The most underrated NFL team from every division in 2022
Most underrated NFL team in the AFC South: Houston Texans
Scouting Report. . Houston Texans. . player. 10. Pick Analysis. AFC South
If you’re a Houston Texans fan, it’s got to feel like there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. The Texans were one of the league’s most exciting teams back in 2019 but in the years that have followed, they have been a complete mess.
JJ Watt was released. DeAndre Hopkins was traded. Deshaun Watson got into a ton of trouble, sat out the 2021 season, and was traded in 2022. With Watson gone, however, things seem to have taken a turn for the better in Houston.
The Texans acquired an absolute king’s ransom for Watson from the Cleveland Browns and could reap a huge early reward from that trade if Watson is suspended for the 2022 season like the NFL apparently wants. As far as draft capital goes, the Texans are sitting pretty. As far as everything else?
It’s a work in progress, but general manager Nick Caserio has done a good job of revamping this roster, almost approaching the rebuild like he was building an expansion team.
The Texans made Davis Mills their top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and he played as well or better than most rookie quarterbacks last year. The Texans moved on from David Culley this offseason, but retained Lovie Smith as the team’s head coach and Pep Hamilton as the offensive coordinator.
The progression of Mills will be something to watch and keeping that continuity on the coaching staff is extremely helpful for Houston. The Texans have one of the league’s most underrated offensive weapons in Brandin Cooks. They have a rookie running back in Dameon Pierce that could contend for offensive rookie of the year (you know, if it goes to someone besides a QB).
They have a young stud coming off the edge in Jonathan Greenard, and they now have a key building block for the secondary in rookie Derek Stingley Jr., who has been very impressive so far at training camp.
Perhaps most importantly, the Texans have built a solid-looking offensive line, which could be extremely helpful with the development of all the young pieces on that side of the ball.
For the first time in what feels like forever, I think the Houston Texans are weekly must-see TV with all of the intriguing pieces they now have in place.