Winners and Losers From Texans' First Week of Training Camp

The Houston Texans are a little over a week into their training camp practices, and have a few days of padded practices under their belt as well.

That means now might be a good time to take a step back and look at who on the Texans has seen their stock rise or fall in the past week. And while it's been a short amount of time, all things considered, a bit has changed around the roster.

Let's break down who on the Texans' roster has turned into the biggest winners, or the biggest losers, after a week of action.

Winner: Jayden Higgins

Jul 31, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins (81) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the biggest stars of camp thus far has been the Texans' second-year wideout Jayden Higgins, who's clearly taken a massive step forward in his development from his rookie season.

He's making big plays throughout camp, has a ton of built-in trust with C.J. Stroud, and feels like the overwhelming favorite to be the second-most targeted wide receiver in the room this season next to Nico Collins. The Texans' WR1 went as far as calling Higgins a future face of the franchise, so that tends to be another good sign for him and his future as well.

Loser: Jake Hansen

Jul 30, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Jake Hansen (35) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texans' linebacker room looked wide open heading into camp. Not only is the depth chart largely undetermined as to who are the best bets to make the cut, but their LB3 spot is up for grabs following EJ Speed's season-ending quad injury. That left a ton of opportunity open for guys like Jake Hansen.

But in the second practice of camp, Hansen went down with an ankle injury that DeMeco Ryans has deemed week-to-week. The Texans signed another linebacker, Sione Takitaki, and now Hansen's future role on the roster and expected return is way less certain than it was at the start of last week.

Winner: Collin Wright

Jun 10, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Collin Wright (37) 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

One of the Texans' top UDFA standouts has been Stanford cornerback Collin Wright, who is someone DeMeco Ryans credited as someone who keeps getting his hands on the ball, with similar praise coming from All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. That's two great stamps of approval to have.

Wright shouldn't be considered anything like a roster lock just yet. But his chances of making the 53-man cut are looking much better after a positive week of camp. Now comes the time to keep that production rolling into preseason.

Loser: Brevin Jordan

Jul 30, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans tight end Brevin Jordan (9) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texans' competition in the tight end room is tight, and one player who had the hot hand from OTAs and minicamp was Brevin Jordan, who is returning from back-to-back season-ending knee injuries. But a week into camp, Jordan hasn't made a ton of noise in the opportunities he's gotten.

As of Friday, Jordan is also reportedly missing his second-straight practice, according to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson. The margin for error is thin in this room, and feels bound to have a surprise cut––unless the team wants to have five tight ends on their 53-man roster. So Jordan needs to make sure he doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

Winner: Jawhar Jordan

Jul 23, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Jawhar Jordan (22) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The top of the Texans' running back room has been clear since the Houston trade to acquire David Montgomery earlier this offseason. He'll be the RB1 leading the way, while Woody Marks will be a complementary option behind him. As to how the room was going to shake out behind him, it remained to be seen.

But Jawhar Jordan, the Texans' day-three pick from 2024, has made a clear statement in being the team's RB3 on the depth chart. Houston might now be placing more confidence in Jordan moving forward, knowing that British Brooks suffered a broken hand. So Jordan's stock is trending up.

Loser: Kai Kroeger & Jack Stonehouse

Jul 31, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans punter Kai Kroeger (38) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texans' punting competition was set to ensue between Kroeger and Stonehouse after the departure of Tommy Townsend earlier this offseason. But a week into camp, neither option has stormed forward as a clear option worthy of making the 53-man cut.

The Texans also went out and worked out multiple punters earlier this week that might just hint towards their intentions to sign more competition at the position. So there's a chance Houston's Week 1 starting punter isn't even on their roster yet.

Winner: Keylan Rutledge

Jul 31, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans center Keylan Rutledge (66) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texans clearly like what they've seen from their first-round pick, Keylan Rutledge, so far. He's shown the clear toughness and aggressive mentality he was drafted for, and has seen a ton of opportunities as both left guard and center throughout the first few practices in camp.

His role on the Texans' offensive line might not be clearly defined for Week 1 just yet. But based on how he's started his tenure with the team, it'd be pretty surprising if he wasn't one of the starting five names upfront.

Loser: Dylan Horton

Jul 30, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Dylan Horton (92) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texans brought in a major upgrade for their third defensive end this season in signing Jadeveon Clowney to a one-year deal, who will be a huge addition to this already-elite Texans defensive line, and make their pass-rush even deeper and more potent than it was before.

But for those that were competing for the Texans' role of DE3, those hopes have since ended. Dylan Horton was one of those with their name in the hat, and might now be on the roster bubble because of the extra depth the front office went out and added at his position. Tough swing.

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