3 Texans Depth Chart Battles to Watch Before Draft

The Houston Texans have done a lot of work to their roster this offseason for both sides of the ball to be prepared and improved for an even better 2026 campaign from what they showcased last year.

But those roster tweaks have also begun to create some interesting positional battles rolling into next season; battles that could become even more intriguing depending on how their draft shapes up at the end of April.

Let's take a look at three position battles in particular to take note of around the Texans' roster:

Starting Center

Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans center Jake Andrews (60) in action during a play in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Texans have been diligent in refining their offensive line ahead of next season's endeavors, but their starting center spot is the one place that doesn't quite have a definitive option to lean on headed into 2026.

Jake Andrews is the current favorite to claim that role for a second straight season, but there's room for improvement. Free agent pickup Evan Brown started all last year with the Arizona Cardinals and has versatility to shift inside to center, though it might be more likely for Houston to roll with the familiar option in Andrews from the jump.

That makes adding a center within one of the Texans' top four or five picks on the board an appealing route to take later this month, and if so, could be what helps find Houston's newest Week One starter in the middle.

DT2

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive tackle Tommy Togiai (72) reacts after a defensive play against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The one area of the Texans' roster that saw the most turnover outside of their offensive line was their defensive interior. Sheldon Rankins got re-upped on a two-year deal, but Tim Settle and Mario Edwards parted ways from Houston to leave Houston a bit thinner than usual at defensive tackle.

As for who's most likely to start next to Rankins, it leaves Tommy Togiai, one of the Texans' pleasant surprises of 2025, Logan Hall, who was brought in via free agency from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or taking a high-rated prospect in the first two days of the draft to be the guy for the job.

Really, we won't have a clear answer on what the Texans opt to do for Week One until getting closer to training camp. However, the current situation does set up quite nicely for defensive tackle to be high on Houston's list of priorities to take atop the draft.

CB3

Oct 26, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Jaylin Smith (22) reacts during the second half against the San Francisco 49ers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sean Thomas-Imagn Images | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

The Texans' top two corners on the boundary are more than established headed into next year. Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter were one of, if not the best, cornerback duo in the NFL throughout all of last season, and could be on the verge of getting even better in 2026.

But beyond those two Pro Bowlers, that third cornerback spot is up in the air. Last season, it was held down primarily by veteran Tremon Smith before 2025 third-rounder Jaylin Smith went down with a season-ending lower-body injury. Both are seemingly on track to be healthy and ready to compete for that spot again in training camp.

Houston also brought in former Cleveland Browns starting cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. on a visit in April that would leave him a name to watch for that role as well. Then there's the draft, where, while the Texans did take Smith on Day Two last year, could do similarly for a second straight draft to really round out this secondary group.

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