Biggest Takeaway From Day 1 of Texans Minicamp

The Houston Texans have their first of three mandatory minicamp practices in the books; the next step following the OTAs that have been underway for the prior two weeks, and allowed for all the Texans' 90-man roster to get in the building and get their feet wet in preparing for next season.

At this point in the offseason, there's only so much you can takeaway from what the Texans are doing on the field, considering they're still around three months away from the start of the regular season, and still haven't had a fully padded practice yet.

However, when boiling down the Texans' first session of their three-day minicamp, one of the biggest takeaways might center around DeMeco Ryans' comments on the team's edge depth––which has been a hot topic of conversation around the team since getting deeper into their offseason training.

What DeMeco Ryans Said About Texans' Edge Depth

When asked about the state of the Texans' defensive line depth and how the team plans to replace Derek Barnett, Ryans let it be known that he not only likes what the team has in the building on the defensive line, but also highlighted the high level of competition that's in store for the unit.

“We're excited about the D-line that we have," Ryans said on Tuesday. "We'll continue to roll our guys as much as possible. That's how we operate. We really want eight, nine guys who can go out there and play in a rotation."

"We're still figuring out who those eight or nine guys will be. It'll be really tough competition in training camp that I'm excited to see, excited to really see our young guys in the interior to see how they perform in camp.”

Why DeMeco Ryans' Comments Matter

The comments from Ryans are noteworthy for two reasons:

1. Ryans and the Texans are clearly confident in how this defensive line depth is shaping up for next season, both on the interior and off the edge. And 2. It seems like Houston's plans are focused on building up the young talent throughout the unit, as opposed to trying to find a veteran stopgap.

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans arrives for the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Everyone knows how talented the top of the Texans' edge rusher unit is. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter combined for over 25 sacks in 2025.

But having depth matters a ton as well, especially if Houston has plans of rotating nine guys in and out of that defensive line unit.

Since the Texans let go of Denico Autry and Derek Barnett on the free agent market earlier this offseason, lots of chatter has surfaced around how Houston plans to attack that third edge rusher spot.

Do they go out and get a veteran on free agency? They have the money to do it. And with guys on the market still available like Von Miller, Joey Bosa, and even former Texans number one pick Jadeveon Clowney, there's guys who could confidently fill that void left from last year's roster.

But instead of going that route, the Texans might have other plans, and that might just be relying on those players who are already in the building, yet more unproven compared to some of what might be available.

Who Has the Best Shot at Claiming Houston's EDGE3 Spot?

It shouldn't totally be counted out for the Texans to approach the free agent market for a late addition. As training camp gets closer, those top names will likely find new homes, and if Houston wants to continue their aggressive offseason, signing one of them would follow in line with that trend.

But there could be an even greater possibility that Houston decides to stand pat. If they do, that puts the responsibility on the shoulders of Dylan Horton, Dominique Robinson, Ali Gaye, and Solomon Bird as ones who could have a perfect opportunity to slot into that role as Houston's EDGE3 behind their elite duo of Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter.

Jul 24, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Dylan Horton (92) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

There really might not be a true favorite in that mix to take the reins as the top backup option behind Anderson and Hunter. And at this point in the offseason, where training camp hasn't even ensued, it'd be tough to pick out who the best option might be based on workouts in t-shirts and shorts.

But it does tend to set the stage for what should be one of the more interesting camp battles within the entire roster starting later next month. And the sooner that Houston can find a reliable top option to rotate behind Anderson and Hunter, this elite defensive unit will only start to look even better.

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