By the end of July, training camp will be underway for all 32 NFL teams. Until the first whistle from the practice field, lists and polls will have to suffice ahead of any substantive happenings.
According to Natalie Miller from the Touchdown Wire, the Houston Texans start out No. 30 in the latest power rankings.
The Texans seem to be moving in the right direction with a talented new coach in DeMeco Ryans, a new quarterback in first-round pick C.J. Stroud, and an aggressive approach in the draft. A lot of the season will depend on how their top two rookies (Stroud and edge-rusher Will Anderson) perform, but the Texans boast a solid offensive line and running game that could win them some games.
Originally the Texans were No. 29 in Touchdown Wire’s post draft power rankings. One can only speculate as to what happened in two months to drop Houston down a peg.
The reality is the Texans are a bottom-5 team, and they have question marks throughout their roster and coaching staff. The presumption is those ambiguities will crystalize into positives for Houston, but the true form of the 2023 team won’t be seen until September. Even then, the attrition of a 17-game season typically generates two or three versions of teams just within the same season. How Houston started out against the Baltimore Ravens Week 1 may not be who they finish as in Week 18 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Until the games count, the Texans could expect to see themselves among the bottom in the league in such power rankings. However, the tenor of the first few games tends to establish a new order.
Across the rest of the AFC South, the Jacksonville Jaguars were No. 10. The Tennessee Titans rolled in at No. 27. The Indianapolis Colts were just a couple spots ahead of the Texans at No. 28.
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