off.

"Danielle doesn't say much, but he says a lot about how he plays," Ryans explained, via HoustonTexans.com. "He's consistently around the quarterback, applying pressure. I think he's done a really nice job this year of just understanding the scheme, what we're asking him to do when it comes to setting edges in the run game."

For Ryans, Hunter's proven to be someone who can consistently bring pressure on the quarterback while possessing a stellar ability to set the edge and contain the run, putting the Texans' defender in a tier of his own amongst the best edge talents in the game.

"He's one of our better edge setters in the run game, not just a pass player. You can lean to think that he's just a pass player. But he does a good job in the run game."

"Danielle is arguably one of the best pass rushers in the history of the game. He's shown that time and time again. He's been on the tear here lately. He's done a fantastic job."

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DeMeco Ryans Sees Danielle Hunter as Additional Coach

Nov 16, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans watches against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

But it's not just what he brings on the field that Hunter provides an unparalleled impact. Through his veteran leadership and guidance in the locker room, his value is immense as well.

And especially through an up-and-down season like the Texans have endured, having a guy like Hunter in the building to steady the ship comes as a steady and welcomed presence to have–– sort of like an additional coach in the room.

"Overall, as a leader, what I like about him is how the other guys look up to him, especially in the defensive line room," Ryans said. "Those guys are constantly talking. He talks to those guys. He might not talk to us much, but he talks to the guys in the defensive line room, and they're all feeding off of each other."

"He's like an additional coach in the room... You have Danielle in there with the wisdom that he has and a guy who, of course, he's gotten over 100 sacks in his career. It takes a special player to do that. So, we have a special guy that our guys can lean on, seek advice from and he's there to share that wisdom."

If able to continue leaning upon Hunter while he keeps showing out as a consistent force in the pass rush, it's going to be tough to dethrone this Texans defense as one of the best in the league.

And so far through 10 games, Hunter has shown no signs of slowing down.

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