Crimson Tide NFL Team Rundown: The Houston Texans

The Texans may have finished 3-13-1 last season, but are aiming for a flash rebuild with a new head coach, quarterback and edge rusher to build around.

The Houston Texans have had a serious turnaround since the end of the 2022 season. After hiring a new coach, they made CJ Stroud the second-overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft and then traded right back into the fold for the third-overall pick and Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. 

Offensively, the Texans know what they're getting in Stroud: passing accuracy, the ability to read a defense, and true arm strength. Stroud was a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Ohio State and had 8,123 yards, 136 rushing yards, and 86 total touchdowns in two seasons as the Buckeyes starter. 

Stroud will have a couple of young weapons for him to work with: Alabama wide receiver John Metchie III, wide receivers Tank Dell and Nico Collins, and tight end Dalton Schultz. Metchie and Dell have not played a snap in the NFL, although the former is not a rookie. He lost his rookie season due to both ACL recovery and a battle with Leukemia. Metchie has been fully cleared now for football activities and is looking to making his mark in the NFL.

Defensively, Houston will be led by its pass rush and linebacking core. It's no secret that it expects Anderson to be sort of the the next JJ Watt in terms of sack prowess. He started all three seasons at Alabama, recording 204 total tackles, four passes defended, one forced fumble, one pick, one touchdown, and 34.5 sacks. Some draft experts considered Anderson to be the best defensive draft prospect since fellow Crimson Tide alum Derrick Thomas. 

Surrounding him, Houston has solid linebacking core led by Christian Kirksey and Christian Harris. Kirksey is entering his third year in Houston, where he totaled 124 total tackles in 2022. Harris, a former teammate of Anderson's at Alabama, had 74 total tackles during his rookie season, playing in 12 games for the Texans. 

The Texans secondary is also full of young stars, highlighted by LSU's Derek Stingley Jr. at cornerback. During his rookie season in 2022, Stingley played in nine games, recording 43 total tackles, one sack, one pick, and five passes defended. He also surrendered zero touchdowns while playing on a 3-13-1 team.  

Bama in the NFL: DeMeco Ryans Aims to Turn Houston Texans Around, Again

The Alabama-Houston Connection

The Texans and the Crimson Tide connection cannot begin without talking about head coach DeMeco Ryans. Ryans played for both Alabama and Houston, spending 10 years in the NFL as a linebacker. He finsihed with 970 tackles, 72 tackles for loss, 10 fumble recoveries, seven picks, and one defensive touchdown. At 39, this is his first head coaching job. 

Metchie could earn a starting job at wide receiver, but the team will want to test his stamina during the preseason. He also needs to get used to NFL speed and develop chemistry with the quarterbacks. Metchie started two seasons for Alabama where he had 2,058 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. 

Anderson is already being described as a game-wrecker during training camp. He should have no problems in acclimating to NFL speed, and could be the frontrunner for defensive rookie of the year honors. He'll likely play during the preseason, although Houston will want to try and minimize any injury risk. 

When he's healthy, Harris is the type of linebacker who will come downhill and lay a hit on someone. He pairs well with a linebacker like Kirksey, who plays more like a true off-ball linebacker and diagnoses the defense. Harris should continue to develop nicely as the "Will" in the interior of the Texans defense, and continue to improve.

His backup is Henry To'oTo'o, who can also be a reserve in the middle. He plays a similar style of ball to Kirksey, who is on the "wrong" side of 30. The Alabama product should see some consistent playing time in the preseason, to accelerate his learning curve.

It is doubtful that Houston will immediately go from 3-13-1 to something like a 13-win season, especially with a rookie head coach, rookie starting quarterback, first-year players at two wide receiver positions, and at edge rusher. The Texans need to use 2023 to get game experience while CJ Stroud develops in preparation to be the quarterback of the future. Houston's ceiling should be viewed as around nine wins. Should they make a wild-card playoff spot it'll be a huge success for Ryans. 

Active Houston Texans

#51 Will Anderson Jr., LB
#48 Christian Harris, LB
#8 John Metchie III, WR
#39 Henry To'oTo'o, LB

See Also: Bama in the NFL: Active Alabama Crimson Tide Players by Team