Texans' Pass Rusher Who Leads NFL in Unique Stat Named Top Trade Piece

This unique Houston Texans pass rusher has been dubbed a top trade candidate.

Oct 8, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; General view of a Houston Texans helmet before a game against the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans boast one of the NFL's best pass-rushing tandems in Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., but they also have a very nice rotational piece along the edge who had a strong campaign for them in 2024: Derek Barnett.

Barnett registered 26 tackles, 5.5 sacks, a couple of forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries last season while playing in 38 percent of the Texans' defensive snaps, and here's the catch: he also led the league in fumble recovery touchdowns, punching the ball into the end zone twice.

What's more, Barnett has totaled three fumble recovery touchdowns across his NFL career, making him the league's active leader in that category.

That being said, the 28-year-old is definitely an expendable piece, and Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine has actually named him one of Houston's top trade candidates for the remainder of the offseason.

The Texans re-signed Barnett to a one-year contract earlier in the offseason. He carries a $4 million cap hit for 2025, so the cost to keep him is fairly minimal. That being said, his cheap deal also makes him an attractive trade target for a team in search of pass-rushing help.

Barnett has never been a great pass rusher, but he has been solid throughout his professional tenure since entering the NFL as a first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2014.

The University of Tennessee product spent the first six-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Eagles, topping out at 6.5 sacks in 2019. He was waived by Philadelphia midway through the 2023 campaign, when he was signed by Houston.

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