Bri One Three.

The Houston Texans finished their 2023 regular season 1st in their division (AFC South) and 4th overall in their conference with a recorded 10 wins and 7 losses. In the following weeks their post-season came to an end after a loss to the Baltimore Ravens during the AFC Divisional Playoffs.

Although the Texans had an exceptional year, they were not shy at all about making significant shifts during the current off-season. Through all of their changes, the decision to trade draft pick compensations for Pro-Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs seems to have gained the most traction among NFL fans.

Who is Stefon Diggs?

Stefon Diggs spent the past four years of his NFL career as a receiver for the Buffalo Bills, alongside quarterback Josh Allen. What would become his last regular season with the Bills (2023) was no small feat. Within the 17 games he played, he recorded 107 receptions, 1,183 yards, and 8 touchdowns. Similarly to the Texans, the Bills sadly lost their round of the AFC Divisional Playoffs.

With the Bills, Diggs displayed arguably his best performances and received four consecutive Pro-Bowl nominations to attest to his athleticism and skill. Although Diggs is only contracted to the Texans for the 2024-2025 season, if he can prove himself as an exceptional asset to their offense he might be eligible for a longer extension and possibly a higher payout.

Of all the off-season announcements, why is this trade so significant?

As of April 3rd, Diggs is now a projected starting target for the 2023-2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year: Texan quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Stroud’s 1st year in the NFL proved he was well worth the Texans 2nd overall NFL draft pick in April 2023 (which notably made him the highest drafted quarterback in Ohio State’s history). By the end of his first starting season, with 15 regular season games played, Stroud recorded the following stats:

Stroud now holds franchise records with the Texans for the most passing yards, touchdowns, attempts, and completions by a rookie. Additionally, he was recognized as the youngest starting quarterback to win a playoff game in the league after a win over the Cleveland Browns in their AFC Wildcard game.

With a year under his belt, Stroud has given the Texans hope to be genuine superbowl contenders, and we will see firsthand if this holds true as Diggs joins his offense for the 2024 season.

Diggs, Stroud… and what army?

With the addition of Diggs, the Texans truly have a stacked offense. This reformed team includes star wide receivers Nico Collins (80 receptions, 1297 yards, 8 touchdowns in 2023) and Tank Dell (47 receptions, 709 yards, 7 touchdowns in 2023), and tight end Dalton Schultz (59 receptions, 635 yards, 5 touchdowns in 2023).

Another new addition to the 2024 Texans offense is Pro-Bowl running back Joe Mixon, who spent the last 7 years with the Cincinnati Bengals. By the end of his 2023 regular season, Mixon recorded 1,410 total yards, 9 rushing touchdowns and 3 receiving touchdowns. 

This notable trade occurred within the franchise roughly a month before they received Diggs. Mixon is also projected to start during the 2024-2025 season.

Houston Texans: looking ahead.

Within the 3 years prior to the Texans drafting C.J. Stroud (2020-2022), they recorded a total of 11 wins and 34 losses. Through their most recent season, they are slowly proving that it doesn’t take half a decade to rebuild your franchise.

With the 2024 draft taking place this week (during which the Texans will have two 2nd round picks), and the regular season kicking off in 5 months, it’s not a terrible idea to keep an eye on the Houston Texans to see exactly what they have in store for the 2024-2025 NFL season!