The Houston Texans kept 10 rookies on their 53-man roster for Week 1, and several of them look set to matter right away.
All but one of Houston’s draft picks from April survived the cut, and three undrafted free agents made the team too. That mix gives the Texans a rookie class with real breadth: a likely starter on the offensive line, a handful of defensive contributors, and a tight end who may already be climbing the depth chart.
Keylan Rutledge looks closest to an every-down job. After a strong start to his time in Houston following his first-round selection this April, the Texans appear increasingly likely to plug him in as a starter on the interior from day one, with his hand on the ball at center. Wyatt Teller is expected to line up next to him at left guard, giving Houston what projects to be a better offensive front in 2026.
Marlin Klein may be the most intriguing pass-catcher in the group. Houston’s second-round rookie tight end has been one of the camp and preseason standouts, and that has pushed him into the conversation as Dalton Schultz’s primary backup. He has the size and speed to be a strong vertical threat, has flashed that in preseason, and brings enough blocking upside that the Texans may have found a gem at tight end.
On the defensive side, Kayden McDonald, another second-rounder, should be part of the interior rotation. He has been getting reps in preseason games when the starters have sat, which suggests he may be a step behind Tommy Togiai right now and positioned as Houston’s DT3. Long term, the Texans expect him to be a force on the defensive interior, but it may take a few weeks before he starts stacking a lot of snaps.
Wade Woodaz has put himself in the mix at linebacker despite a hand injury that kept him out for the final week of preseason action. That injury does not appear to threaten his long-term availability, and he has a legitimate shot to be the Texans’ third linebacker behind Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o. He has shown the athleticism and downhill play style Houston wants there, and he closed his preseason with an 80-yard pick six on Fernando Mendoza.
Welcome to the NFL: #Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza throws an INT to #Texans 4th-round rookie LB Wade Woodaz, who then took it back 80 yards for a TD.pic.twitter.com/bYarFVoC1k https://t.co/fLHPaulwPP
Houston also made room for several rookies who look more like depth pieces for now. Febechi Nwaiwu, a fourth-round offensive lineman, was always expected to make the team and should provide guard depth, likely on the right side, with veteran Evan Brown serving as the primary backup on the other side. Aiden Fisher, a seventh-round linebacker, earned his spot after injuries piled up in the room, though he is not expected to jump Woodaz for meaningful defensive reps early.
In the secondary, Kamari Ramsey got a boost from Houston’s roster moves. The Texans traded safety Jaylen Reed to the New England Patriots and cut nickel corner Alijah Huzzie, which sends a clear signal of trust in the fifth-round rookie.
He is still behind the top names at the position - Reed, Blankenship, Calen Bullock, and Jalen Pitre - but he should see more action in year one than originally expected. Collin Wright also made it through despite a soft tissue injury that disrupted his preseason.
The Stanford defensive back did enough in limited opportunities to earn a spot, though his role figures to stay small unless injuries open the door.
The Texans’ final defensive line spot went to Sebastian Harsh, one of the bigger surprises of the cutdown. For most of camp, veteran Dominique Robinson looked like the likeliest choice to be Houston’s last defensive end, especially after Dylan Horton’s season-ending Achilles injury. But Harsh, an NC State rookie and UDFA, put together enough of a camp and preseason to force his way onto the roster and add more depth to an already strong defensive front.
Houston also carried an extra tackle than expected, and Sam Hagan was the surprise name there. The Texans kept six offensive tackles instead of the three or four many expected, and the South Dakota State tackle with four seasons of starting experience at SDSU and North Dakota now gets a chance to keep climbing the depth chart.
For a team that brought in a rookie-heavy class, the Texans’ cutdown leaves them with plenty of first-year talent in place for Week 1 - and a few names who may not be waiting long to matter.
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