2023 NFL Offseason report: Houston Texans

• Free agency recap: Houston added significant veteran experience to both sides of the ball without overspending for the top names.

• Best move of the offseason: Jimmie Ward will bring sorely needed veteran leadership and stability to the Texans’ secondary.

• Outlook for 2023: Success for the 2023 season should be measured more on the advancement of this young group of core players than by actual wins and losses.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

As the dust settles on the 2023 NFL offseason, it's time to assess how each team fared in their quest to improve their roster.

Recapping blockbuster trades and high-profile signings to shrewd draft selections, PFF offers an in-depth assessment of all 32 NFL teams, shedding light on the potential impact these moves may have on their fortunes in the upcoming campaign.

For more information on each team's draft selections and offseason moves, download the PFF draft guide today!

HOUSTON TEXANS OFFSEASON GRADE: B-

2023 NFL Free Agency

 Free agency recap

Houston added significant veteran experience to both sides of the ball without overspending for the top names.

Dalton Schultz was the headline addition on offense. In three seasons as Dallas’ top tight end option, the fifth-year pro hauled in 226 passes and 20 touchdowns, forcing 33 missed tackles in the process.

On the other side of the ball, safety Jimmie Ward was the top prize. Ward is coming off two consecutive 90.0-plus run-defense grades and has earned above-average coverage grades in each of the past four campaigns.

 2023 Draft class

R1 (2): QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
R1 (3): EDGE Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
R2 (62): C Juice Scruggs, Penn State
R3 (69): WR Nathaniel Dell, Houston
R4 (109): Edge Dylan Horton, TCU
R5 (167): Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama
R6 (201): C Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame
R6 (205): WR Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State
R7 (248): S Brandon Hill, Pittsburgh

 2023 NFL Draft recap

The prosperity of this franchise will rest solely on the performance of its first two picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.

After much debate — presumably internally, but certainly within the media — the Texans opted for Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud at No. 2 overall. Stroud was highly productive in his two seasons as the Buckeyes starter and saved his best for last with a huge game in the College Football Playoff semifinal against eventual national champion Georgia, in which he produced four big-time throws to just one turnover-worthy play and showed off his athleticism by adding 78 rushing yards.

After taking Stroud, the Texans immediately traded up to the third overall pick to take Alabama edge defender Will Anderson Jr., who accumulated a ridiculous 214 total pressures in three seasons with the Crimson Tide.

Best move of the offseason: Signing Jimmie Ward

Ward will bring sorely needed veteran leadership and stability to the Texans’ secondary. Specifically, he should help balance and improve the play of 2022 rookie safety Jalen Pitre, who came down with six interceptions (and dropped four more) but also missed a league-leading 36 tackles last season.

Remaining team needs: Premium draft picks for 2024

This roster still needs considerably more talent at all levels, but the trade up to No. 3 overall for Anderson leaves the Texans without their most important future building block — their 2024 first-round pick.

A lot is riding on Stroud and Anderson immediately as a result of the deal, and maybe they’ll be able to transition quickly alongside the veterans the team brought in via free agency, but it’s more likely the Cardinals earned themselves a future top-10 pick with the big draft day deal.

 Early position battle to watch: Center

 The Texans drafted Penn State center Juice Scruggs in the second round, and he will have to beat out two veterans in order to win the starting job.

Michael Deiter has played extensively at multiple interior positions and last played center in 2021 for the Dolphins. He earned an overall grade of 63.8 that season but surrendered just one sack and two hits on 381 pass-blocking reps.

Scott Quessenberry started last year for Houston and struggled significantly all around. His overall grade was just 36.6, and he surrendered 36 total pressures with 11 combined sacks and hits.

Scruggs gave up just one sack last season for Penn State, and three total in his two seasons as a starter.

 2023 Outlook

The current Texans roster is full of players with past flashes and potential, which could lead to a better-than-expected 2023 season.

The starting offensive line shows promise but will need some injury luck, particularly at tackle. The offensive skill group seems to lack a true alpha, but Nico Collins continues to take steps, Schultz has been added to the mix and 2022 second-round selection John Metchie III returns after missing his rookie campaign due to leukemia. Running back Dameon Pierce’s rookie season was cut short in December due to a high-ankle sprain, but he also returns and should benefit greatly from the offensive line upgrades.

On defense, the Texans will look for 2022 third overall pick Derek Stingley Jr. to elevate his play after earning a 49.9 coverage grade as a rookie, but the biggest question will be on the pass rush. Edge defender Jerry Hughes is now 34 and coming off his lowest-graded season as a pass-rusher in five years, while free agent signee Chase Winovich generated a win rate of just 9.8% in Cleveland last year.

Jonathan Greenard showed promise in 2021, with eight sacks and seven QB hits on just 215 pass rushes, but he missed a large portion of 2022 with a calf injury and struggled to get back to his 2021 level when he returned last December.

Greenard and Anderson need to play up to expectations in 2023.

Looking big picture, the 2023 season for the Houston Texans is about developing the young talent on the roster. Will Stroud’s accuracy he showed at Ohio State translate quickly to the NFL level? Can Collins, Metchie and 2023 third-round pick Tank Dell form a viable corps of young weapons on offense? Can the youth on defense elevate their play and form a strong foundation for the future?

Success for the 2023 season should be measured more on the advancement of this young group of core players than by actual wins and losses.