Ranking every NFL team’s offensive supporting cast post-draft
25. Houston Texans
RB: David Johnson, Duke Johnson (19/25)
The Texans running back group has the makings of being either really good or utterly abysmal. If David Johnson can return to form, he’s one of the best pass-catching running backs in the league and has the ability to be unarguable when running RPOs.
Duke Johnson has been proclaimed by many to have a three-down skill set, but he has never gotten the opportunity; nonetheless, he excels as a scat back. If David Johnson looks as lethargic as he did towards the end of last season, however, this backfield could be a nightmare to watch.
WR: Brandin Cooks, Will Fuller, Kenny Stills, Randall Cobb (20/25)
This wide receiver group is obviously worse off than it was before the start of free agency, but it is still one of the deepest in the league. Cooks has been plagued by injury, but he had four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons before 2019; I am not ready to write him off yet.
Fuller and Stills have incredible speed and can take the top off of the defense, while Cobb has a proven track record as a slot wide receiver. The biggest knock on all of these wideouts is their availability concerns, as they have all missed multiple games over the past two seasons. Like the Texans’ running back room, this group is boom or bust.
TE: Darren Fells, Jordan Akins, Kahale Warring (16/25)
Darren Fells and Jordan Akins have an average age of 31 years old; while they combined for nine touchdowns last season, neither was a noticeable factor in the passing game outside of the red zone. They are mediocre tight ends that likely won’t have much of a role in 2020. Warring missed all of last season, but he was an intriguing prospect coming out of college. Either way, this group is uninspiring.
Offensive Line: Laremy Tunsil, Max Scharping, Nick Martin, Zach Fulton, Tytus Howard (19/25)
The Texans spent much of their 2020 draft capital to improve their offensive line, but they spent it all one on player. The only other addition to this offensive line aside from Tunsil’s at the beginning of 2019 was a fourth-round selection spent on Charlie Heck. Given the Texans gave up 49 sacks and 93 QB hits last season, this is less than ideal.
Total Score: 74/100
Summary: The Texans took a lot of risks this offseason by shipping away DeAndre Hopkins, a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick in return for David Johnson, Brandin Cooks, and a rookie defensive tackle. Their offensive supporting cast has a high ceiling, but a very low floor. Given their poor tight end situation and average offensive line, they are near the bottom of this list.