Category: Houston Texans

Texans top pick Kamari Lassiter is thriving in minicamp

Lassiter fell out of the first round after a rough pro day, but he’s shown plenty of talent and athleticism in Houston thus far

The Houston Texans waited until the second round to make their first selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. The early returns on that draftee, Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter, have shown that he might prove to be very much worth the wait.

Lassiter has had a very impressive start to his Houston career. He’s been the talk of Texans minicamp for his pass breakups and confidence in coverage.

Texans head coach Demeco Ryans recently hyped up Lassiter for his strong play this spring.

“What I have seen from Kamari is a guy that has been locked in since day one that he has gotten here he has been locked in,” Ryans said. “He has done everything we have asked him to do. Kamari is a guy that doesn’t make the same mistake twice. He is very competitive, he is making plays, he is an instinctive player, and I think a lot of guys have been fired up to see what he has been able to do over the past couple of weeks.”

Lassiter showed off the instincts and quick reactions in breaking up this C.J. Stroud pass to new Texans wideout Stefon Diggs,

Lassiter was a player who got a lot of first-round projections until a subpar pro day workout dropped his stock a little. At least in the early-going, Lassiter is showing that having just average speed and athleticism isn’t going to stop him from making a dent in Houston.

C.J. Stroud says fellow rookie QB Bryce Young dealt with issues ‘out of his control’

Texans QB C.J. Stroud says fellow rookie QB Bryce Young dealt with issues ‘out of his control’ in Carolina

The top two picks from the 2023 draft in C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young are two quarterbacks who have been and will continue to be attached at the hip for the entirety of their careers. They are familiar with each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and apparently what they dealt with during the season.

Stroud who experienced a breakout rookie performance as he marched his way to one of the greatest first year quarterback seasons of all time, didn’t hesitate for a moment to provide empathy towards his fellow rookie.

“In his shoes, I feel a lot of stuff didn’t go his way that was out of his control,” Stroud said on ‘The Pivot’ podcast. “You know, like, you can’t make a play if someone didn’t make a block. You can’t make a play if someone (doesn’t) catch the ball.

“When you watch the tape, Bryce did a lot of great things, you know what I’m saying? He’s gonna be a great player, but it takes time.”

Later, going on to expand on his comments, Stroud laid out a ton of confidence in his rookie running mate. It goes to show that these players are aware of the narrative surrounding each other, and see the faults within other teams. Time will tell if Bryce Young will succeed to the level of what Stroud put forward, but it will be fun to see how these two quarterback’s careers progress moving forward.

2024 NFL draft: Updated Texans 7-round mock draft

2024 NFL draft: Updated Texans 7-round mock draft after the Texans playoff run ends

The Houston Texans are coming off a very successful season. The AFC South champs weren’t expected to find a lot of wins, but their 10-7 record under rookie head coach Demeco Ryans and a playoff win have Houston buzzing once again.

A year after selecting QB C.J. Stroud at No. 2 overall and EDGE Will Anderson at No. 3 — both big hits immediately — Houston won’t pick until No. 23 overall in the first round. That’s a pick acquired from the Cleveland Browns; Houston’s own pick is No. 27 overall, but that was traded to the Cardinals in the move up to select Anderson.

Houston has an interesting set of draft slots. After one pick in each of the first three rounds, Texans GM Nick Caserio has two fourth-rounders and then skips to three picks in the seventh round. The Texans have just three of their own picks — a second (No. 59 overall), one of the fourth-rounders and one of the seventh-rounders.

While their history says they’ll be active traders again, this full mock draft has the Texans making their picks without any more trades.

The Texans draft trade detail gamble paid off

The Houston Texans made a savvy gamble in the details of their 2023 draft-day trade with the Arizona Cardinals

Back in the 2023 NFL draft, the Houston Texans made a trade with the Arizona Cardinals. One of the fine-print details in the blockbuster trade turned out to be a savvy gamble on his own team by Texans GM Nick Caserio.

In the trade, the Texans moved up to No. 3 overall to select EDGE Will Anderson. The haul for the Cardinals was significant:

  • No. 12 overall (which Arizona also traded)
  • No. 33 overall (which Arizona also traded)
  • 2024 1st-round pick
  • 2024 3rd-round pick

It’s that 2024 first-rounder where Caserio made out. At the time of the trade, the Texans held two first-round picks for the 2024 draft. In addition to their own, they also held the Cleveland Browns’ top selection as a result of the Deshaun Watson trade. The Cardinals had some trade leverage in choosing which of those Texans’ picks they wanted in the trade.

Caserio pushed to keep the Browns’ pick and dealt away Houston’s own. At the time, it looked like a poor decision. While the Browns weren’t expected to be great, they were widely perceived as having a higher ceiling in 2023 than the Texans. With Houston coming off a 3-13-1 season in 2022 and with questions at several key positions, it was hard to blame anyone for thinking the Texans were destined for another top-5 overall pick.

A funny thing happened on the way to the podium for the Cardinals. The Texans wound up having a much more successful season than anticipated. Houston won the AFC South with a 10-7 record, with Anderson being a key reason why the Texans defense got better. The Texans then beat the Browns, who finished 11-6, in the first round of the playoffs.

The Browns earned the No. 23 overall pick. Houston earned the No. 27 slot after losing to the Ravens on Saturday. The Texans get Cleveland’s slot at 23, while Arizona, which finished 4-13, gets Houston’s own pick at 27. The gamble on the draft detail saved the Texans four slots.

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C.J. Stroud to return from injury to try and save the Texans season

Rookie QB C.J. Stroud to return from injury to try and save the Houston Texans season

It was heartbreak across the league when Houston Texans rookie quarterback phenom C.J. Stroud went down in Week 14 with a concussion and this whole Texans offense has not been the same since, truly highlighting his importance to this offense and as a team as a whole.

With the race for the AFC South sitting at a three way tie with each of those teams having a record of 8-7 Stroud is in perfect striking position to return this Houston team to form and shock the world by potentially winning the division. What’s even more surprising is Stroud still firmly has a choke hold on the offensive rookie of the year trophy despite missing multiple games. If Stroud handles business and guides his team to the playoffs he will be a lock to win that award despite the odds against him and the missed games.

It’s clear Houston landed multiple superstars in the 2023 NFL Draft, the biggest of which being at the most important position in football. Stroud has already shown he has all the potential in the world to a a franchise savior, and to lead the Texans to the playoffs despite everything will cement him as having one of the best rookie seasons of all time.

C.J. Stroud has his first bad game, exits with possible concussion

Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud has his first bad game, exits with possible concussion

It’s bound to happen eventually right? The perpetual feel good story that has been CJ Stroud’s season came to a grinding halt this last Sunday against an elite New York Jets defense.

While Stroud has certainly been lights out this season as unquestionably the best rookie in the league and one of the better quarterbacks altogether, it seems he may have hit a rookie wall for at least one game. Against the Jets, Stroud managed to hit on just 10 completions, compiling 91 yards and no touchdowns on the afternoon. The cherry on top is towards the end of the game, the rookie left after suffering a concussion thanks to a hit from Quinnen Williams.

It’s clear that Stroud is a special quarterback who is going to be good for a very long time. The conditions he had to play under against New York were abysmal, with virtually no time to throw the football, pressure on every play, and receivers smothered off the line by aggressive defensive backs. Stroud will no doubt bounce back from this game and hopefully equally so from his concussion. Stroud is going to be a good one for a long time, but this game might have shown some kryptonite for the Houston Superman.

Texans lose standout rookie for the season with an injury

Texans lose standout rookie WR Tank Dell for the season with a leg injury

It was building up as an incredible breakout year for Tank Dell. The Houston rookie wide receiver had one of the best connections in the entire league with fellow rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, and the two were set to re-write the record books in the passing game.

In what will not be an incomplete season, Dell had managed to put up an explosive stat line. Houston’s third-round pick totaled 709 yards and seven touchdowns on just 47 catches. This meant that Dell was averaging a ridiculous 15.1 yards per catch, solidifying him as one of the most productive deep threats in the entire league.

What becomes even more frustrating for Houston fans is the fact that Dell was clearly developing his game the further the season went along, becoming more diverse as a route runner and more explosive as a playmaker. Fellow receivers Nico Collins and Robert Woods will have to pick up the production left behind by the deep threat. The Texans will have to wait until the 2024 season to get the full experience of the connection between Dell and Stroud, and it is sure to be a good one for a long time to come.

Will Anderson Jr. has a monster game in Texans win over the Broncos

Anderson played a big role in Houston’s big win over the Broncos

The Houston Texans are getting the most out of their amazing 2023 draft class. Beyond their rookie quarterback playing at an elite level all year, their second rookie pick, OLB Will Anderson Jr., who they traded back up into the first round to select, is establishing himself as one of the better edge rushers in the league.

Against the Denver Broncos in Week 13, Anderson was an absolute menace, continually in the face of quarterback Russell Wilson and fulfilling his promise as a real game wrecker on defense. In that game Anderson was able to apply a whopping eight quarterback pressures, tipped a pass that ended in an interception, and deliver two sacks that helped flip the game in Houston’s favor.

If this Houston rookie class which includes the likes of Anderson, Stroud, and even Tank Dell, can keep up their production and continue to develop at their current rate, the Texans could dominate this division for years to come. It’s a refreshing year in Houston and a much-needed promising restart for a much- embattled franchise.

The rookie connection in Houston is already one of the best in the NFL

The rookie connection of C.J. Stroud and Tank Dell in Houston is already one of the best in the NFL

Talk about an impressive draft class! The 2023 rookie class down in Houston has flipped the Texans from one of the bottom-feeding teams into a legitimate playoff contender in an instant and has proven to already be the best crop of rookies in the league.

One of the big reasons for the success of this Houston team has been the connection of their franchise quarterback CJ Stroud and their newly found deep threat in Tank Dell. Both players have become one of the strongest quarterback-to-wide receiver duos in the league, let alone as far as rookies. Stroud has inserted himself into the MVP conversation with the type of season he is having, elevating players around him and proving to be one of the most clutch players in the league with 22 total touchdowns on the season to just five interceptions.

Dell has also shined an impressive resume in his first year, wracking up over 700 yards in just ten games played. Dell has proven to be the most consistent deep threat on the Texans and has been a nightmare to cover for even some of the more experienced corners in the league. With five touchdowns in his last four games, Dell is on a hot streak that could very well launch him into pro bowl consideration.

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If this duo keeps up this level of production, it could be a scary time in the AFC South for the next decade or so. The Houston Texans nailed this rookie class and even found a diamond in the rough with their newfound top weapon.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud enters the MVP race

Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud enters the MVP race after another great win

In what may go down in history as the greatest rookie performance of all time should he keep up the pace, Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud is not only cementing himself as the clear choice for the offensive rookie of the year but has also entered the conversation for the most valuable player for the entire league.

Stroud followed up his historic game last week where he threw for 470 yards and five touchdowns with yet another excellent performance, outdueling Joe Burrow in an exciting down to the wire matchup. In the 30-27 upset over the Bengals Stroud was able to throw 356 yards and a touchdown as well as punching the ball into the end zone on the ground. Stroud once again looked like a veteran quarterback who routinely kept cool in the pocket and routinely made big time throws to keep this offense churning.

What we are seeing with Stroud is unmatched in recent history and a rookie quarterback coming into the league and winning the MVP would be NFL history in the making. This Houston Texans team is a legitimate threat to make the playoffs and there selection of Stroud with the number two overall pick in the 2023 draft is a huge reason why.