The 2025 offseason is one of the more important ones the Houston Texans have had in a long time. They have now had two successful years in a row under this regime, but have seemed to hit a plateau. With some moves, they could get over the hump that is the divisional round. They have yet to make the AFC Championship by losing to the big dogs of the AFC like the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens.
Let's see if they can turn to one of the big dogs based on what moves they make this offseason. But, here's the kicker: They have to have a successful offseason without really being able to do anything when it comes to free-agency acquisitions. They are projected to have under $10 million in available cap space before they cut or restructure any contracts.
So, they will have their work cut out for them. This also means they will have to do the bulk of their work in the draft. And, to keep the train going, means that the NFL Combine coming up in a few days is super important.
The combine is more so for the interviews when you're talking about it from a team perspective. They just want to talk to the player, as they have already seen all of the physical stuff on tape. But, things are about to get very hectic from the fan and media side of things. So, here are three players that the Texans need to be watching during the combine:
Three players Texans need to watch during the 2025 NFL Combine
For the sake of the article, let's do three guys that are going to be must-watches because of their tangibles. The Texans want to be watching these players because they will likely be doing something that is polarizing during the drills and workouts, but at the same time, play a position that the Texans will need and be interested in.
So, here we go:
Tez Johnson, Oregon WR
We all know Tez Johnson by now, as he had one of the best weeks of any wide receiver at the Senior Bowl a few weeks ago. He's fast, we all know that, but he's also a guy who has an insane ability to stop on a dime after running what seems like 100 miles an hour. Johnson has some of the best footwork from a playmaker's standpoint and has a bit of contested catch ability.
But more than anything, Johnson would be a pick that would help fill the void of Tank Dell. They are the same type of player in terms of build and play style. The Texans will likely be without Dell for most of the 2025 season, and they will need a guy who can replicate all of the valuable things Dell brought to the table.
Watch Johnson in the 40-yard dash, and other drills that showcase his footwork and movement.
Emery Jones Jr., LSU OL
This is a guy who is ranked lower than many thought he would be, and part of that is because it's hard to look good when you have Will Campbell on your offensive line absolutely dominating. But, Jones is a good player. The big thing is whether he would play guard at the NFL level or not. And, he has shown that he has a bit of footwork to him, so, why not watch him in some of the drills that would showcase that the best?
The Texans desperately need some help on the offensive line. C.J. Stroud was sacked the second most of any player last year. The interior of their offensive line needs the most work, but they really need help everywhere. Jones wouldn't be a bad pick if they got him at the right spot. But, you'd love to see some of the physical things he can do, because he wasn't asked to do a lot of pulling and getting into the second level a ton at LSU.
Kenneth Grant, Michigan DT
Mason Graham will be the star of the 2025 NFL Draft when it comes to defensive tackles, and the funny thing is, the two of them are on the same team. We weren't kidding this year when we said Michigan had a defensive line full of NFL players this year. Grant is one of them that, yes, benefitted from Graham, but also has one of the highest ceilings in this draft at his position.
Grant has all of the physical tools to be great at the NFL level, and as we said, the ceiling is insane, but you kind of want to watch and see where he ranks physically among the rest of the DTs. And, the Texans could use a star in the middle of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson.
