Feb. 12, 2026, 12:03 p.m. CT

How much love did the Houston Texans receive from their 2025 rookie class? Given that four players played substantial roles amid a 12-5 campaign, it’s surprising to see how low the national perception of the crew was overall.

NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice gave the Texans a “B-” on his report card for the rookie class and ranked them No. 22 in the league this year. While both running back Woody Marks and offensive tackle Airetontae Ersery were praised for their roles in Year 1 of new offensive coordinator Nick Caley, the overall outlook of limited success on the ground and in the passing attack negated more positive traction.

“After 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud experienced a sophomore slump in 2024, Houston clearly entered the 2025 draft with the young quarterback top of mind,” Filce wrote. “Spending four of their first five picks on playmakers (Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Woody Marks) and protection (Aireontae Ersery), the Texans aimed to support Stroud with an influx of complementary talent. The results were mixed. Jayden Higgins was the biggest hit, as the receiver built nice chemistry with Stroud in the second half of the season. Standing 6-4 and 215 pounds, Higgins combines with Pro Bowler Nico Collins to give Houston a pair of twin towers out wide. Marks led the Texans with 703 rushing yards and exhibited his pass-catching ability with three receiving scores, but he still feels like more of a committee piece. Noel had explosive moments as a receiver and returner, but we’ll have to see if he can carve out a more consistent role going forward. Ersery was a polarizing prospect, and fittingly, judgments of his rookie campaign fall in the eye of the beholder. The hulking tackle primarily manned the blind side in Year 1, making 18 total starts, including the playoffs — that’s nothing to sneeze at for a second-round pick. But Ersery’s actual play was uneven — which brings us once more to Stroud. The 24-year-old remains a far cry from the player who took the league by storm three years ago, so it’s back to the drawing board this offseason.”

Ersery, who earned the starting left tackle job midway through training camp, ended up putting together an overall decent rookie season while facing off against some of the league’s top edge rushers, but still allowed four sacks and a 21 percent pressure in pass-blocking sets. Most rookies struggles to adapt to NFL speed on the left side and the Minnesota All-Big Ten talent was no exception to the rule.

Marks, whom the Texans traded a future third-round pick to acquire his draft rights, ended up having a bigger role than expected due to injuries. In an ideal world, he’ll be a change-of-pace back with the primary role of thriving on passing sets for first-down gains. This season, he only had one 100-yard game, with a majority of his yarrds coming after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense had been worn down.

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Noel and Higgins were secondary receivers, but the grade is probably more reflected in Noel’s limited playing time. Houston had holes on both sides of the line entering the third round, yet chose to double-dip on receiver with the other Iowa State pass-catcher. That resulted in Houston struggling to find consistency on the five-man offensive line while Noel was more so a factor on special teams in the return game.

Overall, a B- is a disappointing score, but there’s room for growth in Year 2 of an offense. Christian Kirk is set to enter free agency, so Noel should have a larger role in the slot. Ersery should be better suited to protect Stroud next season with an entire offseason workout regimen, while Marks is expected to have a stable running mate joining the crew via free agency or the draft.

A B- isn’t the final grade, so the room for improvement could signal that Houston ends up finishing with a higher mark when all is said and done.