It’s officially Houston Texans’ football season.
Tuesday marks the beginning of training camp, and the first day of the race back to the AFC Playoffs for the 12-win Texans. A promising offseason filled with new additions, plus the return of a veteran defense, has Houston envisioning more than a division title and a second-round playoff exit.
This must be the year for the Texans. Nine starters return from the league’s No. 1 total defense. The two positions that must be replaced might have been upgraded in free agency and the draft with the addition of Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship and Ohio State All-American defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.
Offensively, everything should feel more stable. Offensive coordinator Nick Caley is entering his second season running the show, while newcomers like Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel and Woody Marks will all be wiser in the personnel looks. The offensive line should be improved after adding in Wyatt Teller, Braden Smith and Keylan Ruteldge over the offseason.
And the run game should be getting a jolt with the addition of former Pro Bowler David Montgomery. If anything, the Texans are simply missing a Pro Bowl quarterback-caliber season from C.J. Stroud to make a run toward Los Angeles for the Super Bowl. Stroud can regain his rookie form, but it’s all up for debate right now.
With training camp set to begin, it’s time for an updated 53-man roster prediction. Yes, things can and probably will change from now until cutdown day, but it’s an intriguing exercise nonetheless.
Who is safe? Which player is on the chopping block? Who can be the surprise? Let’s now waste any more time.
Quarterback: (2)
Starter: C.J. Stroud
Reserve: Davis Mills
Running Back (4)
Starter: David Montgomery
Reserves: Woody Marks, Jawhar Jordan, Noah Whittington
Wide Receiver (6)
Starters: Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel
Reserves: Xavier Hutchinson, Justin Watson, Lewis Bond
Injured list: Tank Dell
H-Back (1)
Starter: Brevin Jordan
Tight end (4)
Starter: Dalton Schultz
Reserves: Foster Moreau, Marlin Klein, Cade Stover
Offensive Linemen (10)
Starters: LT- Aireontae Ersery, LG – Wyatt Teller, C- Keylan Rutledge, RG – Ed Ingram, RT – Braden Smith
Reserves: Trent Brown, Blake Fisher, Febechi Nwaiwu, Evan Brown, Jake Andrews
Defensive Ends (4)
Starters: Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter
Reserves: Domonique Robinson, Dylan Horton
Defensive Tackles (5)
Starters: Sheldon Rankins, Tommy Togiai
Reserves: Kayden McDonald, Logan Hall, Naquan Jones
Linebackers (5)
Starters: Azeez Al-Shaair, Henry To’oTo’o
Reserves: Marte Mpau, Wade Woodaz, Aiden Fisher
PUP list: E.J. Speed
Cornerback (4)
Starters: Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter
Reserves: Jaylin Smith, Tremon Smith
Nickel Defender (1)
Starter: Jalen Pitre
Safeties (5)
Starters: Calen Bullock, Reed Blankenship
Reserves: Jayden Reed, Kamari Ramsey, M.J. Stewart
Special Teams (3)
Kicker: Ka’imi Fairbairn
Punter: Jack Stonehouse
Long Snapper: Austin Brinkman
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: 53-man roster prediction going into Texans’ training camp
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cole Thompson, Texans Wire | USA TODAY Network
