Dominant starters Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter anchor the defense, but a lack of edge depth could jeopardize Houston's championship aspirations heading into a pivotal 2026 campaign.
One of the NFL's most popular cliches is the notion that a team is one player away from contention. And while one player can prove to be the piece that elevates a team to contender status, some are reluctant to say one individual can have that effect for a team. They're either good enough as constructed or not good enough.
Still, there's some truth to the idea that a single player can change the entire course of their season. One NFL writer discussed what position could add the most to the Texans heading into the 2026 NFL season.
Jared Koch of Houston Texans on SI shared his honest assessment of the Texans. He believes that Houston still finds itself in need of edge rusher depth.
"Realistically, the Texans could walk into next season with their edge rusher room as is and still be one of the best pass-rush units in the league. That's how impacful Anderson and Hunter are as a one-two punch.
But the Texans can't put Hunter and Anderson on the field for every defensive snap. Last season, Anderson was on the field for a collective 67% of Houston's defensive snaps, while Hunter was out there for 70%.
So having another solid third edge rusher to slot in behind that duo on the depth chart could wind up placing them in a pretty significant reserve role.
Last season, it was Derek Barnett and Denico Autry who claimed that role on the Texans' defense and played relatively well in it. But those two have both since come off the roster this offseason, that now leaves Houston with a bit of a different outlook on their depth chart from 2025."
Houston Texans safety Jaylen Reed (23) celebrates after a play during the game against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. Troy Taormina-Imagn ImagesWhile true that the Texans are not hurting for quality edge rusher starters with two of the NFL's best in Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, edge depth is crucial in building a top defense in the NFL. You want to be prepared in the event any of the key contributors cannot perform in a given game. Adding an extra edge rusher could mean all the difference for the defense's floor.
The Texans will likely again have a Top 5 defense after re-signing several top players from their No. 1 defense in 2025. Albeit just because it is good enough does not mean the defense cannot get better. Houston will look to put the finishing touches on a top NFL defense in the coming months.