Texans 53-Man Roster Projections 1.0: Bubble Watch Before Training Camp

The Houston Texans are under a week away from getting training camp officially started after a long wait through the offseason.

So really, now is a better time than ever to sort through this year's 90-man roster and give some initial predictions on how things could turn out once the Texans are forced to slim down to 53 players before Week 1.

Of course, a lot can shift between now and the end of August when cuts are due. That's what training camp and preseason are for. But based on how this offseason has transpired thus far, along with rumblings heard in the weeks ahead of camp, we might already have a solid idea of how each position group could be eventually scaled down.

With that in mind, let's break down each Texans position group to give some initial projections on what their 53-man roster might look like once heading into the new season:

QBs

Jun 10, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) participates during the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

(3): C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills, Graham Mertz

This quarterback room shouldn't see any changes from the way things ended last year. Stroud, Mills, and Mertz will be ordered one-two-three on the depth chart and continue to fill the same roles as they did all throughout 2025.

RBs

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (4) participates in a drill during the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

(4): David Montgomery, Woody Marks, Jawhar Jordan, British Brooks

The Texans' fourth running back spot remains up in the air, but Brooks tends to offer a bit of upside as a special teams contributor and can work into the offense as a heavier fullback to help diversify Houston's attack in certain short-yardage situations.

Keep an eye on the two UDFAs who were brought in earlier this offseason––Noah Whittington and Joshua Pitsenberger––as well as Evan Hull to make a run in camp. But Brooks' uniqueness to his game and previous tenure with the Texans help him out a ton here.

WRs

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Lewis Bond participates in a drill during the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

(7): Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Tank Dell, Xavier Hutchinson, Lewis Bond, Justin Watson

It's a little ambitious to expect the Texans to carry seven wideouts into Week 1, but there's also a good chance that Houston likes Bond enough to bring him onto the 53-man roster, while also giving Watson another opportunity to prove himself after his 2025 campaign was cut short after two games with an Achilles injury.

If both do well in camp and preseason, it's not unreasonable to expect the Texans to roll into the year with a deep wideout room like this.

TEs

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 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

(4): Dalton Schultz, Marlin Klein, Foster Moreau, Brevin Jordan

Cade Stover is the odd man out in the tight end room for me at the moment. Maybe he plays well enough in the coming weeks to force the Texans to carry five tight ends into Week 1, but at this point, it seems like four would be a bit more of an expected outcome.

OTs

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery arrives for the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

(3): Aireontae Ersery, Braden Smith, Trent Brown

Another tough cut here: the Texans' 2024 second round pick of Blake Fisher might just not have a role in this Texans offensive line room because of the pieces already signed on from this offseason.

Smith and Brown will be competing for that right tackle spot, with Smith likely taking control of that once healthy and in camp, while Brown becomes a backup swing tackle versatile enough to play on both sides of the line. That leaves Fisher without much of a role himself, and a potential casualty on cutdown day.

IOL

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans guard Ed Ingram arrives for the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

(6): Wyatt Teller, Keylan Rutledge, Ed Ingram, Evan Brown, Jake Andrews, Febechi Nwaiwu

The Texans' interior offensive line is arguably the most important and most uncertain position battle the team has in store for the next several weeks. As to who will be the ones filling out the depth chart from top to bottom, and who might even be the three-man group starting, is widely up in the air.

This group gives a good mix of everything the Texans need, though. Ingram and Andrews are returning pieces from last year's roster, Rutledge and Nwaiwu are newly drafted and versatile rookies, and the pairing of Teller and Brown brings in new and much-needed veteran energy to an offensive line unit that's had some turbulence in recent seasons.

DEs

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Dylan Horton arrives for the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

(5): Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, Logan Hall, Dylan Horton, Dominique Robinson

Watch how this defensive line depth chart shakes out for the next several weeks, because the Texans are going to need to find a confidence DE3 to fill in as a rotational piece behind Anderson and Hunter.

Hall can do that on occasion, but is self-admittedly more of a three-tech who can play outside. Perhaps Horton and Robinson can bring that aspired spark of production behind Houston's star pass-rushers, who offer up a blend of both returning talent and new energy brought in from free agency.

DTs

Jul 23, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive tackle Tommy Togiai (72) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

(3): Sheldon Rankins, Kayden McDonald, Tommy Togiai

Naquan Jones could make a run to be a fourth defensive tackle to make the 53-man roster, but at this point, he falls into the category of a tough cut. But that's fine for this defensive tackle group, which looks extremely talented heading into the season.

Rankins will look to build off his productive 2026 campaign, as will Togiai, who was one of the more pleasant surprises on this Texans defense last year. Add McDonald into the mix as a second-round pick, and Logan Hall, who can rotate in, and there's a lot to like on Houston's interior.

LBs

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Jake Hansen arrives for the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

(5): Azeez Al-Shaair, Henry To'oTo'o, Marte Mapu, Jake Hansen, Wade Woodaz

The Texans' linebacker battle could go several different ways following the recent injury to EJ Speed, who's expected to be out for the year with a torn quad. These five could be a nice combination to make it past cutdown day, though.

Mapu feels likely simply because of the lengths the Texans went to trade for him. Woodaz is an incoming fourth-round pick, and Hansen has been a staple of Houston's linebacker room for four years now. So something significant would have to happen for him to lose his footing on this roster..

CBs

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Alijah Huzzie participates in a drill during the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

(5): Derek Stingley, Kamari Lassiter, Jaylin Smith, Tremon Smith, Alijah Huzzie

The Texans have a solid four-man group atop their cornerback unit. The question becomes who they might bring on as a fifth corner to provide some extra depth, versatility, and can be someone that makes an impact on special teams when not on the field.

Huzzie could be just that. He can be a backup nickel corner for when Pitre's off the field, and now has a year of experience under his belt with Houston that helps his chances as well.

S

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans safety Jaylen Reed participates in a drill during the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

(5): Calen Bullock, Reed Blankenship, Jalen Pitre, Kamari Ramsey, Jaylen Reed

Without much clarity on M.J. Stewart's availability leading up to camp, it could be reasonable to expect him to start the year on the PUP list, which opens the door for these five to make the cut in what's anticipated to be both a talented and deep safety room.

If Stewart does end up healthy enough to participate in camp, then maybe he adds further competition for either Ramsey’s or Reed's roster spots. That verdict remains to be seen, though.

ST

Jun 10, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans punter Kai Kroeger participates in a drill during the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

(3): Ka'imi Fairbairn (K), Kai Kroeger (P), Austin Brinkman (LS)

The punter battle between Kroeger and Jack Stonehouse will be the most notable storyline to watch when it comes to the Broncos' special teams unit. And right now, Kroeger could have the slight edge to make the cut.

He's got NFL experience, was someone the Texans went out of their way to trade for earlier in the offseason, and is even slightly younger than Stonehouse. With that in mind, he'll get the nod for now. But that's very subject to change.

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