For the Houston Texans, the 2025 NFL season will begin on Sunday, September 7 in Los Angeles against the Rams. Around the league, most experts are fairly certain of a few things regarding the Texans — they should be clear favorites to win the AFC South, the offensive line can’t be worse than it was in 2024, and DeMeco Ryans is one of the bright, young coaching stars.
Where the Texans fit into the fabric of Super Bowl contenders, though, is very much up for debate. On most odds boards, they sit somewhere between 10th and 15th to win the whole shebang. However, if upper level, core talent on the roster is a deciding factor, the Texans should perhaps be higher up the list.
To wit, if we believe NFL players to be greater experts as to what constitutes “good at football” than non-players in the media, then the NFL’s Top 100 Players ranking, which is determined by votes of around 1,000 players, is great news for the Texans.
As it turns out, according to this year’s poll, the Texans have six of the top 58 players in football, with Derek Stingley, Jr. being the sixth and final Houston Texan revealed this week at number 18. If I’m correct on forecasting who the remaining players are on the countdown to be unveiled between now and next week, this means the Texans will end up with the second most players (6) in the top 58 spots, behind only the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles (7).
Let’s look at the six Texans in this ranking, and forecast whether they will each live up to their ranking this coming season:
Top 100 Players of 2025:@HoustonTexans RB Joe Mixon lands at No. 58 on the list. @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/1IAGQoj5S6
— NFL (@NFL) July 31, 2025
58. JOE MIXON, RB
I was mildly surprised that Mixon showed up in the Top 100 at all, let alone as high as 58th. It’s not that Mixon wasn’t a key cog for the Texans last season, but I just never watched him and thought “Wow, there’s only 57 guys on earth better than Joe Mixon.” As for the upcoming season, Mixon’s early season injury is going to make it awfully tough for him to replicate his 2024 numbers, both due to rust and the sheer math of missing games. I’d predict a fall out of the Top 100 for Mixon next year.
Will Anderson Jr. at 46 in #NFLTop100 🤘🏻 pic.twitter.com/Prcl49bQQ8
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) August 6, 2025
46. WILL ANDERSON, Jr., EDGE
Anderson has made the Pro Bowl in both of his NFL seasons thus far, and if camp is any indication, Anderson is primed for a big leap this season. I think Anderson is a prime candidate for Defensive Player of the Year this season, and I think, if healthy, it’s a lock he ascends into the Top 25 players in football in next year’s rankings.
C.J. Stroud is your 39th ranked player in the NFL
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/lGnyzVpTTW
— te𝕏 🌎☄️💕® (@TexanicoYT) August 11, 2025
39. C.J. STROUD, QB
Stroud entered the rankings last year at a practically unprecedented 20th coming off his historic rookie season. Statistically, as well know, Stroud backslid in 2024. However, the fact that he only dropped to 39th overall shows me that his peers see Bobby Slowik and the 2024 offensive line as the culprits in that regression. That said, I have no idea which direction Stroud’s ranking goes this coming season. If he descends, it means that the line was probably still an issue, but if returns to the Top 20, the Texans might have gone to the Super Bowl.
Nico Collins finally getting the respect he deserves coming in at 32 on #NFLTop100 pic.twitter.com/W5rE7rECag
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) August 15, 2025
32. NICO COLLINS, WR
Collins makes his flirrst appearance in these rankings at 32nd overall, and that’s having missed five full games and most of two others. Collins only played ten full games in 2024, and still finished with over 1,000 yards receiving. When he hurt himself in Week 5, he was on his way to the greatest receiving season in Texans history, which is saying something for a franchise who employed Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins. I think Collins ranking is attached at the hip to Stroud’s, and could go either way a year from now.
Texans DE Danielle Hunter comes in #25 on the NFL Top 100 list moving up from #68 last year.
Hunter was one of 2 players last year to have 90+ pressures according to NGS pic.twitter.com/YzdUjyJWDf
— Jacob (@TexansJacob) August 20, 2025
25. DANIELLE HUNTER, EDGE
Hunter has been everything the Texans couple have asked for when they signed him in free agency before the 2024 season, having finished with a dozen sacks, and as you can see in the video above, numerous plays where the person he is tackling looks like they might not get up. Hunter has been fantastic. He is also getting older, but shows no signs of slowing down. I could see Hunter and Anderson flip flopping spots in next year’s ranking, with Hunter sliding into the 40’s and Anderson rising into the 20’s.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@HoustonTexans CB Derek Stingley Jr. makes his debut on the list at No. 18! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/iAdW9eXcMM
— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2025
18. DEREK STINGLEY, Jr.
Stingley’s living up to his status as third overall pick in the 2022 draft has been, aside from Stroud’s establishing himself as a franchise QB, the most important development for this roster, and thus, the Texans’ return to relevance (and hopefully, this season, return to prominence). If healthy, Stingley might be establishing a permanent home among the top 20 players in the sport. He is that good.
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