Texans Get Reality Check in Latest AFC Rankings

With the dust settled on most of this offseason's moves and transactions around the NFL, many have begun to stack up how the state of the best teams in the league may look after a frenzy of shakeups has gone down across recent months.

However, for teams like the Houston Texans, while many still see the team as a respectable group to compete in the AFC, their offseason moves have also managed to draw in a bit of added skepticism for how they could perform for the 2025-26 campaign.

The offensive line is vastly different, new weapons are in the mix, and after a season of regression on that end, as is, questions have lingered as to whether this team is primed to improve or take a step back.

In the eyes of Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports, the Texans may not have the juice to be a top-five team in the AFC heading into next year, as he placed Houston at 7th in his latest conference rankings, largely due to the major adjustments around the offense this offseason.

Maybe Houston's offensive line won't be a total disaster with Aireontae Ersery replacing Laremy Tunsil on the left side. I would have used another pick on the offensive line, but Houston now may have one of the most interesting wide receiving corps in the league," Dajani wrote. "The big-bodied Jayden Higgins reminded some evaluators of Nico Collins and Jaylin Noel is a good route runner who could fill Tank Dell's role in 2025. Truth be told, the biggest question I have about the Texans is how Nick Caley's offense is going to look. Still, I have Houston repeating as division champs."

Dajani did issue his due credit to the Texans, making their way to their third-straight division title, but as for their standing against the rest of the conference, it's a bit of a different story. Houston falls behind interesting names like the Los Angeles Chargers (6), Cincinnati Bengals (5), and Denver Broncos (4)– all teams that could make some noise heading into the next season, and even compete with a talented roster like Houston.

For the Texans, their ceiling for next season centers upon this offense's efficiency and growth from last season. If the offensive line can shore up, and these weapons can have quick chemistry with an elite passer like C.J. Stroud, the tools are there to defy the narratives and land as a top-five-ranked team in the AFC.

Though with a lot of moving parts in the mix for Houston after an offseason filled with changes, time will tell if those pieces can come together in order to exceed expectations.