Veteran Houston Texans defensive lineman among NFL’s most underrated players

It’s well known at this point that the Houston Texans have had one of the best offseasons in recent memory. They built on their already lethal offense and significantly improved the defensive side of the ball, with an emphasis on the defensive line.

One of those additions will soon be 34-year-old Denico Autry, who will enter his 11th season in the league after spending the last six seasons split between two other AFC South teams, the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans .

Autry’s career seemingly improved as he got older, a difficult trend given the wear and tear a football player’s body experiences from season to season. Autry’s stats aren’t eye-popping, but he’s been a consistent force along the defensive line on the respective teams he’s played with, earning him a spot on the list of most underrated players in NFL.com.

“Well, Autry certainly isn’t underrated by the AFC South. The former Raiders undrafted free agent really came into his own during a three-year stint with the Colts. Then he spent the last three seasons accumulating 28.5 sacks with the Titans and in March he signed with the Texans, giving Houston a powerful and versatile defensive lineman to complement edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and his team. Fellow free agent Danielle Hunter, Titans star Jeffery Simmons was NOT happy with Autry’s intra-divisional relocation, while Texans OL Tytus seemed pretty happy to no longer have to block him.

Autry signed a two-year contract with the Texans this offseason and will bring with him his prowess getting into the opposing offensive backfield. He will likely continue to be productive from his position with many offenses paying attention to his teammates on the boundary rather than what’s happening in the middle.

The Texans are hoping for another strong regular season before looking to make the playoffs, and it will take every player on the team playing at their best for them to achieve their lofty goals while possessing one of the most difficult schedules in history. the NFL in 2024.

Stay with TexansGameday for more coverage on the Houston Texans throughout the 2024 season.

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