The Houston Texans have a young core of elite players who are no doubt positioned to lead the franchise into the future with high expectations. CBS Sports recently published its list of the top 25 players in the NFL under 25, and three young Houston stars were featured.
Will Anderson was the first, checking in at No. 18, the former No. 3 overall pick was the highest-ranked edge rusher besides Aidan Hutchinson in Detroit, who was ranked No. 8. While Hutchinson gets some benefit of the doubt coming off a gruesome injury last year, Anderson has already made a name for himself in the league at 24 years old.
Through two seasons, Anderson has 18 sacks, and with Danielle Hunter playing opposite, he’s sure to see his production continue to increase.
Quarterback CJ Stroud was up next at No. 15. Unfortunately, the high ranking didn’t quite stack up with the other quarterbacks on the list. Brock Purdy was placed one spot ahead, and Jayden Daniels, last year’s Rookie of the Year, was placed No. 2 overall on the list.
Still, Stroud, 23, is caught in the middle for many national pundits. His rookie season was sensational, and while the Texans saw equal team success in his sophomore campaign, his personal production soured. With a revamped offensive line and a new offensive scheme that gives him more control at the line of scrimmage, Stroud should confidently revert to a top-tier quarterback in the eyes of those who critique his game the most.
The top player from Houston on the list was cornerback Derek Stingley, Jr., who landed at No. 10 on the list. Like Stroud, his impressive placement on the list was still a reality check against the other great young corners in the league. Sauce Gardner landed at No. 7 on the list and Patrick Surtain II was No. 3. Surtain is 25, though, and has held some status as one of the league’s best corners for a couple of seasons now.
Regardless, Stingley played to a standard only one other cornerback in the NFL matched last season: Kamari Lassiter, his own teammate. Lassiter led the NFL in completion percentage allowed at 45.2% while Stingley was next at 45.3%.
Lassiter is just 22 and will likely find himself on a list such as this one next offseason with compatible play in Year 2. Guys like Jayden Higgins, Calen Bullock, and Jayden Reed could present strong arguments in 2025 as well.
