How the Texans Should Build Around C.J. Stroud’s Strengths

After an up-and-down season on offense, the Texans enter the offseason with a new offensive coordinator and plenty of questions about how to build the team through free agency and the draft. The answer is simple: construct an offense that forces defenses to respect the run, allowing C.J. Stroud to attack downfield aggressively, while ensuring the defense maintains its dominance and continues to improve. 

CJ Stroud’s rookie year was incredible, and when you break down the reasoning and analytics, his strengths become crystal clear. Despite not being known as a ground-and-pound team, the Texans faced the second-fewest light boxes in the NFL while also seeing the fourth-most stacked boxes. This combination led to Stroud frequently throwing against single-high coverage—where he absolutely torched defenses.

Under these circumstances, Noah Brown, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell were all on pace for over 1,000 yards. Stroud ranked second in the NFL in Intended Air Yards per throw (9.0) and first in Completed Air Yards per throw (7.0) as a rookie. Despite ranking ninth in play-action attempts, he still finished fifth in play-action passing yards, proving how deadly he was when attacking downfield off the run game.

But in 2024, the dynamic shifted. Teams adjusted by showing more split-field safety looks on run downs than any other team in the league, allowing them to defend both the run and deep pass simultaneously. As a result, Stroud saw fewer of the favorable looks that fueled his success—and his turnover numbers against these coverages were the highest in the NFL.

The solution for the Texans offense is blatantly obvious: force defenses to stack the box again. A strong run game will open up the deep shots, get Stroud back to his explosive self, and unlock this offense’s full potential.

How the Texans Can Make It Happen

The easiest way to force teams to respect the run is by running the ball effectively. Given the Texans' struggles to establish a consistent ground game, there will be plenty of opportunities to prove they can become a dominant force in 2025.

This starts up front, in the trenches. The Texans need to prioritize improvement here. Not only did they struggle with run blocking, but Stroud also faced constant pressure and was one of the most sacked QBs in the league. While the Texans have already made investments in several spots along the offensive line, the question remains whether Shaq Mason at right guard is the long-term answer. If not, upgrading there or giving Juice Scruggs a shot could be the move.

To improve the offense, the Texans can focus on three key areas:

1. Focus on the offensive line: Make continued improvements to the offensive line, especially at right guard. Whether that means upgrading Shaq Mason or seeing if Juice Scruggs can step up, the Texans need to ensure the front is solid to create running lanes and protect Stroud.
2. Improve the slot receiver position: Adding a gritty, versatile player who excels at both run blocking and pass-catching will be key. A player like Cooper Kupp, Amon-Ra St. Brown, or a tight end like Aaron Hernandez, Sam LaPorta, or Jonnu Smith—someone who can function as a big slot—would be a perfect fit for this offense.
3. Upgrade the running back position: Adding a high-end talent who can both punish defenders and deliver explosive plays will force defenses to respect the run, leaving Stroud with more favorable passing situations. If not, the upgraded offensive line and running back corps will make teams pay for running two-high safety looks.

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How a Strong Defense Sets Up the Offense for Success

Adding defensive talent can have a significant impact on the offense in ways that are often overlooked. Take the Eagles’ Super Bowl performance, for example. They not only stopped the Chiefs, but also scored points to relieve pressure on their offense and, by extension, Jalen Hurts.

The Eagles were able to stick with the run game even though Saquon Barkley averaged just over 2 yards per carry. They called 25 run plays for Barkley despite minimal success. Imagine if the Eagles had fallen behind and needed points quickly—this would have forced their offense to pass more frequently, increasing the need for pass protection against a Hall of Fame pass rusher like Chris Jones. In addition, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would have had more opportunities to dial up his unpredictable blitzes, putting even more pressure on the offense.

A strong defense can help the Texans in a similar way. Adding another elite player to the front seven or a top-tier defensive back would keep the Texans' offense in favorable situations—whether through better field position or by reducing the need for the offense to force plays. This would allow the Texans offense to avoid becoming too one-dimensional and give them a better chance to control the game.

The Key to Stroud's Success: Strengthening the Foundation

Building a team around C.J. Stroud isn’t about creating the strongest receiving corps the NFL has ever seen. The Texans had one of the top 11-personnel groupings in 2024, yet it didn’t translate into success. Instead, the focus should be on constructing a team that supports Stroud’s ability to push the ball downfield, especially against run-heavy looks, and creates as many play-action opportunities as possible. This will aid Stroud and the Texans' offense, particularly as he’s averaged around 3 seconds to throw, which ranks among the top three in the NFL over his first two years.

A run-heavy offense paired with a strong, DeMeco Ryans-led defense will put Stroud in a position to succeed, similar to how Russell Wilson thrived throughout his tenure in Seattle. Another example is Ryan Tannehill during the peak of his career with the Titans. Both quarterbacks excelled despite not having elite receiving corps, with their teams relying on dominant run games. Interestingly, these teams still posted high-powered offenses thanks to their ability to control the ground game. In an era where the common approach is to surround a quarterback with five options to spread out a defense, it’s time to return to a more physical style of play—one that consistently forces the defense into a reactive position, always putting them at a disadvantage.

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