If anyone has benefitted from working with DeMeco Ryans, it’s Houston Texans linebackers Azeez Al-Shaair and Christian Harris.
Harris, a former third-round pick out of Alabama, became a staple of the top 10 unit en route to an AFC South division in 2023 by totaling over 100 tackles and two sacks. The year prior, he struggled in Love Smith’s zone-heavy formation and oftentimes looked lost in coverage.
Al-Shaair, a former undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic, was considered one of the league’s better subpackage linebackers during his time under Ryans in San Francisco. He developed into a consistent tackler, and underrated blitzer before breaking out with Tennessee last offseason.
Did the Texans have to cough up over $30 million to land Al-Shaair in free agency? Yes. Will they care if he makes the same impact as Blake Cashman? Not even a little with a steal of that price.
Houston’s hopeful the new duo will emulate better results in 2024, thus making the franchise a legit Super Bowl threat. The Texans also have decent depth in Henry To’oTo’o and Jake Hansen. While Neville Hewitt is more of a special teams star, he offers upside against the run.
The Texans might also be in great hands for subpackage formations with the addition of Oregon’s Jamal Hill. The former Ducks safety started to play near the line of scrimmage last fall and looks to build off his Pac-12 success in the pros.
Where does the unit rank among the rest of the NFL? Here are the thoughts that ESPN’s Mike Clay provided: