Winners & Losers of Texans' Second Padded Training Camp Practice

The Houston Texans have wrapped up their second padded training camp practice on Tuesday, which also happened to be Jadeveon Clowney's first day back in the building since re-signing to the team on a one-year deal.

Yet, despite most of the buzz that's been made about the Texans' defense since that move to land Clowney, Tuesday's training camp practice was all about the offense, as multiple players on that side of the ball had a big day that deserve to be talked about.

Let's break down the Texans' fifth training camp practice by sorting through who some of the biggest winners and losers were on the roster following the day's action:

Winner: C.J. Stroud

Jul 31, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With how the offense looked throughout Tuesday's practice, credit has to be given to C.J. Stroud for how he looked in what might be his most successful day on the field in camp.

Stroud only had two incompletions throughout the entire practice, which was done without the help of Nico Collins, who was held out with a rest day. He had zero turnovers throughout, and showcased great chemistry with both Dalton Schultz and Jayden Higgins, as well as some plays made for Woody Marks and Xavier Hutchinson.

C.J. Stroud to Jayden Higgins in 7 on 7. pic.twitter.com/5ZuUGJqsR5
— Jonathan M Alexander (@jonmalexander) August 4, 2026

This is nothing short of Stroud's most important training camp since arriving to the team in 2023. And if he's able to have more days like today that make himself individually and the offense as a whole look as strong as it did, it'll be hard not to have some more faith in what his season could look like once we hit September.

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

A position battle that hasn't exactly gone how the Texans envisioned it is their punter duel: one that's had two clear contenders looking to create some staying power on the roster, but neither of whom has separated themselves from the other.

Kroeger hasn't shown off any clear improvements from the way he looked last season with the New Orleans Saints, which was a disappointing year for him, all things considered. Stonehouse has looked a bit better, but as a UDFA, there's nothing he's shown to this point that makes him a huge step forward from the guy he's competing with.

Could the Texans get out and sign another punter to try and compete with the two if things continue to not go as planned? It certainly can't be counted out. But for now, these are the two in the running, haven't exactly proven much, yet have several more practices ahead to change the narrative.

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

The star of the day, for as good as Stroud looked in his reps, might've just been Jayden Higgins, who, by all accounts, made the most of his opportunities in a big way.

Higgins hauled in a couple of targets from Stroud during the team's 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 period, showed out in 1-on-1s when tasked with the matchup of an All-Pro cornerback in Derek Stingley, and certainly looked the part of being a starting-level wide receiver who's made big strides from his rookie campaign.

7️⃣➡️8️⃣1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/PLiBB0c07p
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) August 4, 2026

All of the reviews from Higgins from both guys in the building and from the media have been nothing but positive. He showed today exactly why that's the case, and will continue to be a name to watch in this offense moving forward.

Loser: Anyone Competing for the DE3 Spot

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 made a clear statement over the weekend by opting to bring on former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney into their defensive end room to bring some extra depth behind Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter.

And on Tuesday, Clowney was back at the facility after officially putting pen to paper on his contract.

Welcome home 🤘 @clownejd pic.twitter.com/Do3j6uTym8
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) August 4, 2026

That means, for all the talk that's been made about who on the Texans' defensive line will be the one to claim that DE3 spot, that debate's been settled. Clowney is going to be the guy getting the most snaps at the position behind their top two stars, and not much in training camp––outside of potential injuries––are going to change that.

So for Dylan Horton, Dominique Robinson, Ali Gaye, or anyone else in the running, that DE4 or DE5 spot will be wide-open for the taking across the coming weeks. But the top three spots at the position are locked up.

Winner: Lewis Bond

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

With the Texans' offense shining in Tuesday's practice, another wide receiver came out of the day considered a winner in Lewis Bond, who made some highlights happen throughout the day, including a nice touchdown catch on Alijah Huzzie, thanks to a great ball thrown from Graham Mertz.

LEWIS FREAKING BOND ‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/Tk477N9gWG
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) August 4, 2026

It's become a bit of a common trend of Bond to show out in these practices. Whether it be back at OTAs and minicamp, or now, in recent training camp showings, the sixth-round pick has already proven to be a pleasant surprise as a refined, smart route-runner with some impressive hands for a rookie.

If he's able to keep up this momentum, there's little doubt he'll be able to find his groove on the 53-man roster as a WR6 on the depth chart, and even has the chance of rising up just a bit higher, depending on how the next few weeks look.

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