What Nick Caserio Quietly Revealed About Texans' RB Room During Draft

Nick Caserio showed how he felt about the Texans' running back room without saying anything.

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio walks on the field before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans' 2026 draft class is officially in the books. And with it, multiple lingering roster needs for both now and the near future were addressed pretty effectively up and down the board.

But one area of the Texans' roster that wasn't a top focus as initially expected was their situation in the backfield.

Throughout all eight picks in the Texans' three days of draft action, zero running backs were taken. Two were added as UDFAs in Noah Whittington and Josh Pittsenberger, but not quite as steep an investment as a draft pick might be.

It's a quiet message sent from the Texans front office, and by extension, general manager Nick Caserio, that they're confident in what their running back room has to offer for the time being headed into next season.

And while on the surface, there's good reason to believe the Texans’ rushing attack will be better than last season, there's also an underlying risk involved in Houston's lack of attention to the backfield in the draft.

The Upside in the Texans' RB Room

The Texans, as shown from their offseason moves to bolster their offensive interior with highly graded run-blockers, are going to have a high focus on the ground game 2026. And in doing so, they appear confident about the top names leading the way in their running back room as well.

As to why the Texans felt strongly about their running back core headed into next year, it's due to their previous investments already made at the position through this offseason and last.

In last year's draft, the Texans used a day three pick at 116 on USC runner Woody Marks, someone who would end up leading Houston's backfield in touches while adding a dose of explosiveness into the mix in 2025, and should be gearing up for another notable role in Houston's offense in 2026.

Oct 5, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (27) runs for a gain past Baltimore Ravens linebacker Tavius Robinson (95) and linebacker Teddye Buchanan (40) during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

This offseason, the Texans invested another day three pick into their backfield by adding David Montgomery, but this time, in the form of a trade with the Detroit Lions by sending off a fourth rounder in their package to land their veteran back.

Montgomery projects to balance things out as someone to handle a bigger share of goal-line and early-down work, and provide an added dose of power to their rushing offense as a whole. In reality, he, and the offensive line improvements, are the biggest keys to Houston's growth in the run game.

From the perspective of the Texans' front office, adding talent in other areas of the roster might've been a better choice than continuing to do so at running back; a position that's got a solid one-two punch as-is, and already received significant attention in the form of an early offseason deal.

The Downside in the Texans' RB Room

Where the Texans' running back room really lacks is in its depth behind Marks and Montgomery, which af now, is a group consisting of British Brooks, Jawhar Jordan, and two UDFAs.

If any of the Texans' top two backs are forced to miss time––which for the position, is more likely to happen than not––the backfield starts to look really thin.

Unless Houston has real confidence in either Jordan or their UDFAs to step up as a solid RB3, it’s a group that could've used a late-round selection to round out their depth chart from top to bottom, and even a younger set of legs that can help add value for beyond this season.

Perhaps a veteran free agent pickup late into the offseason could be in play. And if it is, Houston might have just enough depth to get by for the season. If not, though, it's a clear vote of confidence from Caserio and the Texans staff that they like the talent they have in the room as is.

Bottom Line

The Texans have a good chance of seeing their rushing production see a nice jump from last year's numbers. They ranked bottom 10 in nearly every important stat on the ground, and sent a clear message headed into the offseason that an upgrade like Montgomery was more than necessary.

However, the key for the Texans' running back room— if rolling into Week One as is— will be their health and consistent availability.

If Montgomery and Marks can remain healthy throughout next season to shoulder the load as reliable, top-two ball handlers every single week, Houston's rushing offense has a high ceiling. If either is forced out for any stretch of time, though, that outlook starts to look a whole lot more dicey.

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