Texans Projection: NFL Bottom-Feeder For ... How Long?! Next 3 Seasons

The Houston Texans got two of the top three picks in the 2023 draft, but still are projected as one of the worst teams in the NFL for the foreseeable future, so what gives?

The past three seasons, the Houston Texans have been bad. Like, really bad.

Their 11 wins are the fewest in the NFL in that span, and they haven't finished better than 29th in the league. Thanks to the Jacksonville Jaguars' abysmal 2020-21 seasons, the Texans were only in the AFC South cellar last year, but with the roster construction and question marks ahead of head coach DeMeco Ryans' first season, it might remain that way for the foreseeable future.

Indeed, ESPN forecasts the next three seasons in Houston to be much like the previous three, slotting the Texans as tied with the Las Vegas Raiders for 29th in the NFL's "future power rankings.'' Houston is only ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals, respectively, and the nearest AFC South opponent is the Indianapolis Colts, who rank three spots ahead at 26th.

ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote that quarterback C.J. Stroud is enough for belief that "an exciting era is on the horizon in Houston." ESPN gave the Texans a 73.3 grade at the quarterback position — which is a slightly above average rating per their scale — ranking 23rd in the league.

"New coach and franchise icon DeMeco Ryans also has brought excitement and optimism," Graziano wrote. "Houston has a young team it hopes can grow up together around Stroud, who has the traits of a franchise quarterback."

The Texans were given grades for the draft of 77.3 (15th in NFL), 73.0 for coaching (25th), 65.7 for front office (32nd) and 65.3 for roster minus quarterback (30th). Their weighted average overall grade was 70.3.

Seth Walder said Houston's leap from No. 12 to No. 3 in the draft to take Will Anderson Jr. was "the second-largest first-round overpay in the past 20 drafts," according to ESPN's "approximate value-based draft pick valuations," with added insult to injury that it was for a non-quarterback. 

ESPN's Louis Riddick said he wants to see "stability and continuity" throughout the Texans organization that has seen four different head coaches in as many seasons.

"The Texans haven't been great in hiring, supporting and developing coaches since GM Nick Caserio took over in 2021," Riddick wrote. "Ryans deserves much better, and the organization needs to establish some stability under him."

The Texans do not disagree with the "lack of stability'' accusation. But three more years of the NFL basement? That is obviously not Houston's blueprint of building.

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