The Houston Texans keep showing up in the NFL’s upper tier, and ESPN’s latest top-100 ranking drives that point home again. Five Texans made the cut for the upcoming season, a strong sign for a team that has put together three straight Divisional Round appearances and continues to stack talent on both sides of the ball.
Houston’s list starts in the secondary, where Kamari Lassiter landed at No. 91.
Lassiter gave the Texans exactly the kind of work that stands out in a defense built to smother people: 17 pass breakups, four interceptions, and 91 tackles last season. He was tied for the team lead in interceptions and led Houston in pass breakups, which tells you how much he already matters to that back end.
ESPN’s ranking suggests there’s still more room for him to grow in 2026.
Nico Collins was the lone Texans offensive player to crack the list, coming in at No. 44.
He remained C.J. Stroud’s top target in 2025 and turned that role into 71 catches, 1,117 yards, six touchdowns, and 48 first downs.
If Collins and Stroud keep building that connection next season, Collins has a real chance to push his numbers even higher and keep strengthening his case among the league’s best receivers.
The defensive front made its presence felt too, with Danielle Hunter checking in at No. 39.
Hunter’s 2025 line was loaded: 54 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, three pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. He was a problem in both phases, making life miserable for offenses whether they tried to run at him or throw around him.
If he stays healthy, he has every chance to remain one of the NFL’s most complete edge rushers.
Derek Stingley Jr. followed at No. 21, another reminder of how dangerous Houston’s secondary can be. Stingley put together a strong 2025 season with 36 tackles, 15 pass breakups, four interceptions, one forced fumble, and one touchdown.
No matter the matchup, he made an impact. Heading into 2026, he has a shot to keep that level rolling and could even work his way into the conversation as one of the top three corners in the league.
At the top of the Texans’ group was Will Anderson Jr., who landed at No. 15.
Anderson was disruptive all season long in 2025, piling up 54 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, three pass deflections, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one touchdown. He’s already established himself as one of the NFL’s most dominant edge rushers, and with another productive offseason behind him, he enters 2026 with a chance to make a real push for defensive player of the year while helping keep Houston’s defense among the league’s best.
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