Feb. 14, 2026, 3:22 p.m. CT
How close were the Houston Texans to playing in Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks? Take away the four-interception game from C.J. Stroud and perhaps the AFC South contenders make it out west to Santa Clara.
Entering the offseason, DeMeco Ryans and his front office and coaching staff will look to improve during the offseason ahead of the 2026 NFL season. There are several positions to target, but most fans would agree that shoring up the offensive line and targeting a defensive tackle might be the best course of action for immediate success.
If you let Pro Football Focus make the call on what to bring in this offseason, upgrading the defensive line seems to be the most logical while staying in the cap space. Albeit he is a gamble, leaving a three-man front defensive line, Denver Broncos defender John Franklin-Myers might be the best bang-for-buck option on the market.
“Franklin-Myers has been an unsung standout for Denver’s similarly fantastic defense. Over the last two years, he’s generated 96 pressures on a 15.2% pass-rush win rate, the fifth-best among defensive linemen in that span,” PFF’s Bradley Locker wrote. “It would only be fitting for the underrated star on one of the league’s top defenses to take his services to another; Franklin-Myers certainly fits the bill of what Houston aims to be up front.”
It’s possible that Fanklin-Myers might not even make it to NFL free agency, as the Broncos could be wise to place the franchise tag on the standout defensive tackle. Houston also might want to get cheaper by bringing back Sheldon Rankins on another one-year contract.
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The Texans also have nine selections in the 2026 NFL Draft and could be up for adding another name or two that are youngerand under team control for four years.