The Houston Texans are finally down to their 53-man roster, and that means Week 1 is starting to come into focus.
With the regular season about to begin later next weekend against the Buffalo Bills, Houston’s depth chart has already taken on a different look than it had just a week ago, when camp was still packed with 90 players and a lot more competition at every spot. Some jobs are settled.
Others are still waiting on a final answer. But the shape of this roster is much clearer now.
At quarterback, the Texans are currently carrying just two signal-callers after moving on from veteran Brett Rypien earlier last week. For now, C.J.
Stroud stands alone at the top, heading into what the source describes as his most pivotal season in the NFL yet. Houston could still be looking to add a third quarterback to the practice squad in the coming days.
The backfield is also trimmed down, with David Montgomery and Woody Marks listed as the top two runners and British Brooks as the main backup on the active roster. Jawhar Jordan and Noah Whittington give Houston more depth on the practice squad, but on the 53, those are the three names in the room.
At receiver, Nico Collins is the X, Xavier Hutchinson is at Z, and Jaylin Noel holds down the slot. Behind them are Kayshon Boutte and Jared Wayne. Boutte, Houston’s newest addition at wideout, could grow into a larger role later in the season, but for Week 1 the Texans are expected to lean on the more established options in the room.
Tight end is one of the deeper spots on the roster. Dalton Schultz is the starter, with Marlin Klein behind him and Foster Moreau, Cade Stover, and Brevin Jordan listed as backups. Once Brevin Jordan was brought up to the 53-man roster earlier this week, Houston’s tight end group reached five names to open the year, giving the team more versatility than it had a season ago.
Up front, the most likely starting offensive line for Week 1 looks to be Aireontae Ersery at left tackle, Keylan Rutledge at left guard, Evan Brown at center, Ed Ingram at right guard, and Trent Brown at right tackle. Blake Fisher, Wyatt Teller, Jake Andrews, Febechi Nwaiwu, and Nate Thomas are the reserve options behind them. Braden Smith could eventually work his way into the right tackle spot once he gets past his foot injury, but for now he’s on IR and out for at least four weeks.
Houston’s edge group is loaded. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter are the starters, with Jadeveon Clowney, Logan Hall, Dominique Robinson, and Sabastian Harsh behind them.
Clowney’s one-year deal has given the Texans what could be their deepest and most talented defensive line since DeMeco Ryans arrived in 2023. Robinson, who was a surprise cut on Sunday, is back after being re-signed earlier this week alongside Brevin Jordan.
Inside, Sheldon Rankins and Tommy Togiai are listed as the defensive tackles, with Kayden McDonald and Mario Edwards Jr. behind them. McDonald, Houston’s second-round pick in this year’s draft, has a chance to climb higher as the season goes on. For Week 1, though, Togiai appears to have the edge, especially after his preseason workload and the fact that he rested throughout that three-game sample.
At linebacker, Azeez Al-Shaair, Henry To’oTo’o, and Wade Woodaz make up the top three, with Jake Hansen, Jake Hummel, and Aiden Fisher as the backups. Woodaz missed the final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers because of a hand injury, but there is optimism he’ll be ready for Week 1.
If he is, he should be the favorite for the LB3 role after E.J. Speed’s season-ending quad injury.
The secondary looks strong from top to bottom. Derek Stingley and Kamari Lassiter are the cornerback duo, Jalen Pitre is at nickel, and Jaylin Smith, Tremon Smith, and Collin Wright are next in line.
The Texans also moved on from Jaylen Reed and Alijah Huzzie, which makes rookie Kamari Ramsey the likeliest top backup at safety and also a possible backup nickel option. Ramsey played both spots at USC and has made the most of his chances in Houston so far.
Reed Blankenship and Calen Bullock are listed as the starting safeties, with Ramsey as the backup. On special teams, Ka’imi Fairbairn is still the kicker, Kai Kroeger won the punting job in camp, and Austin Brinkman is the long snapper.
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