The Texans’ 2025 draft class produced a little bit of everything in its first season: a promising top target, a rookie back who flashed big-play value, a lineman who settled in nicely, and a few late-round swings that still have plenty to prove.
Jayden Higgins gave Houston exactly the kind of start teams hope for from an early pick. He finished his rookie year with 50 catches for 623 yards and six touchdowns, quickly becoming a go-to option for CJ Stroud.
That kind of immediate role matters, and it’s why the outlook here is so encouraging heading into his second season. The next step comes in 2026, but the early returns point in a positive direction.
Aireontae Ersery’s first year followed a more familiar rookie arc. He had his rough patches early, which comes with the territory when a young lineman is thrown into the mix right away.
But he kept getting better as the season went on and finished as a dependable blocker, allowing just one sack over his final eight games. That late-season stretch gives him a real chance to lock down the future blindside job for Stroud if he keeps building.
Jaylin Noel, meanwhile, had a quieter debut. He was stuck behind others on the depth chart and ended up with 26 receptions for 292 yards and two touchdowns.
The slot receiver has the kind of quickness that can play in this offense, and the Texans are expecting more from him in 2026. Still, last season left enough unanswered questions that he has to prove he belongs in a bigger role.
Woody Marks was the clear home run of the class. He piled up 832 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground, then added 227 receiving yards and three more scores as a pass catcher.
Even with David Montgomery brought in to handle the starting job, Marks looks like a player Houston will keep leaning on. His rookie season was too productive to ignore, and the team appears set to keep him involved.
Jaylen Reed’s year was derailed by injuries, but there were signs of something useful when he was on the field. He opened the season on the physically unable to perform list because of a foot issue, then a forearm injury in Week 13 shut him down for good. The health problems make the evaluation tricky, but the talent showed enough to suggest he can play at a starting level if he can stay available.
Graham Mertz had a rough first year and sits firmly behind CJ Stroud and Davis Mills on the depth chart. He never took a regular-season snap, and his 2025 preseason was disappointing, featuring a ⅓ touchdown to interception ration. At this point, his path to meaningful playing time looks extremely narrow unless injuries force the issue.
Kyonte Hamilton’s rookie season never got off the ground after he fractured his ankle in training camp and missed the entire year. With so little exposure, the Texans still don’t have a clear read on where he fits. He’ll head into competition for a roster spot in a crowded defensive tackle group, though a practice squad role seems the most likely outcome for now.
Luke Lachey’s situation was even more cut and dried. He spent the entire 2025 season on the practice squad and was released this offseason.
He’s now with the Green Bay Packers and trying to get his career moving again. As a seventh-round pick, the miss doesn’t carry the same weight as an early-round swing, but this one didn’t work out for Houston.
In Other News...
Texans Cowboys Rivalry Just Got More Personal Before Week 4
The Texans-Cowboys matchup has always carried a little extra weight in Texas, but this one comes with a fresher edge because of where both teams are right now. Houston has built real momentum under C.J. Stroud and DeMeco Ryans, while Dallas still leans on Dak Prescott and a roster built to win now, setting up a Week 4 meeting that feels bigger than a typical early-season game.
What makes it even more intriguing is how little these two quarterbacks have actually seen of each other on the field. Prescott and Stroud have been linked by the rivalry and by the state of Texas, but their first official head-to-head meeting never materialized last year when Prescott was sidelined, leaving one of the leagues most interesting in-state showdowns still waiting for its true first chapter. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Have One Reunion Option Fans Will Debate Before Camp
With camp approaching, the Texans have a familiar kind of roster question on their hands: whether to dip back into the free-agent pool for a face fans already know. Several former Houston players are still available, including DeAndre Hopkins, Derek Barnett, Noah Brown, Jadeveon Clowney and Brandin Cooks, and the teams cap flexibility gives it room to at least consider a reunion if the front office decides one more veteran makes sense.
The debate is less about whether Houston can afford to add someone and more about which name actually fits what the roster needs right now. Hopkins would bring obvious nostalgia, Barnett would have to be aligned with a very different contract expectation than the one he likely wants, and Cooks would offer system familiarity, while Clowney stands out as the most natural match among the group. Whether the Texans turn that familiarity into a move before camp is the part worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Face A Franchise Defining Contract Question Around C.J. Stroud
The Texans are entering a stretch where the front office has to think several moves ahead, and it starts with the core players who are moving toward extension eligibility. C.J. Stroud is the headliner, but he is hardly the only name on the list, with Kamari Lassiter, Calen Bullock and Tommy Togiai all part of a broader roster puzzle that will test how Houston balances long-term commitment with the need to keep enough cap room to stay competitive.
For Nick Caserio, the challenge is not simply rewarding good players, but deciding which ones fit the franchises bigger financial picture and championship timeline. A quarterback deal can reshape everything around him, and the Texans will also have to weigh how much they want to invest at other spots as those next contract decisions come due, making this one of the defining management tests of the coming seasons. [Read more 🡒]