NFL.com Rookie Grades Question Texans' Offensive Direction

When the quarterback of any franchise starts to stumble through his ongoing development, we often find that throwing darts at the draft board becomes a little more haphazard.

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio has stepped up to the plate when it comes to giving his starting quarterback C.J. Stroud additional weapons, but the results have remained frustratingly mixed.

NFL.com has graded the Texans' 2025 draft class, and they've only circled back to the inescapable reality that without a fully charged battery under the hood, Houston's offense just won't go–– handing out just a B- for their efforts.

"After 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud experienced a sophomore slump in 2024, Houston clearly entered the 2025 draft with the young quarterback top of mind," NFL.com's Gennaro Filice writes. "Spending four of their first five picks on playmakers (Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Woody Marks) and protection (Aireontae Ersery), the Texans aimed to support Stroud with an influx of complementary talent."

"The results were mixed... The 24-year-old remains a far cry from the player who took the league by storm three years ago, so it’s back to the drawing board this offseason."

Texans' 2025 Rookie Class Graded B-

Until the more basic aspects of Stroud's game can be pieced back together by head coach DeMeco Ryans and offensive coordinator Nick Caley, the truth is that the career trajectory of Higgins and Noel will also suffer. That gut check will undoubtably be keeping Caserio up at night, but so will the fact that successful teams are always built in the trenches.

At least Texans fans can be hopeful that Caserio hitting on rookie left tackle Aireontae Ersery provides a positive sign that he can find more productive blockers in the 2026 draft. Ersery still had the kind of rookie struggles that any blindside protector is going to have in year one, especially against some of the game's very best edge rushers, but there’s a lot to work with.

Dec 21, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery (79) is introduced before playing against the Las Vegas Raiders at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

What happens next for the Texans? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Texans news delivered to your inbox daily!

Most importantly, the second-round pick held himself together through adversity and has doggedly laid down some solid foundations which should allow Caserio and Co. to concentrate on addressing the interior of their offensive line moving forward.

In an ideal world, Caserio might be looking to juggle his finances to add another dynamic runner to the mix during free agency in order to replace veteran Joe Mixon. But at the same time, major financial decisions on Stroud and star edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. will have to be addressed first.

As a direct consequence, hitching the wagon to the cost-controlled Woody Marks behind a much-improved offensive line might make a ton of sense for this team.

When you finally cut through all the noise, the harsh reality that Stroud has to get this thing right before any team success comes to form becomes a pretty darn hard thing to circumnavigate around. Somehow fix Stroud and you suddenly improve everybody else in the process, and that's the bottom line.

Be sure to bookmark Houston Texans On SI and follow @TexansOnSI on X for daily Houston Texans news, interviews, breakdowns and more!