Jalen Pitre among top prospects in Texans’ bounce-back season

If there was one important thing for the 2023 Houston Texans, it was improvement. Training was significantly improved compared to previous seasons, which led to great development and improvement of most of the players, and ultimately a gargantuan improvement in the team’s record, from 3-13-1 in 2022 to the revival of 10-7 last year.

However, not everyone improved and not everyone played well. I mean, the Texans lost seven games, so somewhere along the way there were things that went wrong. Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus wrote an article this weekend identifying a “rebound” candidate for each of the NFL’s 32 teams. In other words, he names a player capable of bouncing back from a mediocre 2023.

For what it’s worth, Locker’s Texan rebound candidate was newly acquired running back Joe Mixon, who in this exercise would bounce back from his 2023 performance as a Cincinnati Bengal:

Mixon is almost 28 and nearing the point of no return in terms of age and production, but I’m willing to expect better play from him in 2024. Mixon’s yards after contact by rushing number decreased slightly from 2022 to 2023, and his elusiveness rating was actually 7.7 points higher. Beyond that, he should face more light boxes than before, given the Texans’ bruising aerial attack with CJ Stroud, Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell.

Likewise, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik maintained a starting point identity last year despite Stroud’s exceptional play. Given those roots in the Shanahan tree and the desire to establish the run to set up play action, Mixon’s carry share might look more like 2021 than the last two years.

Naming Mixon is good, I guess, but I didn’t watch much Bengals football last season. I was really hoping to see if my “eye test” on at least one of the Texans’ 2023 underachievers matched that of a presumed PFF expert. Alas, this was not the case. That said, if I had to pick four 2023 Houston Texans for a 2024 “bounce back” bid, there are mine (with PFF rankings at their position in 2023):

4. DAMEON PIERCE, RB (46th of 59 RBs)
Pierce took the team by storm in his rookie season in 2022, as much as any individual player could take this undermanned version of the team by storm, rushing for nearly 1,000 yards. With hopes that Pierce and Devin Singletary would form a one-two punch in 2023, the new staff made him the starter, but he never really understood the offense. By the end of the season, Pierce wasn’t getting any snaps on offense and was only on the team as a kick returner. If OTAs are any indication, the team is banking on a Pierce rebound this season, with DeMeco Ryans even referring to a “1-2 punch” with Mixon and Pierce.

3. KENYON GREEN, LG (DNP in 2023)
Green’s first two seasons in which he earned an NFL salary were difficult. In his rookie season in 2022, Green was banged up, but was successful all season, even though he didn’t play well. Defensive tackles have had their way with him. Last season, Green suffered an upper body injury before training camp, and that injury ultimately required season-ending surgery. Green took a year off to heal and work on his body, and I have to say he came back this season in phenomenal physical shape. Green will be in a battle at left guard, but I imagine if it’s tight he’ll get the nod.

2. JALEN PITRE, S (67th out of 95 safeties)
Pitre had an up and down rookie season in 2022, largely due to missed tackles caused by excessive aggression. The hope in 2023 was that Pitre would tweak some things and become the consistent player the team was getting in their 2022 draft. Instead, Pitre took a step back in 2023 and didn’t really take a step forward from All. . The team elected him captain in 2023, so the level of respect for Pitre is high, but this is a pivotal year for his future as a Texan, beyond his rookie contract.

1. TYTUS HOWARD, RT (69th of 79 at guard)
Howard got a big contract extension – three years, $54 million – at the start of training camp last year, but broke his hand a week later, setting off a chain of events which made Howard’s 2023 season a bit chaotic. By the time Howard returned from his injury, he was needed more as a left guard, a position he doesn’t play very well, than as a right tackle, his natural position. So the Texans had a few weeks of bad football from Howard, before he tore his knee in November and missed the rest of the season. This is the easiest bounce for me because it relies solely on health and the Texans playing Howard at his natural position. It seems easy enough.

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