Houston Texans: Edge Danielle Hunter
Hunter is quietly having a Defensive Player of the Year-worthy season. He leads the league in ESPN’s pass rush win rate, winning 28 percent of his rushes, and he’s second in total sacks (12) to only the Cincinnati Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson, who has half a sack more. Hunter is the leader of a fierce Texans pass rush that ranks No. 1 in pass rush win rate overall.
It looked like the Texans would be an offensive juggernaut coming into the season with reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud. They loaded up on offense, trading for Stefon Diggs, but the receiver is out for the season and the offensive line is one of the worst in the league. Stroud is struggling just to keep the offense afloat.
If the Texans are to make any noise in the playoffs, it’ll be up to the defense to keep the score close. They rank third in defensive EPA per drive and yards per play, third in takeaways (27) and eighth in points per drive. Coach DeMeco Ryans has this defense playing at a high level, and Hunter’s impact is crucial.
