The Houston Texans' roster has added no shortage of stars on both sides of the ball in recent years.
Offensively, you have guys like a franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud, a top-end receiving weapon in Nico Collins, and a routine 1,000-yard rusher in Joe Mixon. Defensively, you've got one of the best edge rushing duos in the NFL with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, along with one of the best corners in the NFL in Derek Stingley Jr.
We all know the talent those guys bring every Sunday. And without them, it's hard to see the Texans having the hold they've had on the AFC South division over the past two seasons. But, when looking deeper down the Texans' depth chart, who could be the most underappreciated player in the mix still bringing a considerable impact?
In the mind of NFL.com analyst Gennaro Filice, look to none other than defensive tackle Derek Barnett, who didn't quite get the most snaps on the defensive side of the ball during 2024, but stood out in one significant category at season's end.
"Barnett played just 38% of the Texans' defensive snaps in 2024, easily the lowest in any season in which he suited up for more than one game, while compiling 5.0 sacks, tied for 72nd-most in the NFL," Filice wrote. "So what is he doing here? Well, scan his Pro Football Reference page a little further, until you see the one bolded number indicating he led the league with two fumble recoveries returned for a touchdown last year. Yes, fumble recoveries are generally luck-driven occurrences. But Barnett also put an undeniable amount of work into those scores."
"He initiated the first turnover by knocking the ball away from in Dallas on Monday Night Football, then sprinted 28 yards to the house," Filice continued. "And while the second, during the Week 18 finale, was the result of some offensive bumbling by the Titans, Barnett did carry an opposing player on his back into the end zone to finish off that 36-yard run. So much of success in the NFL (and, real talk, in life) is determined by factors outside of one's control. The former Eagles first-round pick, who was waived by Philly less than two years ago, might be long removed from his days as a regular starter, but he put himself in position to score when the ball bounced his way, matching a single-season high for fumble recovery TDs reached by just 35 other players since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger."
Oftentimes in the NFL, winning the turnover battle wins you a lot of games. And when it comes to the impact Barnett brought across last season, he absolutely made the most of those turnover opportunities.
And with such a standout season when it comes to those defensive scores, Barnett landed a new deal this offseason with Houston to stay in town for one more season, worth $4 million.
With the aforementioned luck factor involved when it comes to those fumbles, and especially getting multiple defensive scores off of those turnovers, it might be hard to expect Barnett to replicate that same stat line for the 2025 campaign ahead. Yet, over the past two years in Houston, he's clearly earned his stripes as a valued piece on the defensive end, even if he's not an every-down player in the front seven.
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