Everything Texans HC DeMeco Ryans said ahead of NFL Draft

Q: On the NFL Draft

Ryans: “The Draft, as we all know, can go a lot of different ways. We will examine the board, see where we are and we’ll just make smart decisions for our football team to put us in the best position possible to add quality young men to our team, quality football players who can add value to our team.”

Q: On if he feels like there are certain areas that he wants to improve the team

Ryans: “We’re looking to improve in all areas. That’s how we keep it open for the draft. I don’t think there is just one particular area where we’re going in saying, ‘Hey, we have to do a certain thing.’ You see how everything shapes out. The draft, as we know, there’ll be a lot of movement. A lot of things happen throughout draft weekend. It’s hard to predict where you’re going to be. We just have to be ready. I want to give credit to our scouting department, Nick [Caserio], for all the prep and all the work that they’ve done leading up to the draft to make sure that we have as much information as possible on all of the guys. Our team has done an outstanding job of just diving in, getting the information that we need to make the best decision possible. The draft doesn’t happen without all the work that our road scouts do. Those guys are on the road the entire year trying to gain as much information, as much insight on players to come back and deliver that information to us as coaches so we can digest it, look at the film and see which way we want to go. My hats are off to those guys because they don’t get the spotlight a lot, but there’s a lot of work that goes behind the scenes with the draft that those guys definitely deserve a ton of credit for.”

Nov 9, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans celebrates with defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (90 after Rakins intercepted the ball for a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Q: On how potential playing time availability factors into a player’s evaluation in the draft process

Ryans: “I always tell guys this when I meet them, ‘It all starts after the draft.’ There’s a lot of hype. There’s a lot of momentum going into the draft. Where are you going? When are you selected? To me, I always tell guys, it really doesn’t matter where you’re selected and I truly believe that. Whether you’re a first-rounder or you’re an undrafted free agent, it’s what do you do when you get here. How are you taking advantage of the reps that you’re given? How are you taking things and owning them in the classroom? How are you being accountable for those things, remembering what you need to remember and going out and executing those things? If you come in and you do those things very well, to me it doesn’t matter where you’re selected. If you can help our team win, if you can improve our situation, you’re going to play. That’s all I want. That’s all I expect from the guys. They come in, do their best, grow each day, if they can help us, they’ll help us and they’ll play right away.”

Q: On if there is a different approach to Day 1 versus Day 2 of the NFL Draft

Ryans: “You take it as it comes. Day 1, Day 2, you take it as it comes. Again, you just have to be prepared. When your opportunity comes to pick, you just have to be prepared and, again, we’ve done the work so we’re ready for whatever happens on Day 1, Day 2, Day 3. We’re prepared. We’re ready to go.”

Q: On what he recalls about the 2023 NFL Draft and trading up to select DE Will Anderson Jr.

Ryans: “The 2023 Draft is probably one of the most exciting drafts that I’ve been a part of, and I would say one of the most exciting drafts in Texans history. Besides 2006, that was a good one too, right? It was exciting just to know what we were doing. We pick C.J. [Stroud] at the second pick and to know we’re back on the phones trying to trade up to get Will [Anderson Jr.]. It was just an exciting moment, a tense moment. The adrenaline is pumping in the room. It was awesome. Nick [Caserio] executed the trade. It was about the guy we were getting. As we all see, fast forward to where we are now, it was well worth the move. We knew the type of man that Will was, and it was worth moving up to get him and it has paid off big time for us.”

Aug 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver Denzel Boston (12) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against the Colorado State Rams during the third quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Q: On the amount of prospects he loves in a typical draft

Ryans: “As I go through the draft process, there are definitely a lot of guys that I would like to have that I know I may not get. I have my list of guys that I like. You have to be ready. You can’t have a small list because guys can get picked, people can jump ahead of you, a lot of things can move and change. You just have to be ready to roll. As you go throughout this, as I’ve gone throughout this process, meeting guys for the first time at the combine and you have [Top] 30 visits and you meet with guys. You have guys our coaches are zooming and talking to. There’s a ton of information that I’m able to get on these guys. In any draft there are some guys you like over others, not to say those guys will not be good players but I definitely have a handful of guys that I like.”

Q: Is there anything that’s changed on the way he approaches what he’s looking for in a player

Ryans: “It hasn’t changed much for what I look for in a player. My first and foremost thing is, ‘Does the guy love football?’ I think if I start there with a guy who loves football and that guy wants to be coached, then we can help get him better. That’s always a starting point for me. We want smart, tough, dependable guys and that’s what sticks in the league. When you get into crunch time, who can you depend on? Is it the flashy guy who is inconsistent or is it the guy who has shown time and time again throughout his college career that he is a consistent, dependable guy, a guy of high character, a guy you can count on? That’s the guy I know is going to be a really great teammate. He’s going to fit into our locker room really well. Those are the guys I want to go to battle with. That hasn’t changed for me.”

Q: On how he determines if a player would be a good fit and loves football

Ryans: “We determine that based on all of those different factors. It's a meeting with the guy; it's watching the film. First off, the film for me, he has to be a really good player that I see on film or I see some traits that I like that we can work with and develop. It starts there for me, and then you get the background information from our scouts. The character information, talking to their college coaches, talking to their teammates. You just pull all the information together to see how consistent the information is that you've gotten over the course of this draft process.”

Nov 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans during the first half against the Denver Broncos at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Q: On how long it takes to determine if a player is the right fit

Ryans: “It depends on the guy. When I'm talking to guys, I really like to get to know them, get to know their background. I've studied the tape; I see the type of player they are. I spend that time that I get with guys on just trying to learn the person, learn the young man, how can I better serve him if he was to come to our organization. I'm trying to dive in there and get that information. But it doesn't take long.”

Q: On kicking off the offseason program

Ryans: “It's exciting for us to kick off our offseason program. Feels like we were just here not too long ago. It comes around very quickly. But it's always exciting. You get a breath of fresh air. You get a renewed sense of energy when your guys come back into the building. It's an exciting first day to have them back. Those guys, they'll work hard for the first two weeks here with our strength and conditioning coaches and our position coaches will meet with the guys. I’m excited to get them back and they're excited to work.”

Q: On what he has to do as the Head Coach for the team to take the next step

Ryans: “For us to, as you say, plant the flag at the end of the year, it's fall back in love with the process again. You don't get to the playoffs just by showing up to the offseason program. There's a process that you have to really dive in each and every day, attack the day with a renewed sense of energy, attack the day with a beginner's mindset that you're willing to humble yourself, to relearn things you've already heard, already know, relearn them, learn new things, and grow and build off of that. We collectively come together and we try to build our team. 2026, it's going look different than the teams we've had in the past. We got different players, different coaches, another year. Let's see how we build it. That's what I love about the NFL. Each year is a new year, and you get to build and mold and see a team grow throughout the year. That's what I'm most excited about, how we grow, how we connect. We'll see what happens at the end of the year, but I fall in love with the process all over again.”

Q: On what it means to have WR Tank Dell back in the building

Ryans: “Tank has been around, working out all throughout the offseason while no one else was here. Tank has been here working, grinding in the background. I'm excited to see Tank when it is his time to get back out and play football, as is everybody here. We all love Tank. We've seen the ability that he has, the big playmaking ability. Nobody loves Tank more than me. I'm hopeful that we can get him back to playing, back to the level that he was playing. But I think it's also, we know how devastating of an injury that was for Tank, so I'm proud of the young man. For him, just working in the background, working in silence to be back here working out with the guys and having that opportunity to go play again.”

Oct 27, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) and wide receiver Tank Dell (3) react after a play during the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Q: On if he has to harness WR Tank Dell’s enthusiasm to make sure he is fully healthy before playing again

Ryans: “With Tank, he has outstanding energy. Always big, bright smile. He's always eager to go. You always have to pull him back when he needs to be pulled back. But our team has done a great job, our sports performance team, they've done a great job of individualizing a plan for each player. Tank's no different. Tank falls in that category where he has an individual plan that he's working on. Our team does a great job of just remaining consistent and understanding the big picture. Everybody's excited. Off-season program, we start, but we don't play football today. So, there is a process, there is a long-range view that we're working to get Tank back to playing football.”

Q: On if he is approaching this year’s offseason program any differently

Ryans: “For me, it's the same as we've been going. It's the same message for us. We know we're trying to do something special here in Houston. It goes back to the work ethic, the mindset, those things. It doesn't change just because it's a new year. New year, it's the same message. How can we come together with the 2026 Houston Texans to be as special as we can possibly be?”

Q: On his experiences as a rookie in Houston and how he treats rookies in the same position

Ryans: “My process coming here as a rookie, eyes wide open, it was definitely a humbling experience getting drafted here to Houston. Exciting time for the Texans. A new head coach, Coach Gary Kubiak, who was awesome to me, and awesome leader. I was happy to learn under him. Learn how to manage a team, learn how to take a team from start to finish. It was great working under him. For me, as a rookie, just being there under Gary I knew there was no, ‘Because you’re a rookie you’ve got to wait your turn.’ I was a rookie, I stepped in and I did things the right way. They saw the leader in me, they saw that I could make plays for the team. So, I was out there. I was thrust as a starter, from our first preseason game I was in there as a starter. So, it’s the same thought process for me right now. As a rookie it doesn’t matter when you come in, if you can help our team go win then you’ll be out there for us. We saw last year, we had a lot of rookies who played a lot of significant time for us, meaningful football. So, we’ll expect the same things from this crop of rookies as well.”

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell celebrates a 2-point conversion against the Washington Commanders scored by running back David Montgomery during the first half at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md. on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025.

Q: On what the Texans do to help new players navigate Houston

Ryans: “We have a great support staff with our Team Development group. They do an outstanding job of onboarding our players, making sure they get acclimated to the city. The basics of good places to live, good places to eat, which there are a lot of those in Houston, so we do a really great job. We have a good team that does a really great job of making sure that guys have all the information they need. We make it as easy of a transition as possible. Lots of big decisions need to be made for rookies, but we try to make it as easy as possible. We have a really great team helping them with that.”

Q: On how to emphasize the importance of the offseason for QB C.J. Stroud without changing the routine too drastically

Ryans: “He shows up here, he’s looking like he’s in great shape. He’s revved up. He’s ready to go. It all starts with your mindset, how you’re attacking the offseason. C.J. is going to attack it the right way, so I’m excited to see him continue to work, continue to grow as a player, as a leader. He’s eager to do that. It’ll be an exciting offseason for him just to be here putting in the work, continuing to put in the work because he’s been working. Right after the season he has been dedicated himself to working, doing things the right way. When you see a young man working the way he’s working, I know what that looks like on the other side and its only positive things that can come from that.”

Q: On what goes into evaluating a defensive lineman prospect when they may not start over current players

Ryans: “When it comes to evaluating the defensive line, when you see a guy, is he a two-down player? You can make those predictions based on what you see on tape, but it basically comes down to third-down passing situations. Is that guy finishing at the quarterback and have you seen evidence of that guy finishing from his college film. Some guys have it, some guys don’t. Just because there’s a lack of production in college does not mean there’s going to be a lack of production once you get to the NFL. Danielle Hunter was a guy who didn’t have a lot of sacks coming out of college but now you look at him and he’s probably Top 10 in NFL history of getting sacks. So, it goes back to, you see a young man, you see the traits, the talents that he has. Is he coachable? Is he willing to learn, listen to our coaches? If he takes coaching the right way, we always think guys can improve. We’re going to work as best as we can as coaches. That’s our job to develop, to support players, to help them grow in those areas. If you’re a two-down guy, we’ll try to help you as best we can to become that pass rusher. If it doesn’t work out, that’s great, be a great two-down player. So, whatever role you play, we roll a lot of different defensive linemen because a lot of guys have a lot of different traits and roles that they can do for us. We’re going to make it work with the guys that we play.”

Sep 23, 2023; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers defensive tackle Peter Woods (11) enters the field prior to a game against the Florida State Seminoles at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

Q: On what the last week of draft preparation is like

Ryans: “During this time now leading up to the draft, for me, just going back through my notes, going back through film. For myself, I put buckets of guys together and see how I stack guys up. It’s a never-ending process until you have to pick. For me, I’m going to exhaust every single second I have studying guys, making sure we make the right decision. It’s no different for me as when I’m game planning. Sunday morning I’m going back, I’m watching film, I’m processing to see what calls can we make, what situations will come up? Can I have myself as best as I can to be prepared and ready to go for a situation and make the best move possible, make the best decision possible. It’s the same way for the draft.”

Q: On how much a player’s character factors into their evaluation process

Ryans: “When I look at the character of guys it starts with what’s been his track record in college? What are your coaches saying about you? What are your teammates saying about you? Have you been a good teammate? I think it starts there. That speaks more volume than anything else. No one knows a player better than his teammates. So, if you were a man of high character your teammates are definitely going to speak for you when it comes to that. There’s a lot of questions about a guy, and I would say this too, there aren’t a lot of bad character guys coming out of college. There are a ton of really good men. Colleges are doing a good job of these guys having to grow up very fast now with the changes and the NIL in that space, so guys now coming in we have older guys coming into the NFL. We have guys who have experienced having money coming into the NFL. They’ve had to make adult decisions, so what am I seeing now from our college guys? I’m seeing more maturity guys come into the league, which I think only helps the guys. They’re playing more football, so it’s helped those guys to be ready to go if they are rookies, and they’re ready to play. They have a lot of experience in college.”

Q: On if he has equal input on both offense and defense during draft discussions

Ryans: “Myself and Nick, we come together. Every decision that’s made, we make that decision together.”

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans HC DeMeco Ryans said ahead of NFL Draft