Most Surprising Player Who Could Make Texans Roster After Minicamp

The Houston Texans have wrapped up their last major checkpoint of offseason workouts before training camp arrives later next month after completing their three-day mandatory minicamp.

And through that small sample size of non-contact, no-pads practices, there's only so much information to gather that can translate into something substantial. More notable intel will begin to surface once training camp arrives in about six weeks.

But in those practice days, the Texans had a handful of notable standouts. One of whom wasn't discussed as much as others was veteran wide receiver Justin Watson, who was even getting reps with the first team offense.

C.J. Stroud throwing to Justin Watson in team mini-camp/walkthroughs: pic.twitter.com/iY3Zd7r1VR
— Jacob (@JacobBarzilla) June 11, 2026

Of course, it's a bit early in the process when it comes to discussing who on the team could end up finding their way to the 53-man roster once Week 1 arrives. A lot can change between now and the weeks ahead before the 2026 campaign officially gets rolling.

At the same time, if Watson can continue to keep momentum rolling into training camp and preseason, there's a solid chance he could be one of the final names to make their way into the wide receiver room.

The Case for Justin Watson to Make the Texans' Roster

Watson, who was initially signed with the Texans last offseason, didn't get the most ideal start to his time in Houston. It would only take three games before the veteran wideout would be forced out for the season with an Achilles injury, leaving him to record only a total of three catches for 40 yards.

But Watson's now back to 100% health and a full participant in practice. He's also performing well in those reps. And in doing so, the case for why the Texans brought him into the building in the first place starts to become clearer.

Watson's the most experienced wideout on the Texans' roster. He's entering year nine of his NFL career, having spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2018 to 2021 and with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2022 to 2024.

He's got three rings to his name having caught passes from Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes and has proven production on the offensive end and on special teams.

Jul 23, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Justin Watson (84) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

All of those reasons for having Watson on the roster hold true one year later. That experience might be even more valuable when factoring in the youth that's in the Texans’ wide receiver group with second-year guys like Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, along with sixth-round rookie Lewis Bond.

If Watson is back to full health without concern, and showing out before the season, he could certainly find his way into this group of pass-catchers. The big question for the Texans, though, will be surrounding how many wideouts they're willing to take into the season on their 53-man roster.

What Could Hold Back Watson From Making the Texans' Roster

The Texans have five receivers locked in on their roster: Nico Collins, their pair of year-two players in Higgins and Noel, Tank Dell, and Xavier Hutchinson. Bond will also be a name to watch if Houston sees enough juice from him before the season, and that could raise the total to six.

Watson then becomes the next man up to make his way past cutdown day. But will the Texans be willing to carry seven wide receivers into Week 1? It depends on how much they covet his skill set, and whether or not they see value in his potential role on the gameday roster.

Last year, the Texans did opt to roll with seven wide receivers on their Week 1 roster: the five that are locked in for this year, Watson, and Braxton Berrios, who's no longer on this year's team as he went to the New York Giants earlier this offseason.

Considering the Texans walked into last season with seven wide receivers, it's not impossible for Houston to have a similar turnout this year.

So at the very least, it puts a big magnifying glass on Watson leading up to training camp next month. If he continues to play well, and the Texans like having his veteran experience and winning pedigree around, perhaps they make some room to keep him onboard.

But with how deep this Houston roster expects to be on both sides of the ball, it could be a tough decision whether they have the room for Watson to stick around. So between now and cutdown day, the Texans veteran will need to stay on his toes.

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