Biggest Texans Minicamp Winners & Losers: Who Shined, Who Didn't

The Houston Texans now enter their final big break of the offseason before training camp arrives after concluding their three-day mandatory minicamp this past week.

And in that small sample size of practice, the Texans were able to get a brief look at their new and improved roster after a busy offseason of tweaks.

Some names onboard shined in those limited opportunities, setting their stock on an upwards trend. Others, however, might've not had the same type of showing, and leave them with work to do rolling into training camp to ensure their roster security for next season.

Let's break down who on the Texans' roster turned out as the biggest winners and losers of this past week's minicamp:

Winner: Trent Brown

Nov 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Trent Brown (77) is introduced before playing against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Texans' offensive line saw multiple combinations across the three days of practice that shows the staff is far from certain about who this five-man starting group will be heading into the year. That won't be fully worked out until the pads come on in training camp.

However, in the multiple combinations upfront that arose in minicamp, one name who kept popping up on the first team was Trent Brown—who was re-signed to the roster this offseason on a one-year, $7 million deal, and might already be trending towards a bigger role than initially anticipated.

Texans OL coach Cole Popovich spoke very positively about OT Trent Brown & his impact on the room (Question from @Cody_Stoots & video from @AaronWilson_NFL):

“He understands our system really well, understands the techniques and what we are trying to do so it’s great having him… pic.twitter.com/CYOBwRDVFO
— Jacob (@JacobBarzilla) June 12, 2026

He's filling in for an injured Braden Smith at right tackle. So once healthy, he'll be set to take on a much tougher competition. Yet, after seeing the Texans clearly view him as a reliable swing tackle, there might be a slim chance he steals that starting tackle spot opposite of Aireontae Ersery.

Loser: Braden Smith

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Azeez al-Shaair, left, and offensive tackle Braden Smith, right, arrive for the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

On the flip side, it'd be hard not to consider Braden Smith a loser in the equation that Trent Brown seems to be winning in.

Of course, Smith is injured from his lingering neck issue stemming from last season. So there's a good case the Texans give him a real shot at landing that right tackle spot when he's healthy, which seems like it'll be at training camp.

Losing reps to a tenured veteran in the room like Brown does tend to hurt Smith's stock just a little bit, though. And by already having to deal with injury troubles before his first season in Houston, it tends to highlight the initial concerns that were had when the Texans first signed Smith: he's a solid tackle, but can he stay healthy?

Winner: Jaylin Noel

Jul 23, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel (82) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Of anyone in the Texans wide receiver room to make the most noise at minicamp, it'd be hard to look anywhere but in the direction of Jaylin Noel, who had multiple touchdown connections with C.J, Stroud across multiple days, and stood out as the clear top option in the slot for Houston's air attack.

The practice reps and production tend to match up well with some of Noel's comments across the week: he's expecting to get a much bigger role in the Texans' offense this year, and he's more than ready to take on the opportunity.

Houston Texans WR Jaylin Noel says he is ready for a more expansive role heading into year two. #Texans #BigSargeMedia - 🎥 @NoelJaylin13 pic.twitter.com/mJtPrIMS6Z
— BIG SARGE MEDIA LLC (@BigSargeSportz) June 8, 2026

If able to keep up the momentum in training camp and preseason, there's going to be little question about who the Texans' WR3 will be behind Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins.

Loser: Texans' UDFAs

Jun 10, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz (17) participates in a drill during the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Texans have 12 undrafted free agents currently on the 90-man roster. And while none can truly be counted out from making a late run to being one of the last names to stay onboard past cutdown day before Week 1, there hasn't really been anyone to separate themselves from the pack.

Of anyone in the mix that's got the best chance to get a bid on the roster, punter Jack Stonehouse out of Syracuse continues to be in an intriguing competition with former New Orleans Saints punter Kai Kroeger. But there's no guarantees he'll win out.

Outside of Stonehouse, you'd then have to count on guys like Daniel Sobkowicz to make some noise in a crowded wide receiver room, or someone like Sebastian Harsh to gain traction as a depth piece at edge. That'll be easier said than done.

Winner: Brevin Jordan

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

The Texans' competition in the tight end room is bound to be tough entering the season. But despite that, Brevin Jordan has wasted no time in making his mark as someone with a real chance to claim one of the final spots on the depth chart at the position.

#Texans C.J. Stroud to tight ends Dalton Schultz and Brevin Jordan @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/oGeDPkklne
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) June 2, 2026

Smith saw rave reviews in OTAs and minicamp as someone who's stood out as a vertical threat at the position. Having come off back-to-back season-ending injuries, it becomes especially impressive to see him catch his stride so early in the offseason, and makes him a key name to watch between now and cutdown day.

There is caution to be had when buying stock in Jordan, though. Not only will he have to ensure he can stay healthy between now and the start of the year, but he'll still have work to do in order to carve out a real role in this offense, rather than just being a depth piece for security.

Loser: Marlin Klein

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan tight end Marlin Klein (TE14) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One name in the tight end room who didn't see his stock trend in the same direction as Jordan's: second-round rookie Marlin Klein, who was held out from being a full participant in practice due to a strained hamstring.

It's a bad time for any rookie––especially one drafted as highly as Klein was––to be held out from practice with an injury as nagging as a hamstring can be. Combine that with the tough competition in the tight end room, and the timing creates an even bigger uphill battle for Klein to take on to climb up the depth chart.

The good thing for Klein is that he'll have a little over a month to rest and get right before training camp arrives and his workload ramps up. But there's no doubt that he has work to do in order to prove the Texans right in investing as highly as they did in him with a top-60 pick in the draft.

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