It’s officially time fo the Houston Texans to have a conversation about the roster.
Over 90 players currently reside on the squad ahead of Monday’s practice, but there are roughly about 30 players fighting for 14-18 spots. The rest, either by veteranship, contract or draft status, have secured their role with the team entering 2026.
This might be the toughest call Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has had to make in his four seasons with the franchise. Rookies have exceeded expectations from the draft class, but undrafted names continue to impress against veterans.
“I think this is one of the best rookie classes I’ve been around, just the professionalism they carry themselves with, already building routine,” Texans quarterback Davis Mills said following Thursday’s preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. “A lot of them kind of early on were asking veterans to help them with the routines and kind of give them a game plan to be a professional in this league.”
With training camp reaching the halfway point, 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: Tank Dell, Xavier Hutchinson, Lewis Bond
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, Jarrett Patterson
Defensive Ends (4)
Starters: Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter
Reserves: Jadeveon Clowney, Logan, Domonique Robinson
Defensive Tackles (4)
Starters: Sheldon Rankins, Tommy Togiai
Reserves: Kayden McDonald, Mario Edwards Jr.
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, Collin Wright
Nickel Defender (1)
Starter: Jalen Pitre
Safeties (5)
Starters: Calen Bullock, Reed Blankenship
Reserves: Jayden Reed, Kamari Ramsey,
Pup list: M.J. Stewart
Special Teams (3)
Kicker: Ka’imi Fairbairn
Punter: Kai Kroeger
Long Snapper: Austin Brinkman
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans’ 53-man roster prediction following first preseason game
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cole Thompson, Texans Wire | USA TODAY Network
