With all the focus on the offense right now, particularly what C.J. Stroud will do in 2026, it seems like a good time to take a look at the defense.
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke built one of the best defenses in the NFL last season. Along with secondary coach Dino Vasso, linebackers coach Bill Davis and assistant linebackers coach Ben Bolling, Burke and Ryans turned the Texans EDGE and secondary into a game-wrecking force of flesh, bone and will-to-win.
Unfortunately, as these things go, that defense was unable to make the game this weekend due to #reasons.
And, since I’d rather spend a day getting a root canal than watch the New England Patriots in yet another Super Bowl, the 2025 NFL season is effectively over. Time to look ahead.
First on the list is making this defense better. Unfortunately in the NFL, success brings out the cannibals: other teams want what you have and will do what they can to take bites of it for themselves.
The BESFs and the Arizona Cardinals have both expressed interest in hiring Vasso. The New York Jets and Los Angeles Chargers have interviewed Bolling. Odds of the Texans brass running back the entire defensive coaching staff for another season is pretty slim.
Per Houstonpress.com the following defensive players are free agents:
Denico Autry, defensive end
Sheldon Rankins, defensive tackle
Derek Barnett, defensive end
E.J. Speed, linebacker
Foley Fatukasi, defensive tackle
Tim Settle Jr., defensive tackle
M.J. Stewart, safety
Naquan Jones, defensive tackle
Leki Fotu, defensive tackle
K’Von Wallace, safety
Christian Harris, linebacker
Damone Clark, defensive back
Ja’Marcus Ingram, cornerback
That’s a lot of names that contribute in small, or in some cases, large ways to the overall defensive success seen in 2025. But, there are also places where the roster could improve. We all hear about Will Anderson Jr, Danielle Hunter, Azeez Al-Shaair, Henry To’oTo’o, Derek Stingley Jr, Kamari Lassiter, Callen Bullock and Jalen Pitre. But that’s just 8 of the 11 starters, with at least 10 rotational positions.
Houston Texans Defensive Line
Sure Anderson and Hunter have the edges locked down and Togiai makes highlight reel plays in the middle, but improving the defensive interior line would shore up the run game. Doing so would make it harder on opposing quarterbacks as well.
Houston Texans Linebackers
When Al-Shaair went out in the Indianapolis Colts game in December, the defense was noticeably less effective. Removing a star player from any defense will have a negative effect, but Al-Shaair, as good as he is, isn’t Ray Lewis or Brian Cushing – or DeMeco Ryans. Having another LB on the team at or above Al-Shaair’s level would make for an instant upgrade to the existing roster. Despite the hope, Christian Harris has yet to achieve his potential, and at this stage isn’t likely to do so in H-Town, if ever. Letting him seek employment elsewhere opens a seat for a top tier LB.
Houston Texans Secondary
Unlike the other two defensive units, the secondary is virtually an all-pro squad on its own. Maybe an additional safety to line up across from Bullock would make it even more spectacular, but the D needs help in other areas first (see: defensive tackle & linebacker).
With free agency next month and the draft in April, general manager Nick Caserio and his crew have their work cut out for them. Not only in retaining the current free agents such as Denico Autry, E.J. Speed and Sheldon Rankins, but loading more talent onto the Demeco Dawg Train for 2026.
