3 Texans Draft Busts Are Running Out of Time This Offseason

The Houston Texans still have a ways to go before the 2026 regular season arrives. 11 weeks to be exact.

But even with the amount of time left to pass before Week One gets underway, a few players on the Texans' roster might be feeling a bit more urgency around this time of year. That's because their chances of either finding a significant role on this year's roster, or even making the 53-man roster cut at all, could be in serious jeopardy.

Multiple players drafted to Houston across the past few years are running low on time to make their presence felt for this year's group, thus putting a pretty heavy microscope on them between now and cutdown day to see if they can make the necessary strides to find a spot on this season’s roster.

Let's sort through three players on the Texans drafted from the past four years who could be at risk of slipping out of the 53-man roster picture heading into next month's training camp:

Cade Stover | TE

Jan 18, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Houston Texans tight end Cade Stover (87) warms up before an AFC Divisional Round game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The competition in the Texans' tight end room at training camp is vast; perhaps the strongest it's been since DeMeco Ryans first arrived in 2023. And in that mix of names that'll be gunning for a roster spot, none might be on notice more than 2024 fourth-round pick Cade Stover.

With Dalton Schultz, Marlin Klein, and potentially Brevin Jordan all feeling like surefire roster locks at this point. Foster Moreau's chances also look pretty strong to this point, thanks to the experience, leadership, and blocking upside he has to offer.

If that sets up four names to be placed ahead of Stover on the depth chart, it leaves little room for him to make his mark in camp as someone to make the 53-man cut, let alone someone to get valuable playing time this season.

He could end up finding traction as a unique tight end/fullback hybrid, but that still might not be enough to warrant a spot on the Week One roster if he's unable to make an impact in other areas, such as being a vertical threat or contributing as a strong blocker himself.

Needless to say, he's got a pivotal training camp on the horizon for his future in Hosuton.

Blake Fisher | OT

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Blake Fisher arrives for the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Of anyone on this list, Blake Fisher is bound to have the most eyes on him as not only the highest draft selection of the three, but also because of his standing on the 53-man roster being in serious jeopardy because of the work Houston’s done to their tackle room over the past two offseasons.

Fisher, the Texans' second-round pick in the 2024 draft, might be slotted in as the OT4 on the depth chart, sitting behind Aireontae Ersery, Braden Smith, and even veteran Trent Brown, who was a starter for seven games last season and took all of the first-team reps at right tackle in OTAs and minicamp while Smith was sidelined due to injury.

That immediately puts Fisher on the outside looking in when it comes to his chances to find a spot on this roster. He was listed as a starter for 10 games last year. However, it's a new season, and the Texans' offensive line looks a whole lot different than it does a year ago.

Houston could very well carry four tackles heading into Week 1, but there are no guarantees, depending on how other battles around the roster, and on the offensive line pan out. So there's no doubt that this training camp will be a massive one for Fisher's chances to stay with the Texans for his third season pro.

Dylan Horton | EDGE

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Dylan Horton arrives for the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

This is a big training camp for Dylan Horton–– primarily due to the expanded opportunity he could have on his hands for what will be his fourth year in Houston following his selection in the fourth round of 2023's draft.

The Texans are desperately in need of someone to step up in their edge rusher rotation as the key reserve behind Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter following the departure of Denico Autry and Derek Barnett. Simply based on his tenure in the building, Horton might be the early favorite in the room to get that nod.

But Horton's production through the three years he's been on the roster hasn't exactly jumped off the page. He's combined for 42 tackles across the past four years while playing in 25% of the Texans' defensive snaps, and has mostly found an impact on the special teams side.

For a fourth-round pick, it's not a bad start to your career. But now is the time for Horton to really step up to the plate as a real impact player defensively, and one that the Texans could potentially rely on as their EDGE3. If not, Houston could decide to sign a replacement via free agency, or worse, find a better contributor behind him in the depth chart to move ahead of him.

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