June 14, 2026, 9:04 p.m. CT

How much better can the Houston Texans‘ defense that a season ago?

If it improves, fans will be talking about the unit like its the 1985 Chicago Bears or 2001 Baltimore Ravens.

Good, it’s the way Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans wants it as the team prepares to go on a run to the postseason for the fourth straight year.

“Offenses are going to struggle,” Ryans said after Day 1 of mandatory minicamp.

Houston enters the 2026 season not just as a favorite in the AFC, but rather a legitimate Super Bowl contender. That should be the goal since they’ve made it out of the wild-card round three staight years but failed to advance further.

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Largely, the defense can be thanked for the lofty expectations. The Texans have built a deep enough at nearly every position via free agency and the draft. Two of the top five biggest moves this offseason were made on the defensive side, while four of Houston’s eight draft picks were used on the defensive line, linebacker room and secondary.

Two of the top moves kick-started the offseason for Houston. After having a rotational pull at strong safety, the Texans agreed to a three-year, $24 million deal with safety Reed Blankenship. In the draft, Houston moved up two spots on Day 2 to select Ohio State All-American defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.

After external moves were made, Houston elected to reward its own and lock them up for years to come. Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter became a top-five paid pass-rusher after inking a one-year extension. All-Pro Will Anderson Jr followed that up a few weeks later, signing the largest deal for a non-QB worth $150 mlllion. Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair also got a new deal with a three-year extension worth $54 million.

“I look at this team and we’ve got Super Bowl-caliber players all over the field,” Anderson said last week. “It’s just about taking that next step. I’ve thought since the four years I’ve been here, this has been the best OTAs that we’ve had, offensively and defensively.”