Every Texans Rookie Who Made the 53-Man Roster–

The Houston Texans' 53-man cut has been made official. And within the process of their roster trimmings, they've kept on a considerable amount of rookies for their Week 1 action.

In all, 10 rookies have made the Texans' roster heading into Week 1. All but one of Houston's draft picks from this April made it onboard, while three undrafted free agents climbed their way onboard as well.

And a good chunk of those rookies, especially those that have high draft stock to their name from earlier this offseason, are bound to see a solid, and even a considerable role early on in the season.

Let's take a look at which 10 rookies made the Texans' roster heading into the 2026 season, and what their roles might be shaping up to look like:

Texans Draft Picks Who Made the Cut

Aug 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans center Keylan Rutledge (66) prepares to snap the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Keylan Rutledge | Starting C: After a strong start to his time in Houston following his first-round selection this April, the Texans feel increasingly likely to line up their rookie as a starter on their interior from day one, and probably with his hand on the ball at the center position.

Expect Wyatt Teller to start alongside him at left guard for what projects to be a bit better of an offensive front for this team in 2026.

Kayden McDonald | Rotational IDL: Throughout the preseason games in which the Texans' starters have been resting, their second-round rookie, McDonald, has been someone getting reps––which might hint that he's slightly behind Tommy Togiai on the depth chart, instead being Houston’s DT3.

Long-term, McDonald should be a force on the Texans' defensive interior. But don't be surprised if it takes a few weeks into the season before he takes advantage of a ton of snaps.

Marlin Klein | TE2 or TE3: Houston's second-round rookie tight end has been a pleasant surprise throughout the course of camp and preseason. And as a result, he might be someone who's pushed his way up the depth chart as the primary backup at the position to Dalton Schultz.

He has the size and speed to be a strong vertical threat, has made multiple nice plays in preseason to showcase that, and along with his upside as a blocker, the Texans may have found a gem at the tight end position.

Febechi Nwaiwu | Depth IOL: There was no doubt that the Texans were going to keep on their fourth-round offensive lineman for their 53-man cut. He was a priority pickup on day three of the draft.

However, as for his role in this offense for year one, the expectation remains for him to be a depth piece at guard, likely on the right side while veteran Evan Brown is the primary backup on the other side.

Wade Woodaz | LB3: Woodaz did suffer a hand injury during the Texans' preseason which sidelined him for the final week of action. But it doesn't appear to be an issue to take him out of the mix for a long-term absence.

And if that's the case, Woodaz has a real case to be the Texans' third linebacker behind Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To'oTo'o. He's proven to be the athlete and the downhill presence Houston could use at the position, and capped off his preseason with an 80-yard pick six highlight on Fernando Mendoza.

Welcome to the NFL: #Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza throws an INT to #Texans 4th-round rookie LB Wade Woodaz, who then took it back 80 yards for a TD.pic.twitter.com/bYarFVoC1k https://t.co/fLHPaulwPP
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 21, 2026

Kamari Ramsey | Depth S/NB: The Texans' decision to trade away safety Jaylen Reed to the New England Patriots, but also cut nickel corner Alijah Huzzie this weekend is a clear vote of confidence in their fifth-round rookie, Kamari Ramsey.

Expect the Texans to roll out their top three names at each position––Reed, Blankenship, Calen Bullock, and Jalen Pitre––a whole lot more than Ramsey. But Ramsey is bound to get a bit more run in year one than initially expected.

Aiden Fisher | LB6: After multiple injuries had surfaced within the Texans' linebacker room throughout the past few weeks, it was their seventh-round rookie selection, Aiden Fisher, who was able to arise through the chaos with a 53-man roster spot.

He shouldn't be expected to claim any major reps on the defensive end from the jump. If anything, Woodaz is going to get those snaps. But a roster spot alone is a great step forward for the Indiana product in his rookie year.

Texans UDFAs Who Made the Cut

Jul 30, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Collin Wright (37) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Collin Wright | CB4: Despite a soft tissue injury derailing Wright's preseason with the Texans, the Stanford defensive back still showed enough in the limited reps he did have that warranted a roster spot to be granted his way.

With the depth the Texans have at corner, and the star power with guys like Derek Stingley and Kamari Lassiter, expect to see Wright in a minimal role defensively barring injury. But to make the roster at all after his roller coaster camp is a massive win.

Sebastian Harsh | DE5: Throughout most of the Texans' training camp, it was veteran free agent signing Dominique Robinson who was primarily circled as Houston's best bet to be their final defensive end on the depth chart–– especially after Dylan Horton suffered his season-ending Achilles injury earlier this month.

But instead, it was UDFA standout Sebastian Harsh who had a standout camp and preseason that presented enough of a case to get the call up to the 53-man. A massive statement for the NC State rookie who will now round out even more depth for this elite defensive line.

Sam Hagan | Depth OT: Houston made an interesting decision as it relates to their offensive tackle room following roster cuts. They rostered six players at the position as opposed to their expected three, possibly four guys that would round out their depth upfront.

The most surprising of those tackles to make the roster? South Dakota State tackle Sam Hagan, who has four seasons of starting experience both at SDSU and North Dakota, and now will look to try and climb this depth chart even further than he already has.

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