There will be no shortage of competition for Houston this summer, so who do we project to make the 53-man roster?
Quarterback (2)
C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills
The Texans kept Graham Mertz on the 53-man roster out of camp last year and throughout his rookie season, but I think the depth added elsewhere will lead to just two signal-callers being kept for 2026. If that’s the case, Mertz will likely land on the practice squad behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills.
Running back (4)
David Montgomery, Woody Marks, Noah Whittington (R), Cade Stover
Houston trading for David Montgomery was one of the most underrated moves of the offseason, and Cade Stover might be a surprise name here—but he’s converting from tight end to compete with British Brooks at fullback. We know Woody Marks is safe as the backup after a strong rookie campaign, but the No. 3 job could go either way with undrafted rookie Noah Whittington trying to beat out Jawhar Jordan; we had Whittington as a top 150 prospect, and I think the aggression that he runs with could allow him to win out.
Wide receiver (5)
Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, Tank Dell, Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson
It will be great to see Tank Dell (leg/knee) back on the field in 2026, and the Texans have three young options with Jayden Higgins, Dell, and Jaylin Noel that will be vying for targets behind Nico Collins. The receiver room has a few options to make it behind them, but Xavier Hutchinson is coming off a 35/428/3 line, so he gets the edge over Justin Watson, sixth-round rookie Lewis Bond, and Jha’Quan Jackson with an increased emphasis on heavy personnel leading to just five wideouts being kept in this projection.
Tight end (4)
Dalton Schultz, Marlin Klein (R), Foster Moreau, Brevin Jordan
Tight end is a lot clearer with Cade Stover transitioning to fullback, as the question becomes whether Brevin Jordan makes it as the No. 4 option here. Injuries have been the issue for Jordan, but Houston extended him (while he was injured) early last December—so they still believe there is potential to be unlocked. The top three should be set with second-round pick Marlin Klein as a primary receiver and Foster Moreau as a primary blocker behind Dalton Schultz.
Offensive tackle (4)
Aireontae Ersery, Braden Smith, Trent Brown, Blake Fisher
The offensive line for Houston will have three new starters this season, and Braden Smith will be one of them at right tackle to pair with 2025 second-rounder Aireontae Ersery on the left side. Trent Brown and Blake Fisher provide outstanding depth to make sure C.J. Stroud is consistently kept clean.
Guard (4)
Wyatt Teller, Ed Ingram, Febechi Nwaiwu (R), Evan Brown
Ed Ingram is the other returning starter with Aireontae Ersery on the offensive line, and he’ll be staying at right guard with veteran signing Wyatt Teller transitioning to left guard. Fourth-round rookie Febechi Nwaiwu seems like the long-term replacement for Teller, but he may begin his career as the backup to Ingram if Evan Brown makes the squad to slot in behind Teller on the left side. Jarrett Patterson is the other name to watch.
Center (2)
Keylan Rutledge (R), Jake Andrews
The Texans targeted Keylan Rutledge in Round 1 as a hopeful tone setter for them on offense, and he’s transitioning to center after playing guard at Georgia Tech. Jarrett Patterson can also make the team as a backup at center with 21 starts on the interior over the past three years, but Jake Andrews started 16 games last year and should be considered the favorite entering camp.
Interior defensive line (5)
Kayden McDonald (R), Sheldon Rankins, Logan Hall, Tommy Togiai, Naquan Jones
The run defense being vulnerable at times was one of the rare issues for Houston on defense last year, so second-round pick Kayden McDonald should go a long way towards making them tougher to run against inside. Sheldon Rankins is locked in as the other starter with Logan Hall and Tommy Togiai first off the bench, and Naquan Jones has the most heft to slot in behind Kayden McDonald at nose tackle.
Edge defender (4)
Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter, Dominique Robinson, Dylan Horton
The Texans have the best edge duo in the NFL with Will Anderson Jr. (who head coach DeMeco Ryans says might need to start sitting in practice because he keeps blowing up plays) and Danielle Hunter—with Dominique Robinson being an intriguing signing from Chicago. Former fourth-round pick Dylan Horton has recorded just 0.5 sack through three seasons, so he’s firmly on the bubble with Ali Gaye and Solomon Byrd trying to earn a roster spot.
Linebacker (4)
Azeez Al-Shaair, Henry To’oTo’o, Wade Woodaz (R), Marte Mapu
There was originally some hope about E.J. Speed (quadriceps) returning late in the year, but that now isn’t expected to be the case—though linebacker is still going to be extremely competitive with fourth-round pick Wade Woodaz, Marte Mapu, Jamal Hill, Jake Hummel, and seventh-round pick Aidan Fisher all competing to both make the roster and be the No. 3 linebacker. Woodaz is almost certainly safe as a fourth-round pick who profiles as a contributor on special teams, and I’ll give the final spot to Mapu for now in a battle that will be determined on the field this summer.
Cornerback (6)
Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Jaylin Smith, Tremon Smith, Ja’Marcus Ingram, Collin Wright (R)
A fifth (or even sixth) linebacker could easily be kept for Houston, but getting undrafted rookie Collin Wright—who we gave a Round 3 grade—on the roster needed to take something from another position. Wright will try to make an impression in a competition with 2025 third-round pick Jaylin Smith, special teams contributor Tremon Smith, and December waiver claim Ja’Marcus Ingram. Plus, safety Jalen Pitre is the starter in the slot.
Safety (6)
Reed Blankenship, Calen Bullock, Jalen Pitre, M.J. Stewart, Kamari Ramsey (R), Jaylen Reed
It sounds like 2025 sixth-round pick Jaylen Reed—who dealt with various injuries as a rookie—is in danger of not making the team after Kamari Ramsey was taken in the fifth round, but I like the Penn State product enough to keep him despite that making it 12 defensive backs on the roster. Veteran M.J. Stewart might also be on the bubble, and Kaevon Merriweather will be a factor in the safety competition, too.
Special teams (3)
Ka’imi Fairbairn, Jack Stonehouse (R), Austin Brinkman
The Texans are set to have a true battle at punter between undrafted rookie Jack Stonehouse and Kai Kreoger—who was acquired in a trade with the Saints in March. I’ll lean towards Stonehouse with an extra year of control if the competition is close.