Building a competitive roster in the National Football League is not an easy endeavor. It requires pinpoint evaluation of college prospects, shrewd management of the salary cap, and, let’s face it, a fair share of luck. For the Houston Texans, if you’re looking for an example of how the luck element on one play can change the trajectory of a franchise, I submit this play:

David Mills to Jordan Akins. The play that changed the Texans franchise and gave them C.J. Stroud.

What was your reaction when this happened? pic.twitter.com/sRZ92tOCXE

— Alex (@htowncritic) January 6, 2024 Texan fans were IRATE after this Hail Mary won this Week 18 game against the Colts, because had the Texans lost that game they’d have had the first overall pick in the 2023 draft. Instead, they were forced to pick second. Here is where I remind you that Bryce Young, a failure thus far as an NFL quarterback, was the first pick in that draft. The Texans took C.J. Stroud with the second pick. For now, the rest is history.

The Texans took Stroud second, traded up for WIll Anderson third, and now they’re off to the races. GM Nick Caserio has done a commendable job of adding other young pieces in building a strong core nucleus. In fact, the wealth of young talent on the Texans has earned them, for the second straight season, the top spot on ESPN.com’s rankings of teams with the best talent pool under the age of 25. (The cut off date for a player’s 25th birthday is September 1.)

Like last summer’s list, the Texans’ lofty ranking is fueled by the meteoric early career rise of Stroud and Anderson, both 23 years old, just like the Texans drew it up on the chalkboard. The other two players that are catalysts for the Texans’ top ranking are their two stud cornerbacks, All Pro Derek Stingley (24) and Kamari Lassiter (22). All four of these young players are labeled “blue chippers.” Here is their summary for the Texans:

Stroud’s birthday is Oct. 3 and Anderson’s is Sept. 2, and both players will turn 24. The former first-rounders had standout rookie seasons, with Stroud and Anderson taking home 2023 NFL Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, respectively. Stroud threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns, and Anderson had 45 tackles and seven sacks.

The Texans also have a ton of youth in the secondary, including three starters. Stingley, who made first-team All-Pro last season, is still just 24. The other outside cornerback, Lassiter, is 22 years old, and so is free safety Calen Bullock.

A few thoughts on this accolade for the Caserio, DeMeco Ryans, and the future juggernaut they’ve created over on Kirby:

Expect the Texans to rank at the top of this list again next summer
Why is that? Well,Stroud and Anderson will still be only 24 years old, and, if the Texans improve this season, Stroud could be back in the Pro Bowl and even in the MVP conversation. Anderson is on a trajectory where he should be in the Defensive Player of the Year discussion. If they both have big seasons, then the rest of the young core is just icing on the cake. Speaking of which….

This season’s rookie class looks like it’s bringing reinforcements for this ranking
The Texans selected four rookies on Day 2 of the draft last spring, and all of them are (a) looking like immediate contributors this season, and (b) under 25 years old! The two wide receivers from Iowa State, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, are both 22 years old, and making plays in camp. Jaylin Smith, cornerback out of USC, is 21 years old and playing well. Finally, tackle Aireontae Ersery is 23 years old, and on track to start at right tackle. Good job by Caserio.

Can you imagine how much bigger the gaps would be if the Texans could draft good offensive linemen?
Ersery, though, is the exception to the rule when it comes to Texans’ drafting decisions on the offensive line. The Texans have taken at least one lineman with a first or second round pick every season since 2022. Two of them, Kenyon Green (24, and now with the Eagles) and Blake Fisher (22, and struggling in camp), are under 25. If they’d just hit on one of those two, the Texans would have elite talent at literally every premium position on the field.

Could the AFC South be on the cusp of a rise in the NFL’s power structure
The Texans are first overall in these rankings, but their division rivals are not far behind. The Jaguars are ranked 8th, the Titans are ranked 9th, and the Colts are the dregs of the division in this “under 25 talent” category, rolling in at 20th. Three teams in the top 10 in young talent could mean that the days fo the AFC South being a laughingstock are behind us. If you add up the ranking spots (i.e. 32nd ranked team counts for 32 points) of the four teams in each division, here is how it stacks up. Obviously, the lower the number, the better the division:

AFC SOUTH – 38
NFC EAST – 38
NFC NORTH – 57
AFC WEST – 66
NFC WEST – 69
NFC SOUTH – 74
AFC EAST – 92
AFC NORTH – 96

The bottom line here — it’s fun having the Texans on the upside of an exercise like this one. Three years ago, they were 26th.

Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergast, on Instagram at instagram.com/sean.pendergast, and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.