The Houston Texans are built to win now and for the long haul, especially with young talent oozing out on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, C.J. Stroud is coming into his own after back-to-back 10-win seasons. He only accomplished such a feat thanks to the reliability of a strong pass-catcher in Nico Collins, who just turned 26 in March. On defense, pick your poison and one could see there’s talent galore sprinkled throughout all three levels of the field.

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As such, three Texans players made Pro Football Focus’ 25 under 25 list for the 2025 NFL season: defensive end Will Anderson Jr., Stroud and All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., all of whom were top-three selections in their respective draft classes and cornerstones for a rebuild under general manager Nick Caserio.

Anderson, who won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 and just earned his first Pro Bowl nod, was named the No. 7 player and the No. 2 pass-rusher behind Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Verse (No. 6).

“After being named the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, Anderson improved upon his excellent debut season with a top-10 PFF overall grade (88.8) for the position in 2024,” PFF wrote. “His improvement as a pass rusher translated to production, including 14.5 sacks, up from his eight as a rookie.”

Stroud, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 and became one of four players to pass for 4,000 yards in their rookie season, ranked No. 12, serving as the No. 2 quarterback on the list, trailing only Washington’s Jayden Daniels.

“Stroud would likely be higher on this list if not for a Year 2 that didn’t quite live up to expectations based on his Offensive Rookie of the Year performance in 2023,” PFF wrote. “But, with that said, Stroud was still very good, finishing as the 11th-highest-graded passer (tied) in 2024.”

“Due to that solid play, and the nature of the position, Stroud ranks behind only Jayden Daniels on this list in average PFF WAR generated over the past three seasons, and it’s worth noting that he did so on a larger sample size. Stroud will turn just 24 years old during the 2025 season, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Year 3 is his best season yet.”

Stingley, who just became the highest-paid cornerback following his first All-Pro season in Steel Blue, ranked No. 13 and was the No. 2 cornerback, trailing only Kansas City’s Trent McDuffie.

“Stingley endured some struggles and injuries as a rookie in 2022, but over the past two seasons, he has emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the league — not just among those under the age of 25,” PFF wrote.

“The former third-overall pick delivered a top-five PFF coverage grade in 2023 and then finished the 2024 season with the second-best mark, behind only reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II. Stingley also allowed just a 39.6 NFL passer rating when targeted, the best mark in the league in 2024.”

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The Texans were one of five teams with at least two players on the list. The Lions led the list with five players, while the Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles had two players apiece.

While Caserio has struggled to draft offensive linemen, he’s crushed other positions in the draft with top-five picks. This is a testament to the scouting department’s ability to understand elite skills that will consistently transform into stellar talent.

Stingley and Anderson are already among the best at their position despite both being under the age of 25. Stroud is considered a rising star among quarterbacks, but is closer to elite than middle of the pack entering 2025.

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: 3 Texans players make PFF’s 25 under 25 list for 2025 season