For the Houston Texans, the 2025 NFL season will begin on Sunday, September 7 in Los Angeles against the Rams. Around the league, most experts are fairly certain of a few things regarding the Texans \u2014 they should be clear favorites to win the AFC South, the offensive line can\u2019t be worse than it was in 2024, and DeMeco Ryans is one of the bright, young coaching stars.<\/p>\n
Where the Texans fit into the fabric of Super Bowl contenders, though, is very much up for debate. On most odds boards, they sit somewhere between 10th and 15th to win the whole shebang. However, if upper level, core talent on the roster is a deciding factor, the Texans should perhaps be higher up the list. <\/p>\n
To wit, if we believe NFL players to be greater experts as to what constitutes \u201cgood at football\u201d than non-players in the media, then the NFL\u2019s Top 100 Players ranking, which is determined by votes of around 1,000 players, is great news for the Texans. <\/p>\n
As it turns out, according to this year\u2019s poll, the Texans have six of the top 58 players in football, with Derek Stingley, Jr. being the sixth and final Houston Texan revealed this week at number 18. If I\u2019m correct on forecasting who the remaining players are on the countdown to be unveiled between now and next week, this means the Texans will end up with the second most players (6) in the top 58 spots, behind only the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles (7).<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s look at the six Texans in this ranking, and forecast whether they will each live up to their ranking this coming season: <\/p>\n
Top 100 Players of 2025:@HoustonTexans<\/a> RB Joe Mixon lands at No. 58 on the list. @NFLFilms<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/1IAGQoj5S6<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NFL (@NFL) July 31, 2025<\/a> 58. JOE MIXON, RB Will Anderson Jr. at 46 in #NFLTop100<\/a> \ud83e\udd18\ud83c\udffb pic.twitter.com\/Prcl49bQQ8<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) August 6, 2025<\/a> 46. WILL ANDERSON, Jr., EDGE C.J. Stroud is your 39th ranked player in the NFL<\/p>\n Thoughts? pic.twitter.com\/lGnyzVpTTW<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 te\ud835\udd4f \ud83c\udf0e\u2604\ufe0f\ud83d\udc95\u00ae (@TexanicoYT) August 11, 2025<\/a> 39. C.J. STROUD, QB Nico Collins finally getting the respect he deserves coming in at 32 on #NFLTop100<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/W5rE7rECag<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) August 15, 2025<\/a> 32. NICO COLLINS, WR Texans DE Danielle Hunter comes in #25 on the NFL Top 100 list moving up from #68 last year.<\/p>\n Hunter was one of 2 players last year to have 90+ pressures according to NGS pic.twitter.com\/YzdUjyJWDf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Jacob (@TexansJacob) August 20, 2025<\/a> 25. DANIELLE HUNTER, EDGE NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@HoustonTexans<\/a> CB Derek Stingley Jr. makes his debut on the list at No. 18! @NFLFilms<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/iAdW9eXcMM<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2025<\/a> 18. DEREK STINGLEY, Jr. Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com\/SeanTPendergast<\/a>, on Instagram at instagram.com\/sean.pendergast<\/a>,\u00a0and like him on Facebook at facebook.com\/SeanTPendergast<\/a>.
\n I was mildly surprised that Mixon showed up in the Top 100 at all, let alone as high as 58th. It\u2019s not that Mixon wasn\u2019t a key cog for the Texans last season, but I just never watched him and thought \u201cWow, there\u2019s only 57 guys on earth better than Joe Mixon.\u201d As for the upcoming season, Mixon\u2019s early season injury is going to make it awfully tough for him to replicate his 2024 numbers, both due to rust and the sheer math of missing games. I\u2019d predict a fall out of the Top 100 for Mixon next year.<\/p>\n
\n Anderson has made the Pro Bowl in both of his NFL seasons thus far, and if camp is any indication, Anderson is primed for a big leap this season. I think Anderson is a prime candidate for Defensive Player of the Year this season, and I think, if healthy, it\u2019s a lock he ascends into the Top 25 players in football in next year\u2019s rankings. <\/p>\n
\n Stroud entered the rankings last year at a practically unprecedented 20th coming off his historic rookie season. Statistically, as well know, Stroud backslid in 2024. However, the fact that he only dropped to 39th overall shows me that his peers see Bobby Slowik and the 2024 offensive line as the culprits in that regression. That said, I have no idea which direction Stroud\u2019s ranking goes this coming season. If he descends, it means that the line was probably still an issue, but if returns to the Top 20, the Texans might have gone to the Super Bowl. <\/p>\n
\n Collins makes his flirrst appearance in these rankings at 32nd overall, and that\u2019s having missed five full games and most of two others. Collins only played ten full games in 2024, and still finished with over 1,000 yards receiving. When he hurt himself in Week 5, he was on his way to the greatest receiving season in Texans history, which is saying something for a franchise who employed Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins. I think Collins ranking is attached at the hip to Stroud\u2019s, and could go either way a year from now.<\/p>\n
\n Hunter has been everything the Texans couple have asked for when they signed him in free agency before the 2024 season, having finished with a dozen sacks, and as you can see in the video above, numerous plays where the person he is tackling looks like they might not get up. Hunter has been fantastic. He is also getting older, but shows no signs of slowing down. I could see Hunter and Anderson flip flopping spots in next year\u2019s ranking, with Hunter sliding into the 40\u2019s and Anderson rising into the 20\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\n Stingley\u2019s living up to his status as third overall pick in the 2022 draft has been, aside from Stroud\u2019s establishing himself as a franchise QB, the most important development for this roster, and thus, the Texans\u2019 return to relevance (and hopefully, this season, return to prominence). If healthy, Stingley might be establishing a permanent home among the top 20 players in the sport. He is that good.<\/p>\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n