If you listen to my radio show on SportsRadio 610, or read a fair amount of my material here, you know that I am a big fan of power rankings. I don’t care if there is a quantitative metric ranking whatever items or people we are discussing, or if it’s purely a subjective ranking. Any list that tells my “so and so is BETTER than such and such, because they are RANKED HIGHER,” I’m in.
So naturally, I love the annual NFL Top 100 players list, that is currently being released in small chunks per day, over on NFL.com. It is a list that is entirely decided upon by players, who vote every summer on the best players heading into the upcoming season.
As of Wednesday morning, the countdown was somewhere in the high 80s. Thus far, there have been no Houston Texans names released on the list, but there will be. Here are my predictions for the Texans’ names we will see:
C.J. STROUD, QB
2024 RANKING: 20th
2025 PREDICTION: 71stStroud was the highest ranked Texan, by far, in last season’s exercise, where he was coming off of, perhaps, the greatest rookie season for a quarterback in league history. His second year was a tougher go of it, and it was reflected in his lower touchdown numbers (23 in 2023, down to 20 last season), and higher interception rate (from 5, up to 12). I think much of Stroud’s regression came from coaching and his porous offensive line, though. I think his peers will still see him as a star in the league, although he will drop in these rankings.
NICO COLLINS, WR
2024 RANKING: Unranked
2025 PREDICTION: 68th
It’s hard to find an offseason list of top wide receivers that doesn’t have Collins somewhere in the top 10 for that position. He missed nearly six full games last season, so his stats are not as eye popping as guys like Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase, but the skill set is undeniable. Collins will make his first top 100 this summer.
WILL ANDERSON, JR., EDGE
2024 RANKING: Unranked
2025 PREDICTION: 49th
DANIELLE HUNTER, EDGE
2024 RANKING: 68th
2025 PREDICTION: 45th
I’m grouping Hunter and Anderson together, because (a) they’ve become an inseparable duo on and off the field. Anderson talks all the time about how the two are fire and ice to one another. Also, their stats are remarkably similar, and I think the league probably has a tough time distinguishing who is the better of the two. Anderson has the higher upside, as he’s heading into just his third season, but I’ll give Hunter the nod as a slightly higher entrant in this poll.
DEREK STINGLEY, JR.
2024 RANKING: Unranked
2025 PREDICTION: 19th
After his first fully healthy season, where he ascended all the way to first team All Pro, Stingley is likely to make his debut WAY high up on this list. He is the best player, at a premium position, and made a ton of plays in 2024 that wound up on SportsCenter and internet highlight reels on social media. That probably matters in a vote like this.
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