3 Seed: Houston Texans
The Houston Texans very quickly turned their fortunes around with a playoff trip in the first season with DeMeco Ryans as head coach and C.J. Stroud at quarterback. They clearly weren't satisfied with the success and were one of the busiest teams this offseason.
Since the end of the 2023 season, the Texans would trade for Joe Mixon to improve the run game. They would give Stroud another pass catcher when they traded with the Buffalo Bills for former Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The Texans were busy in free agency as well by signing Danielle Hunter to pair with Will Anderson.
Last year, the Texans surprised teams in the NFL as they made their run to a playoff spot. They don't really have that luxury this year and it will be interesting to see if they are able to handle the expectations. With the veterans they have added, they should be able to do that and with an easier schedule, they can sneak ahead of the Bills to finish as the third seed.