Looking back, the Houston Texans’ season went better than expected.
Never forget that, entering the bye week, the Texans had a 3-3 record following a 0-3 start. Three weeks later, Houston was on the verge of being a 3-6 roster and looking toward the NFL draft rather than the playoffs. If not for a comeback by Davis Mills in the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars, perhaps the Texans never would have found their groove to rattle off nine straight victories en route to a 12-win campaign.
The Texans still are looking to get over the hump of losing in the divisional round. Another souring performance from C.J. Stroud cost a trip to the conference title game against a banged-up Denver Broncos roster and what likely would have been a shoo-in for the Super Bowl.
But while the Texans finished with an underwhelming performance in a 28-16 loss to the New England Patriots, there were plenty of reasons for optimism for the future, especially on the defensive side with a quartet of young players.
Pro Football Focus tends to agree. Here were the 10 Texans players who had the highest PFF grades last year, though Texans Wire will be excluding names who played less than 200 snaps during the season.
1. DE Will Anderson Jr. – 93.1
There’s a reason he will be one of the highest-paid players in the NFL. Consistently the only name who ranked with an 84 or higher in every game, Anderson proved he’s the next great pass-rusher off NRG Drive for years to come.
2. DE Danielle Hunter – 89.9
Last season, Hunter was the star of PFF’s grading. This season, he was double-teamed, crossed up and handed a challenge every week, yet still managed to grade out inside the top five of defensive ends while totaling 15 sacks and 31 pressures.
3. WR Nico Collins – 85.9
Three straight 1,000-yard campaigns, three straight years of ranking among the top 15 receivers by PFF. He’s the game-changer in the passing attack.
4. DB Jalen Pitre – 84.1
The Texans made the switch of Pitre’s role from playing up top to near the line of scrimmage. In two years, he’s gone from being an average safety to a top-three nickel defender. He’s been worth the extension, espcially as a run blocker.
5. CB Kamari Lassiter – 79.7
Don’t look now, but the Texans have a pair of top 10 cornerbacks entering Year 4 of the DeMeco Ryans era. No one is better as a run defender for the Texans in the secondary than Lassiter, who also notched four interceptions and led the team with 17 pass breakups.
6. DL Tommy Togiai – 76.4
Is there not a better contract on the team than Togiai’s? He’s back next season on a team-friendly contract after being the team’s best run defender from Week 11 on. He also scored the final touchdown of the regular season and posted 11 pressures once thrust into the starting role.
7. LB Azeez Al-Shaair – 75.8
The team captain delivered in all three stages on defense. His missed tackle rate went down while his pressures went up. Don’t be too surprised if the Texans tack on another year to his contract while upping his salary.
8. OL Ed Ingram – 73.8
A top-12 finish among interior offensive linemen, Ingram posted a team-high 79.9 run-blocking grade and served as an anchor up the middle. He’s in line for a promising payday this offseason.
9. TE Dalton Schultz – 73.1
He might offer little as a run blocker, but Schultz graded out as PFF’s 16th-ranked tight end because of his pass-catching skills. His 76.5 receiving grade ranked ninth among tight ends, while his catch grade of 81.1 was top-five.
10. RB Nick Chubb – 72.1
While regulated to the No. 2 role, Chubb still had a solid run grade while averaging over 4.0 yards per carry. His pass-blocking of 60.0 ranked the highest among all Texans’ running backs.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: PFF: Top 10 highest-graded Texans players during 2025 NFL season
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
