Of all the major sports, no sport functions with bigger roster, and thus more moving parts, than American football. With a 53 man roster, a 16 man practice squad, and a degree of physicality that leads directly to multiple weekly decisions fueled by injury, no sport has more nuance when it comes to roster construction topics.
In the scouting and personnel world, there are a myriad fo opinions on the best way to build a championship team. Some teams build through the defense. Some teams build in the trenches, not he offensive and defensive line. You’d have a hard time finding a team that doesn’t prioritize finding a quality quarterback.
Daniel Jeremiah is a former scout, who is now an NFL expert on the NFL Network, with a keen focus on the NFL Draft. I think he is excellent at his job, and has well reasoned takes and opinions, grounded in his years of experience in the league. Recently, he posted on X about his philosophy on what elements are necessary for a Super Bowl caliber team:
I like this view, because it incorporates a little bit fo everything. With that said, how do the Houston Texans hold up within this framework? Are they a Super Bowl contender under the Jeremiah Method? Let’s take a look, and grade each element:
QUARTERBACK (1) – C.J. Stroud
If we were doing this exercise two years ago, this grade would have been, at minimum, an A-. However, Stroud’s last two seasons have been somewhat inconsistent, and his playoff performance last season was a disaster. Still, if Stroud were available on the open market, there would be at least 8 to 10 teams that would pursue him, so there’s something there. This is a big season for Stroud.
GRADE: C+
OFFENSIVE PLAYMAKERS (3) – Nico Collins, WR; David Montgomery, RB; Dalton Schultz, TE
Nico Collins is an elite wide receiver. His presence buoys this grade. David Montgomery has yet to take a regular season snap as a Texan, but his high level proficiency in short yardage alone is a big upgrade for the Texans. The third playmaker is where this category gets dicey. Dalton Schultz is a slightly above average tight end, but the Texans really need WR Jayden Higgins to seize the third playmaker spot to get this in the high B, low A range.
GRADE: B-
QUALITY OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (3) – Wyatt Teller, G; Ed Ingram, G; Braden Smith, T
You can probably sense a trend — the offensive side of the ball is the issue in getting to the Super Bowl. I actually feel better than a C+ grade on each fo the individuals listed here, but until I see it all come together with my own eyes, I am tempering my optimism for this group. Like Higgins in the previous category, the ascension of second year left tackle Aireontae Ersery to being one of the team’s three best offensive lineman is crucial for the future.
GRADE: C+
PASS RUSHER (2) – Will Anderson, DE; Danielle Hunter, DE
These are two of the five best pass rushers in the NFL. Hunter has garnered 27 sacks in two seasons as a Texan, and Anderson was the runner up for Defensive Player of the Year. End of topic.
GRADE: A+
DEFENSIVE PLAYMAKERS (3) – Derek Stingley, CB; Kamari Lassiter, CB; Jalen Pitre, CB/S
Stingley and Lassiter comprise the best cornerback duo in the NFL, and Pitre is able to affect games in about a half dozen different ways. What takes this grade over the top is that we still have Calen Bullock, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Reed Blankenship available to add if anything happened to any fo the first three guys. This is an elite group.
GRADE: A++
