After a disappointing 2024 season in which both quarterback CJ Stroud and the entire Houston Texans offense took a noticeable step backward, it seems that many in the media have been scared away and are now hesitant to crown the Texans one of the top contenders in the AFC. But apparently, ESPN hasn’t been scared off.
On July 29, ESPN released their annual rankings 1-to-32 rankings of the league’s best under 25 rosters. Their criteria looks at a numerous factors, such as number of starts and snaps by players under 25, quality of play of players under 25, value and length of player contracts, and draft value added in the 2025 NFL Draft.
For the second straight season, the Houston Texans sit atop the poll.
“CJ Stroud’s birthday is Oct. 3 and [Will] Anderson’s is Sept. 2, and both players will turn 24. The former first-rounders had standout rookie seasons, with Stroud and Anderson taking home 2023 NFL Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, respectively,” ESPN’s Aaron Schatz notes.
Texans Secondary Loaded With Under 25 Talent
No position group in Houston is better set up for both the present and the future than the secondary, which features four different players mentioned by name in the ESPN article. In addition to rookie 3rd rounder Jaylin Smith, who is expected to see the field a decent amount in his first NFL season, superstars-in-the-making such as Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter and Calen Bullock make Houston’s secondary arguably the best in the entire league.
“The Texans also have a ton of youth in the secondary, including three starters,” Schatz writes. “Stingley, who made first-team All-Pro last season, is still just 24. The other outside cornerback, Lassiter, is 22 years old, and so is free safety Calen Bullock.”
Despite being youthful, the Texans secondary carries itself like a veteran unit that has been tested by the league’s best offenses for years, and now has earned the right to believe there’s not a unit across the league that will get the better of them. It was only a week ago when Stingley claimed the Texans would lead the NFL in interceptions “by at least 10 to 15” picks.
Don’t Expect Texans to Slip in 2026 ESPN Rankings
The Houston Texans run atop this preseason poll won’t necessarily end this season. It’s possible, if not likely, that Houston will return to at least the top five in 2026 when ESPN runs these rankings again next year.
CJ Stroud and Will Anderson will both still be under 25 heading into the 2026 NFL season. Lassiter and Bullock will only be 23 years old next year, and rookie wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel will both have opportunities to earn the WR3 slot for the Texans in 2025 and boost Houston’s ranking next year. On the offensive line, Aireontae Ersery and Blake Fisher will both have the chance to play their way into blue chipper status before the 2026 season begins.
In addition to the Texans, the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars were the only teams to return to the top ten in 2025 after earning that ranking in 2024 as well.
CJ Stroud Leads Way as Texans Earn Top Mark in ESPN’s Under 25 Rankings