The Houston Texans look like the top team in the AFC South and a top-four seed in the conference this season as they look to finally make a run toward the AFC title game, but there are some potential issues they have entering the 2025 NFL season.

The status of the offensive line is the biggest concern after Houston shipped off Laremy Tunsil this offseason to the Washington Commanders. Tay Ersery is expected to be un the running to replace him, but how much stock can one buy in a rookie second-round pick taking over as the heir apparent to a five-time Pro Bowler?

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Houston is also breaking in four new starters on the offensive line. That might be a good thing since the Texans allowed 54 sacks in 2024, but the names aren’t promising. Three players are former starters, but all were viewed as the lowest-ranked linemen on their respective offensive lines of the past.

ESPN’s D.J. Bien-Aime gave his prediction for the Texans’ ceiling and floor this year, and it’s a pretty wide range, but still in the same range as in years past. Bien-Aime wrote that the Texans could be as good as 11-6 or as bad as 6-11. That difference is between securing a third division title or picking inside the top 12, which would at least net them a high profile offensive lineman for 2026. The Texans have never won fewer than 10 games in the DeMeco Ryans’ era, but the offensive line will dictate the record.

“Can the group protect quarterback C.J. Stroud and establish the line of scrimmage in the run game? If the Texans’ offensive line can’t protect the third-year QB and running the ball effectively, the hopes of getting to Super Bowl LX will vanish in a blink of an eye.”

This is a valid issue to bring up since there’s still uncertainty on who is starting where going into Week 1’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Cam Robinson has been limited in practice while Trent Brown still remains on the PUP list. Second-round pick Blake Fisher hasn’t transitioned into a standout pass-protector this offseason and could be looking to play elsewhere next fall.

Houston is still expected to be a threat to win the division title, but Bien-Aime believes that the biggest X factor remains the offensive line.

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This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: ESPN reveals Texans’ ceiling and floor for 2025 season