Nov 26, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Tytus Howard (71) walks off the field before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Texans Veteran Makes Bold Claim About Team’s Defense

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Jul 25, 2025 2:45 PM ET

The Houston Texans enter the 2025 NFL season primed to have one of the more talented defenses across the entire league.

In the front seven, they have the star pass rush headlined by their duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Within the secondary, there's the star power held within Derek Stingley, and a strong core of safeties in the back-end to give Houston a ton to work with once C.J. Stroud is off the field.

It's a strong sentiment surrounding this defense heading into the 2025 season that lingers within the Texans' building as well, as one veteran name on the roster, offensive lineman Tytus Howard, had some strong praise to give this unit during an interview with Marc Vandermeer, touting Houston as the "defense of the year."

“Defense of the year," Howard said. "Best defense in the league. Every level: d-line, linebackers, safeties, corners, we got the best defense in the league. But, these guys put the work in, man... Every day in practice, it's hard for us [offensive linemen], because we're going against the best in the league. So, if we can do stuff we've gotta do against our guys, on Sundays it's going to be easy for us.”

For a Texans defense that was already among some of the NFL's top units, heading into year three under a defensive mind like DeMeco Ryans, things could look even better in 2025, especially after adding a few pieces around the edges like safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and linebacker E.J. Speed.

In the process of being in the same facility as one of the league's best defenses, it also faces Howard and the rest of the new Texans offensive line up against a true test in the trenches, which in training camp will be huge in helping this new look Houston group upfront early on.

If Howard's case does prove to be true, this defense could inevitably be what guides Houston to yet another AFC South victory, making for their third-straight time of doing so for the first time in franchise history.

This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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