Pro Football Focus released their first installment of their top-50 players in the NFL. The Houston Texans did not have a player qualify for slots 41-50 on Monday.
Part of the problem is Houston has chronically been in third place in one of the NFL’s worst divisions for the past two seasons. If there is any talent on the team, it gets lost amid the losing, off-field issues, and coaching changes.
If the Texans were to have a player make the first installment of PFF’s list, it would have to be defensive end Jonathan Greenard. The inclusion of Green Bay Packers edge defender Rashan Gary illustrates how far Greenard still needs to improve his game to start getting such league-wide consideration.
Gary was a raw prospect who had immense physical tools when the Packers drafted him in the first round, and last year, he realized all that potential in a major way. He recorded a 90.1 PFF pass-rushing grade while racking up 81 pressures over the course of the season and improving as the year went on. He could be even better in 2022.
Greenard had a similar pass rush grade of 89.2. However, Greenard’s pressures weren’t as prolific as Gary’s. Greenard tallied 27 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Using stats available to everyone, Gary had 9.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, 28 quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles through 16 games. Greenard produced 8.0 sacks, nine tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, and four pass breakups through 12 games.
The availability is where Greenard gets lost. It isn’t so much that the former Florida product is playing for a team that stalls out at four wins per season; Greenard has played in 13 and 12 games in each of his first two seasons. If Greenard were to have played in 16 games same as Gary, perhaps his pressures would not have reached 80, but the sacks and quarterback hits would have accrued to such levels that his talent would be undeniable.
As the former 2020 third-round pick enters his third season, Greenard has an opportunity to take another step in his development and prove to the Texans that they have a dominant edge defender on their roster.