David Montgomery, the Houston Texans' new tailback, just landed at a surprisingly low #26 overall in PFF's 2026 Running Back Rankings, a spot that's sure to raise some eyebrows after all the local hype. Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick clearly aren't buying into the buzz for the veteran as he enters his age-29 season.
PFF Throws Cold Water on D-Mo's Hype
You gotta scratch your head looking at PFF's take on D-Mo. Despite all the talk from Detroit and H-Town, PFF's grading system doesn't hold him in very high regard. Yeah, he's ranked 26th overall, but his individual PFF grade of 75.3 actually put him 20th among eligible running backs. Talk about a weird split! He's coming off three productive years in Detroit, but 2025 saw him hit career-lows in carries, rushing yards, and missed tackles forced. That's a red flag, right? But here's the kicker: Montgomery still ranks sixth in the entire NFL with 33 rushing touchdowns over the last three regular seasons. Sixth! You'd think that kind of nose for the end zone would count for more. Meanwhile, his old teammate Jahmyr Gibbs, who used to sit ahead of him on the Lions' depth chart, clocks in at #2 overall in these same rankings. Montgomery has eclipsed the 1000-yard mark in two of his seven NFL seasons, including a 2023 season where he crushed it with 1015 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 4.6 yards per carry in 14 starts. If he could somehow recapture that 2023 form, the Texans would have a home run. But PFF isn't optimistic.Marks Makes His Mark, But It's a Tough Road Ahead
Now, let's talk about the other half of Houston's backfield equation: youngster Woody Marks. He made the list in the "honorary mention" category, and you gotta give him props. Marks was a rookie rusher who shined in 2025, bringing some much-needed toughness to that Texans backfield. He averaged 3.6 yards per carry, and yeah, that was behind a suspect offensive line. You wonder what he could do with even an average line, probably pushing closer to 4.0 yards per carry. Marks definitely gave a signature performance in their playoff victory over Pittsburgh, racking up a season-high 112 yards and a touchdown. His 2025 PFF grade was 68.8, good for 40th out of 55 eligible running backs. Montgomery is set to play a complementary role with Marks, but the tough reality is PFF predicts both guys will likely fall short of the 1000-yard mark this season. The offensive line needs time to gel, and they'll be competing for carries. It's not the "Top 10 fantasy football RB" future that "big ounce" was tweeting about, at least not yet. So, Houston's running game is looking like a two-headed monster, but one that PFF thinks might not hit its full stride right away. Can Montgomery prove the doubters wrong and show that those 33 TDs over three seasons weren't a fluke? Will Marks elevate his game even further in his second year? The Texans will be counting on this duo to make some noise, but it sounds like they'll have to grind for every yard this year. It'll be interesting to see how this backfield shakes out when the real games kick off.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.