Projecting Who Texans' Starters Will Be for Week 1 vs. Bills

After a long offseason wait, the Houston Texans' Week 1 opener against the Buffalo Bills is right around the corner––marking the first time we'll be seeing this new-and-improved roster in full form since their changes seen over the last several months.

We did see a glimpse of this Texans' group during preseason, though we were never able to see their starters on both sides of the ball out on the field at full capacity.

Now that the regular season is officially here, we'll be able to see what Houston's first-unit group actually looks like in action. And while many starters on the defensive side of the ball are easy to point out, the offense might not be as simple.

So before the Texans are officially back on the field against the Bills on Sunday, let's take a stab at what their starting unit could look like both on their offensive and defensive sides of the ball:

Offensive Starters

Jul 30, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley talks with quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

QB - C.J. Stroud: After a long offseason filled with discussions about what this season might hold for the Texans' starting quarterback, now comes time for Stroud to showcase what he can do in a year bound to be the most pivotal of his NFL career so far.

RB - David Montgomery: While Woody Marks takes ahold of a complementary role in the Texans' backfield as a pass-catcher and on late downs, Montgomery will be the one handling a bulk of the carries as a between-the-tackles runner, and their primary threat at the goal line with hopes of bolstering the potency of Houston's run game.

X-WR - Nico Collins: There's no doubt about who's going to be lining up as the Texans' X-receiver for a majority of the offensive snaps, and who's going to claim a vast share of targets within the passing attack as a whole. If Collins is able to stay on the field all 17 games, he could be due for the best numbers of his career yet.

Z-WR - Kayshon Boutte: The Texans reportedly have big plans for their newly acquired wide receiver immediately in-season. That could mean Houston decides to place him as their primary Z receiver, and top option opposite of Collins on the outside. If so, Boutte may have a clear route to being this team's clear No. 2 at the position.

Slot WR - Jaylin Noel: With Christian Kirk leaving to the San Francisco 49ers this offseason and sixth-round rookie and slot specialist Lewis Bond on the Texans' practice squad, Noel, Houston's third-round pick from the 2025 draft, is the obvious candidate to take ahold of this team's slot snaps.

TE - Dalton Schultz: The Texans' leader in receptions from 2025 is bound to take ahold of the team's top tight end duties once again this year, even when factoring in Houston's newly added depth at the position. That's simply a hint that this offense plans to use heavier, multiple-tight end sets more often throughout the season ahead.

TE2 - Foster Moreau: Second-round rookie Marlin Klein might be here by the time we get to the end of the season, but the veteran free agent signing from this offseason in Moreau has the proven track record and prowess as a blocker that may give him the inside track to be TE2 for now.

LT - Aireontae Ersery: Texans general manager Nick Caserio said at the start of camp that Ersery's spot at left tackle was the only starting position that was guaranteed heading into Week 1. That status has held up in the weeks since.

LG - Keylan Rutledge: Upon Rutledge's arrival to Houston, tons of speculation led to the belief that the starting center spot was his most likely role for year one. Instead, recent free agent addition Wyatt Teller appears primed to move to the second unit, and Rutledge will claim left guard.

C - Evan Brown: Rutledge could find himself here by the time the season ends. But for now, the Texans' veteran offseason addition has clawed his way into a starting spot for Week 1 following his one-year, $3 million signing to Houston after spending two years with the Arizona Cardinals.

RG - Ed Ingram: Houston made it a priority to bring back their standout right guard from last year earlier this offseason, and brought that dream to a reality upon his three-year extension before free agency opened. Now, he'll try to build off of his successful campaign from 2025.

RT - Trent Brown: Braden Smith is starting his first year with the Texans on Injured Reserve. That means, at least for the first four weeks, Brown will reclaim his starting spot from last season, and Blake Fisher will remain his primary backup.

Defensive Starters

Aug 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans reacts on the sideline during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

LDE - Will Anderson: After signing a mega $150-million extension with the Texans earlier this offseason, Anderson will be looking to build off of his career-best season in 2025, where he found his way to a first-ever First-Team All-Pro nod.

RDE - Danielle Hunter: Hunter also comes off of an extension with the Texans earlier this offseason, albeit on a bit of a lesser scale at one-year, $40 million. Even still, after his 15-sack campaign in 2025, Hunter made it clear that he hasn't lost a step even as he enters his age-32 season in the NFL.

DT1 - Sheldon Rankins: Rankins made sure to re-sign to Houston this offseason on a two-year deal to remain a staple veteran in the middle of this elite defensive line. He'll be the top run defender to watch in the middle of this line as he has been in his two separate stints with the franchise.

DT2 - Tommy Togiai: The Texans broke the news before Week 1's matchup against Buffalo that second-round rookie Kayden McDonald would be on IR for at least the next four weeks. That means someone like Togiai could get a slightly higher snap share as Houston's DT2 as their defensive line depth is a little depleted at the moment.

MLB - Azeez Al-Shaair: The veteran linebacker comes off of one of his best seasons as a pro with the Texans, where he made his first-ever Pro Bowl as a leader within this elite defense. He's a team captain once again in 2026 and could be on track for an even bigger season than the one he's fresh off of.

WLB - Henry To'oTo'o: To'oTo'o was about to enter this season being on an expiring deal before the Texans re-upped with their veteran linebacker on a two-year, $16 million extension earlier in training camp. That means he'll be able to continue his role as Houston's primary weak-side linebacker through the 2028 season.

CB1 - Derek Stingley Jr.: There's no doubt about the top cornerback in this Texans' secondary, given that Stingley is coming off of back-to-back All-Pro appearances in 2024 and 2025. Depending on how this season goes, it could be his fourth-straight year logging at least four interceptions in a single season.

CB2 - Kamari Lassiter: Like Al-Shaair, Lassiter is coming off of his own career-best season in 2025, where he had his first-ever Pro Bowl appearance and was a premier leader on this Texans' defense. He'll try and add onto his case as perhaps the best No. 2 cornerback in the NFL this season and potentially start negotiations on a new contract next summer.

SS - Reed Blankenship: Houston made sure to beef up their safety room this offseason in the form of adding Blankenship aboard from the Philadelphia Eagles. Adding him brings much-needed stability in the back-end of their defense as a weekly starter at corner, and yet another leader on the defensive end given that he was a former captain in Philly.

FS - Calen Bullock: Bullock remains an underrated, yet critical piece of the Texans' secondary, and one of the best ball-hawking safeties the NFL has to offer. He has nine interceptions through his first two years pro, tying with Stingley as the fourth-most picks in the league since 2024.

NB - Jalen Pitre: In the Texans' 4-2-5 defensive scheme, it's Pitre who remains a staple, versatile component of this secondary to primarily fill in as their starting nickel. If he can stay healthy for all 17 games this season, a career-best campaign could be in store for Houston's Swiss Army knife defender.

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