Strategic pathways for Houston Texans to level up their surging defense
PRESENTED BY COORS LIGHT
20 December 2023
PRESENTED BY COORS LIGHT
As expected, the Houston Texans defense is greatly improved this season, with DeMeco Ryans coming over from San Francisco to but his stamp team.
One of the areas we've seen the most improvement is against the run. The Texans were dead last against the run last season, allowing 170.24 yards per game. In just one season, DeMeco has the Texans 6th against the run, only surrendering 93.5 yards per game.
And while drafting Will Anderson has certainly improved the unit, we have to take notice of what Jonathan Greenard is doing. He's fantastic against the run, but he's also sacking the quarterback at a high level, with already 12.5 sacks on the season.
The thought of Greenard and Anderson harassing opposing QBs for years to come has to be very appealing to DeMeco and the entire Texans fan base. But there's a catch, Greenard is in the last year of his deal, and he's going to want a contract that pays him market value.
So the question becomes, should Houston pay him? The Texans will have a ton of cap space this offseason, and the best time to add pieces is when you have a quarterback on an affordable rookie contract.
But to be fair, he's had some injury issues in the past and only played in 8 games last year. It's always a little concerning when a player has the best season of his career when he's about to be a free agent.
On the flip side, the Texans and their coaching staff have been a mess in recent years until Ryans was brought in. One could make the argument that it's hard to judge Greenard for previous seasons based on what was around him.
What about the secondary?
Derek Stingley is starting to show why he was drafted third overall in 2022, but let's not forget about Steven Nelson. He's been terrific, and he's also set to be a free agent after the season.
Should the Texans pony up and re-sign both players, or look to the draft to find their replacements?
Be sure to watch the video above for the full discussion and much more!
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The Texans made their first splash of the 2025 NFL Draft by trading back from pick No. 25 to No. 34 overall, landing Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins early in the second round. The move down with the Giants gave Houston flexibility—and still brought them a potential weapon with rare physical tools.
Higgins comes in at 6'4", 214 pounds, with a 4.47 forty and a 39-inch vertical. That size-speed combo makes him a strong candidate for an X receiver role or a power slot option, where he could carve out a significant target share. While he can win from the boundary, the mismatch potential inside might unlock more of his upside.
Fantasy Pros analyst Derek Brown sees Higgins as a developing player in the mold of former Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas. Higgins ranked 20th in yards per route run vs. man coverage, showing he can create separation against NFL-style looks. He’s forced 25 missed tackles over the past two years, though he’s not exactly a YAC monster—averaging 4.5 yards after catch per reception. For comparison, Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan posted 5.5 YAC per catch for his career and had more missed tackles forced in 2024 alone than Higgins managed across two seasons.
Still, Higgins’ physicality and potential as a power slot make him a fascinating fit for Houston’s offense. If he had played at a higher-profile program, some scouts believe he might have cracked the first round. He’ll need to improve his release off the line and consistently play to his size, but the traits are all there. With Jaylin Noel as his teammate at Iowa State, Higgins didn't always have the spotlight—but in Houston, he might just grow into it. He possesses similar traits to Nico Collins, which could come in handy considering Collins tends to miss time due to injury every season.
Here's what NFL.com's Draft Analyst Lance Zierlein thinks about Higgins via NFL.com:
Big inside/outside wideout with modest athletic attributes but outstanding ball skills that make him a projectable NFL prospect. Higgins needs a more limited route tree but can operate on all three levels in the right scheme. He’s smooth but physical in his routes and does a nice job of creating pockets of separation with force and strength. He has mismatch qualities from the slot with body control and a catch radius that make him a menace on jump balls downfield. He won’t outrun cornerbacks and is nothing special after the catch, but his size, ball skills and competitiveness create a profile of production as a future contributor in three-wide sets.
With their second pick in Round 2, the Texans traded up to No. 48 to select Minnesota offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery, sending picks No. 58 and 99 in the deal.
🚨TRADE🚨
Texans Trade:
🔴 58th pick
🔴 99th pick
We receive:
🔴 48th pick pic.twitter.com/VlpZKdyi5N
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) April 26, 2025
Ersery, a 6'6", 331-pound tackle from Minnesota, was named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year after a standout college career. A three-year starter at left tackle, Ersery consistently anchored the Gophers’ line and proved his talent by holding his own against top competition, including the top pass rusher in the 2025 Draft, Abdul Carter. Off the field, he's a gamer who enjoys Madden and Call of Duty.
Here's what Zierlein had to say about the Texans' new offensive lineman via NFL.com:
Three-year starter at left tackle with good power. Ersery is not a natural bender, which creates disadvantages with leverage and when attempting to mirror moving fronts. He’s well-versed in Minnesota’s outside zone attack, but might be more consistent in power, inside zone and hat-on-hat matchups. He’s huge, but he sets with good quickness to the rush, using his length and hand strength to gather it or lock it out. His anchor is derived from his upper half, which opens him to hand counters. Ersery has the potential to become an average starting tackle on the right side, but his success will be tied to matchups across from him.
Be sure to watch the video below as the crew from Texans on Tap reacts to the picks live on YouTube!
*ChatGPT assisted.