2023 Houston Texans Defense

The Texans finished last in rushing yards allowed (2,894) with 25 rushing touchdowns. Ball carriers gained 5.0 yards per rush while averaging 33.7 rushes.

They finished 11th in passing yards allowed (3,558), with quarterbacks tossing only 15 touchdowns and 16 Interceptions. Their defense recorded 39 sacks.

The interior of Houston’s defensive line gets a slight boost by the signing of DT Sheldon Rankins, but the Texans still lack impact talent to stop the run. DE Jerry Hughes enters the season at age 35 while coming off his best year in sacks (9) since 2014. However, his run defense is fading while seeing his missed tackles rise. The Texans need DE Will Anderson to hit the ground running in his rookie season to add value to Houston’s pass rush and overall defense. DE Jonathan Greenard posted eight sacks in 2021, but he missed nine games last season with a calf injury.

CB Derek Stingley didn’t allow a touchdown in his rookie season while holding receivers to a low catch rate. Houston added him with the third overall pick in 2022. He finished last year with weakness in his run defense. S Desmond King played well in all areas in his second season with Houston. He has 182 tackles and five interceptions over the past two years. S Jalen Pitre missed some tackles in his rookie campaign, but he added 147 tackles, one sack, five interceptions, and eight defended passes to his stat line. Receivers did beat him for four touchdowns. CB Steven Nelson gave Houston good snaps at their second cornerback slot but fell short of expectations in run support due to a sharp in missed tackles.

The second level of the Texans’ defense lacks any impact players, suggesting another long season in run support.

There is no reason to chase Houston’s defense around in the fantasy market. They will struggle against the run and getting offenses off the field.