One of the real downsides of the Houston Texans being such a poor football team from 2020 through 2022 was their complete lack of relevance during the silly months of June and July, where subjective power rankings rule the day. When your team has nothing good about it, then there is really nothing to rank, nor anything worth putting aside the best of the best.
Here’s a confession — I absolutely LOVE the NFL’s annual Top 100 Players ranking, voted on by the players themselves. Aside from seeing where, in between 70th and 100th, Laremy Tunsil dropped into the rankings the last few years, there has been no reason for Texans fans to pay attention to the rankings. That’s sad!
However, and here is where we thank God for the hiring of DeMeco Ryans, that has all changed. With their 10-7 season, AFC South crown, and playoff win over the Browns, not to mention their stellar offseason, the Texans are back on the front burner of NFL Top 100 relevancy, putting four players, two of whom are new acquisitions, into the Top 100.
So congrats to C.J. Stroud (20th overall), Stefon Diggs (56th), Danielle Hunter (68th), and Tunsil again (71st). Enjoy the announcement videos for each, followed by a few more thoughts:
LAREMY TUNSIL, Left tackle, number 71 overall
DANIELLE HUNTER, Defensive end, number 68 overall
STEFON DIGGS, Wide receiver, number 56 overall
C.J. STROUD, Quarterback, number 20 overall
Which Texans got robbed?
If you think the NFL Top 100 doesn’t matter to the players, take a look at Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who signed a massive contract this offseason, when he found out he wasn’t named to the Top 100:
I don’t know that there are any Texans who should feel as jilted as Johnson does, but there were a few whose names I thought might poke their head into the back end of the voting. That’s actually a decent segue into this question…
Which Texans do we expect to jump into next year’s Top 100?
I think the three Texans who could have easily landed somewhere in between, say 80th and 100th were CB Derek Stingley, WR Nico Collins, and DE Will Anderson. If I had to pick one to crack the Top 100 for next season, it would be Anderson, who seems primed to become a perennial double digit sack artist, coming off a Defensive Rookie of the Year award. If I knew Stingley was going to play a full, healthy season, I’d put him ahead of Anderson, but Stingley has missed at least six games in each of his first two seasons. Collins could become a better player in 2024, but with so many options now in the passing game, his numbers may regress in 2024, and thus impact the narrative surrounding the type of season Collins is having.
Texans NFL Top 100 history
For those interested in the elite talent level on the Houston Texans through the years, here is how the Texans have fared in this player voting since the inception after the 2010 season, heading into 2011:
2011 TOP 100 (1. Tom Brady, QB, New England)
7. Andre Johnson, WR
25. Arian Foster, RB
65. Vonta Leach, FB (left for Ravens after 2010 season)
71. Mario Williams
2012 TOP 100 (1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay)
15. Andre Johnson, WR
25. Arian Foster, RB
54, Brian Cushing, LB
73. Johnathan Joseph, CB
2013 TOP 100 (1.Adiran Peterson, RB, Minnesota)
5. J.J. Watt, DE
8. Arian Foster, RB
14. Andre Johnson, WR
18. Ed Reed, S (signed in free agency before ’13 season)
48. Duane Brown, LT
2014 TOP 100 (1. Peyton Manning, QB, Denver)
12. J.J. Watt, DE
21. Andre Johnson, WR
86. Duane Brown, LT
2015 TOP 100 (1. J.J. Watt, DE, Houston)
1. J.J. Watt, DE
80. Arian Foster, RB
2016 TOP 100 (1. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina)
3. J.J. Watt, DE
19. DeAndre Hopkins, WR
2017 TOP 100 (1. Tom Brady, QB, New England)
35. J.J. Watt, DE
49. Jadeveon Clowney, DE
2018 TOP 100 (1. Tom Brady, QB, New England)
13. DeAndre Hopkins, WR
32. Jadeveon Clowney, DE
50. Deshaun Watson, QB
84. J.J. Watt, DE
2019 TOP 100 (1. Aaron Donald, DT, LA Rams)
11. DeAndre Hopkins, WR
12. J.J. Watt, DE
51. Deshaun Watson, QB
63. Jadeveon Clowney, DE (traded to Seahawks before 2019 season)
2020 TOP 100 (1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore)
8. DeAndre Hopkins, WR
20. Deshaun Watson, QB
45. J.J. Watt, DE
66. Laremy Tunsil, LT
2021 TOP 100 (1. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City)
18. Deshaun Watson, QB
66. J.J. Watt, DE (left for Cardinals after 2020 season)
75. Laremy Tunsil, LT
2022 TOP 100 (1. Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay)
No Texans on the list
2023 TOP 100 (1. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City)
85. Laremy Tunsil, LT
2024 TOP 100 (1. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami)
20. C.J. Stroud, QB
56. Stefon Diggs, WR (traded for from Bills before ’24 season)
68. Danielle Hunter, DE (signed in free agency before ’24 season)
71. Laremy Tunsil, LT
Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergast, on Instagram at instagram.com/sean.pendergast, and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
