C.J. Stroud shown wildly left off Texans' top players list

The Houston Texans were expected to be a Super Bowl contender in 2024 after trading for Stefon Diggs to complement immediate star quarterback C.J. Stroud, and also created a star trio of receivers with Nico Collins and Tank Dell.

However, injuries to Diggs and Dell, as well as awful offensive line play, saw the Texans stall out in the divisional round once again. Despite that, Houston still has a ton of talent on the roster as they gear up for Year Three of the C.J. Stroud - DeMeco Ryans era. However, in the latest list from PFF ranking every team's top three players, Stroud was left off. The players who made the cut were Collins, edge rusher Will Anderson, and cornerback Derek Stingley.

"Collins has entered the conversation as a Tier 1 wide receiver, as he has put up 90.0-plus receiving grades in each of the past two years," Trevor Sikkema writes. "Anderson made a strong leap in Year 2, posting an 88.8 overall grade and a 78.3 pass-rush grade. Stingley produced a team-best non-quarterback WAR of 0.63 in 2024, the third-highest mark among all cornerbacks in the NFL."

While Stroud didn't match his rookie production, he is still very much one of the Texans' best three players, and they would not be a good team if not for him being under center. Not having him on the list feels a bit absurd.

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