HOUSTON — On a Thursday afternoon, Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans and offensive coordinator Nick Caley sat side-by-side at the Texans facility for Caley’s introductory news conference.

Ryans smiled as he expounded on why he chose Caley, pinpointing his success “in multiple schemes.” Caley, who last served as pass game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, also spent eight seasons with the New England Patriots.

“I feel really strong in my conviction that [Caley] can lead us and get us over the hump,” Ryans said. “It’s my job to take this organization to new heights, and I think hiring Nick will help us to get there.”

Going into Year 3, Ryans will be without his friend Bobby Slowik, whom Ryans brought with him from the San Francisco 49ers but fired after two seasons when the offense regressed in 2024. Slowik was a hot name for head coaching jobs after the 2023 season when he led a high-powered offense with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. The tables turned in 2024 as Houston’s divisional-round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs was the exclamation point on a season marred by an inability to protect the quarterback and adjust to opposing defenses.

Stroud was sacked eight times against the Chiefs and pressured on 56% of his dropbacks — the second highest in an NFL playoff game since ESPN began tracking pressure rates in 2009, trailing only former Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (63%) in 2011.

Two days after the Texans were eliminated, Ryans said the offense had to “improve.” Four days later, Slowik and offensive line coach Chris Strausser were fired.

“It was very hard to let Bobby go,” Ryans said. “Bobby’s a really close friend, as you all know, Bobby’s a great friend of mine. Nothing but love and admiration for Bobby and what he’s done.

“When I got into coaching, Bobby was the one to help me figure it all out.”

Slowik, who was hired Tuesday as the Miami Dolphins senior pass game coordinator, did not return ESPN’s requests for comment. But before the playoffs, he said they “didn’t have as many hot streaks as an offense this year.”

Last season, the Texans had a dip in yards per game (342.4 to 319.7) and points per game (22.2 to 21.9) while sacks went up (47 to 54). Slowik’s inability to adapt led to a predictable offense that left Houston searching for answers.

“We simply weren’t good enough offensively,” a team source told ESPN. “We had all season to make adjustments and improvements, and it never happened.”

As the struggles mounted, some players lost faith in Slowik, a team source said. Before Ryans fired Slowik, Ryans asked players for their opinions and didn’t get many ringing endorsements, multiple team sources confirmed.

“I don’t think we had a true identity of what the f— we wanted to do,” one player told ESPN.

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SLOWIK WAS INSTRUMENTAL in Stroud’s historic rookie season. Stroud became the fifth rookie to throw for more than 4,000 yards and led the league in passing yards per game for qualified quarterbacks (273.9).

The Texans ranked 12th in total offense (342.4), seventh in passing yards (4,173) and 12th in completions (114) to wide-open targets, a reflection of Slowik’s creative play designs.

The Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers interviewed Slowik after the 2023 season, but he returned to Houston with a significant pay raise, according to a team source. Despite Houston’s offensive issues this season, he got an interview request last month from the New York Jets, who hired Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

The Texans added two Pro Bowlers for the 2024 season — wide receiver Stefon Diggs and running back Joe Mixon — to a group with proven playmakers. Expectations were high, but much of that was derailed by protection issues.

In Year 2, the pass-blocking issues started in Week 1. Even though the offense was sharp in the 29-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts, Stroud was sacked four times.

“We’ve got to put on film that we can handle [pressure],” Ryans said after the opener. “There’s too many times where someone touched the quarterback. … It just can’t happen.”

Stroud wasn’t allowed to change protections at the line of scrimmage often in Slowik’s offense. It was the center’s responsibility. A lot of the calls were considered “basic,” according to a team source, as simple as having three offensive linemen zone blocking to one side while the backside blockers were one-on-one with the backside rushers.

But the lack of communication within those blocking plans versus stunts led to free rushers, which is why Stroud faced 52 unblocked pressures, which was second most in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats.

Trusting Strausser’s approach wasn’t easy for some players either, according to a team source, as he struggled to connect with the offensive line. But the woes weren’t all on Slowik or Strausser. Sometimes, players failed to execute.

“We really just got to take what we’re applying at practice and take it to the field. We are not doing that right now,” left guard Tytus Howard told ESPN after the Texans’ Week 9 loss to the Jets. “The quarterback’s getting hit too much.”

The loss to the Jets was a boiling point. The Texans were 6-2 going into the game, and Stroud ranked sixth in passing yards (1,948), tied for 10th in touchdown passes (11) and 10th in QBR (60.8). Houston was without Collins and Diggs, but the Jets were 2-6.

Stroud was sacked a career-high eight times. In the locker room, players were frustrated because they viewed losing to a struggling team as unacceptable for a contender — leading to a players-only meeting the following week.

“We can’t lose to teams like the Titans and the Jets,” team captain and defensive end Will Anderson Jr. said after the season

Postgame, Stroud said it wasn’t “easy” to operate under constant pressure and added that their problems are “bigger” than the absence of Collins and Diggs.

“There’s things that, even if they were out there, it wouldn’t even help,” Stroud said.

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MAKING ADJUSTMENTS WAS an issue for the offense throughout the season.

The Texans averaged 13 points in the first half, eighth best, but once defenses countered in the second half, they averaged 7.5 points, last in the league. A prime example was against the Lions in Week 10. The Texans scored a season-high 23 for a half and entered the locker room leading 23-7.

Slowik discussed the potential tweaks with the players but stuck with what they had been doing, according to a team source. But the Lions adjusted. Cornerback Carlton Davis III hauled in an interception by jumping in front of a quick pass by Stroud to start the half. They limited the Texans’ rushing attack to 3.4 yards per carry and allowed one rushing first down. And on third downs, they went man coverage and had a spy over the middle to muddy in-breaking routes, a Houston staple.

Stroud threw two second-half interceptions as the offense had 97 total yards, zero points and five first downs. Despite Lions quarterback Jared Goff throwing a career-high five interceptions, kicker Jake Bates nailed a 52-yard walk-off field goal to beat the Texans 26-23.

“If the defense doesn’t play that way, we don’t have a chance to come back and win it,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “… We made a couple of adjustments at halftime, but we also knew we were playing good ball.”

A somber Stroud stood at the podium, giving short answers as he took accountability, saying, “This game is on me.”

Simply put, the opponent adjusted. The Texans did not.

“When teams would take away what we wanted to do, we didn’t have answers for it,” one player told ESPN.

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TWO DAYS BEFORE the Texans played the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day in Week 17, Stroud addressed the team.

With the biggest game of the season ahead and a chance to prove they could compete with one of the AFC’s best, Stroud wanted teammates to find their joy, saying, “The difference [from Year 1] to this year, I haven’t had as much fun.”

A season-long theme for Stroud was rediscovering the fun in football again as the offensive struggles were mounting. “My dad has this saying that joy is an acronym for ‘just over yonder,'” Stroud told ESPN. “So your happiness is just over yonder, you gotta go get it. That’s what I talked about. Just getting your joy back.”

But it was another joyless outing, resulting in a 31-2 loss, the Texans’ largest margin of defeat in the Stroud-Ryans era. Fans booed the team before leaving NRG Stadium, in some cases at halftime, creating an empty venue resembling a public scrimmage. It was the first time in his NFL career that a Stroud-led offense had been held scoreless, and he was sacked five times.

From Weeks 9 to 18, Stroud was contacted 58 times (tied for seventh most) on pass plays and was sacked 30 times (tied for second). During that stretch, his QBR plummeted to 39 (29th), and he completed 59.8% of his throws (29th) and threw for 1,779 passing yards (24th) with nine touchdowns (tied for 24th).

There were differing opinions on why Stroud’s play tailed off, but none of the sources ESPN spoke to believe it’s a talent issue. Multiple team sources believe Slowik was trying to make Stroud a system quarterback versus getting him to play more naturally, which is being a playmaker and pushing the ball down the field.

One team source said Slowik overcomplicated reads, which didn’t allow Stroud to play fast.

“There’s times where I sit back there, and I’m thinking too much,” Stroud said after the loss to the Jets.

“I just feel like [the offensive coaches] were just putting a lot of pressure on him,” a team source told ESPN.

The Texans’ final quarter was a fitting end as Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo sent a dizzying array of pressure at Stroud, blitzing him on 10 of his 18 fourth-quarter dropbacks. Stroud was 3-of-8 for 41 yards with two sacks and six unblocked pressures when blitzed as Houston scored zero points.

Spagnuolo had a bead on Houston’s pass protection plans and found ways to get defensive end George Karlaftis, the Chiefs’ regular-season leader in sacks (eight), to match up one-on-one against tight end Dalton Schultz, leading to three sacks. Ryans has led Houston to the playoffs and the AFC South title in each of his seasons as head coach. When asked why he fired Slowik and hired Caley, his reasoning centered on getting to the Super Bowl.

For his part, Caley said it’s about getting the players back into an offense they trust.

“I am really excited to evolve this scheme,” Caley said. “It’s not going to be my spin, it’s going to be what’s best for our players. We aren’t pounding a square peg into a round hole.”

Making the scheme less practicable and giving the line the tools to protect the quarterback will go a long way in helping the Texans take the next step.

“C.J.’s already a great player,” Ryans said. “It’s just getting everybody on the same page. We talked about that communication — all 11 guys being on the same page. We do that, and instantly C.J. will be better.”

The 2025 NFL draft is just over two months away. It kicks off on April 24 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the Tennessee Titans will be on the clock first with the No. 1 pick. But what does the top of the draft board look like right now?

We used the recent Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl events as opportunities to get a sense of the top of this class. Who is the top overall prospect? Who is the top quarterback? Will the top pick be a QB or non-QB, and will it be the Titans making the selection? Four of our NFL Nation reporters who were on the ground — Turron Davenport, Jeff Legwold, Daniel Oyefusi and Katherine Terrell — polled NFL executives, coaches and scouts to help answer those questions. (Each reporter asked one question, and the number of responses differs from question to question.)

Let’s start with a look at whether Tennessee is more likely to trade or keep the No. 1 pick.

Jump to a question:
Will the Titans trade the No. 1 pick?
Will the top pick be a QB or non-QB?
Who is this class’ QB1?
Who is this class’ top prospect?

Will the Titans trade or keep the No. 1 pick?

Trade the pick: Five votes
Keep the pick: Three votes

The overall feeling is the Titans will trade the top pick of the draft. The execs, coaches and scouts who voted that way believe the Titans lack true game-altering players and say none of the quarterbacks in this draft class can elevate the current supporting cast. So moving back with a QB-needy team for more picks could be the way to go for Tennessee.

“The Titans’ roster has a lot of holes,” one AFC personnel executive said. “They need more than just a quarterback. I mean, who would Shedeur [Sanders] or Cam [Ward] throw to if they take them? They need help!”

An NFC scout weighed in with a similar thought: “They can’t put these rookies behind that offensive line and expect them to succeed. The Titans’ protection was so bad their quarterbacks had no chance. They have to build the roster up before they add a quarterback.”

The Titans were 31st in QBR this past season (37.3), but to the evaluators’ point, the rest of the team struggled around Will Levis and Mason Rudolph. Tennessee was 27th in pass block win rate (56.1%), 21st in run defense (4.5 yards allowed per carry), 25th in defensive pressure rate (29.0%) and tied for 30th in turnover margin (minus-16) en route to a 3-14 record.

The Titans have made it known they’re willing to entertain offers for the first pick. President of football operations Chad Brinker said he wants to acquire picks, especially in the top 100. Trading out of No. 1 is the best way to add more draft capital.

“They want more picks, so I think they’d come off that first pick,” an AFC scout said. “But it takes two to tango. Someone has to fall in love with one of these quarterbacks enough to give up a ransom to get to the top. I’d say it would take a pick swap no later than No. 7 overall and a [second-rounder] this year to go with a first-round and at least third-round pick next year.”

Not everyone feels that the Titans will trade the pick, though. “You don’t want to find yourself making the first pick often,” an AFC assistant coach said. “You have to make it count and get your quarterback. I think that’s what the Titans will do. Keep the top pick and draft Cam Ward.” — Davenport

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Will the No. 1 pick be a quarterback?

Yes: Three votes
No: Four votes
Undecided: Two votes

There doesn’t seem to be any firm consensus on whether the top pick will be a quarterback or another position right now. Opinions were mixed among NFL execs, coaches and scouts at the Senior Bowl. The quality of the QB class was the biggest concern of those polled.

“Who’s the best quarterback? Shedeur’s not going No. 1,” said one NFC South coach.

Of nine people polled, three believed a quarterback would be selected with the top pick, four said another unspecified position would go first and two more said it was still just too early to know.

“To be honest, I haven’t thought that far ahead,” said one NFC East coach. “I haven’t gone deep enough to know who’s going to do this or that. Who has the first pick? Tennessee? That’s where I’m at.”

An NFC South executive said they don’t think it’s a strong quarterback class but still believed a QB would go first due to a lack of clear standouts at any other position. “Not a year you’d be pumped about having a top-five pick,” the exec said. — Terrell

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Who is the top quarterback in the class?

Cam Ward, Miami: Four votes
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado: Three votes

Ward and Sanders have established themselves as the headliners of this year’s quarterback class, and Ward narrowly edged out Sanders in our poll of league execs, coaches and scouts. While both are expected to be the first two signal-callers selected in April’s draft, multiple people at the Shrine Bowl noted that this class is watered down compared to the 2024 group, which saw a record six quarterbacks taken in the first 12 picks.

One player personnel executive called the top of the draft “generally good, not great.” And a national scout said Ward and Sanders would have been ranked similar to Bo Nix, who went No. 12 overall to the Broncos this past April.

“The top guys in this class wouldn’t be in the top three from last year’s crop, in my opinion,” that scout said. “Good debate on if they would be in the top five actually.”

The general consensus from those polled was that Sanders is a more refined pocket passer, but Ward’s arm talent and mobility give him the upper hand as a long-term prospect. Ward led the nation with 39 passing touchdowns at Miami, while Sanders was just behind with 37 at Colorado.

“The experience, arm talent, decision-making … I think he has a nice package,” an AFC area scout who voted for Ward said. “Overall, I think he’s the top prospect and should be the first [quarterback] off the board.”

An AFC coach who voted for Sanders acknowledged Ward had a higher ceiling but had one cause for concern: “The thing that scares me with [Ward] is some of the risks he does take … you can’t do that at this level,” the coach said.

That coach went on to call Sanders “the safer pick,” saying, “He’s very accurate and has really good footwork.” — Oyefusi

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Who is the best prospect in the class, regardless of position?

Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State: Seven votes
Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado: Five votes

An informal poll of a dozen evaluators at the Senior Bowl gave the narrow edge to Carter over Hunter here — with an asterisk of sorts that one NFC general manager might have described the best.

“Carter is everything you want in a prospect — highest grade on the board with a very specific, defined path into your lineup. You know exactly what he is, how you’ll project him,” he said. “But you can’t deny [Hunter] is the most uniquely talented guy. I mean, [he] did things we haven’t seen in a long time and might not see again. It’s just a matter of where the coaching staff sees him, where a team sees him and how quickly everybody finds a rhythm with how it looks. … You just know how gifted he is and just find a way to play him.”

Carter, an explosive snap-to-whistle force, was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year with 12 sacks, 23.5 tackles for loss and 61 pressures this past season. Most of those polled added that elite pass rushers routinely adapt to the NFL quicker than rookies at other positions, so that enhances Carter’s value at the top of the board.

Hunter, meanwhile, finished with 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns as a receiver to go with four interceptions, 10 pass breakups and 36 tackles at cornerback. While the lure of offense in the public domain has many saying Hunter’s future is at receiver — one scout said he could see team owners preferring Hunter on offense — most of the evaluators polled actually think Hunter is more refined as a cornerback.

“You just really don’t want to stifle his development. He has some rough edges in technique as a receiver. He wins with talent now, and NFL corners will force him to be a better route runner,” another NFC executive said.

It’s typically more difficult to find a cornerback of his talent, and it would likely be easier in the day-to-day world of the NFL to have Hunter primarily on defense and then carve out a situational role on offense (rather than the other way around). But regardless, those polled acknowledged it will be a big decision for the coaching staff who ultimately drafts Hunter. — Legwold