Even with the Houston Texans dropping both preseason games so far, a few players have done enough to make the next few weeks interesting. The rookie class has gotten plenty of run against the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders, and that extra exposure has brought a handful of names into sharper focus with one preseason game and a joint practice still left against the Carolina Panthers.
At wide receiver, third-year player Jared Wayne has taken advantage of the opening created by Jayden Higgins’ injury. Wayne caught Houston’s only touchdown in the first preseason game, finishing a red-zone grab from Davis Mills, and he has put together five receptions for 30 yards across the two games.
He’s also the only receiver on the roster to record multiple catches in both outings. With the Texans’ receiver group still unsettled heading toward Week 1, Wayne has made a real case to be the last man standing at the position after cutdown day.
Marlin Klein has also forced his way into the conversation. The second-round pick needed a strong preseason to show why Houston spent that kind of draft capital on him in April, and he has delivered.
His first game featured a 31-yard catch that stood out as the biggest play of the day, and he followed that up against the Raiders with three catches on four targets for 31 yards. After a quieter start to the offseason program earlier this summer, Klein’s recent surge could push him higher on the depth chart than anyone expected.
Linebacker is another spot where the Texans have found encouraging early returns. Rookie Nick Woodaz suffered a broken thumb in the second preseason game against the Raiders, so his availability moving forward is now in question, but what he showed before the injury was promising.
He opened with two tackles in the first game, then broke out against Las Vegas with two more tackles, a pass defended, and an interception returned 80 yards for a touchdown off No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. If and when he returns, Woodaz has a strong chance to work his way into the LB3 role that has been open since E.J.
Speed went out with a torn quad.
The Texans’ other rookie linebacker, seventh-rounder Aiden Fisher, has also been making noise. Against the Chargers, Fisher posted a game-high seven combined tackles and added a tackle for loss.
He backed that up against the Raiders with six combined tackles, which tied for second on the team’s defense behind Brandon Codrington. With injuries thinning the room and Fisher producing at this level, he looks like a real candidate to sneak onto the 53-man roster if he keeps it going against Carolina.
In the secondary, Kamari Ramsey got his moment in Week 1 with an interception off Trey Lance against the Chargers, but second-year safety Jaylen Reed has been just as steady. Reed has totaled 11 tackles and a pass defended through two games, and he’s one of only three Texans with double-digit tackles so far, joining Fisher and cornerback Stephen Hall. Reed already looked fairly safe heading into camp, and this kind of production only strengthens his grip on a Week 1 roster spot in what appears to be a deep, versatile safety group.
In Other News...
Texans Suddenly Have A Tank Dell Problem Before Week 1
Tank Dells status has become one of the more uncomfortable storylines hanging over the Texans as Week 1 approaches. He has been working back from injury and has taken part only in a limited way, which has kept him out of full practices and the preseason finale. For a team that has built real expectations around its passing game, the timing is less than ideal.
Houston now has to sort through its receiver options with Dell trending the wrong direction for the opener. Nico Collins remains the established focal point, but the spot alongside him is unsettled, with Xavier Hutchinson and Jaylin Noel among the names in the mix. The Texans can still adjust the plan, but the closer the opener gets, the more Dells availability shapes everything about how this offense is arranged. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Just Lost A Steady Edge Rusher To An Interesting New Deal
The Browns are bringing in Derek Barnett on a one-year deal worth up to $5.5 million, a move that comes after they dealt away Myles Garrett and later lost Alex Wright to injury. For Houston, it also closes the book on a steady veteran edge rusher who spent the past three seasons with the Texans after arriving as a former first-round pick and Super Bowl champion with Philadelphia.
Barnett gave Houston a seasoned presence on the edge, the kind of player who could be counted on to fit into a rotation and handle his role without much fuss. Now he heads to Cleveland for a situation that looks very different on paper, and the bigger question for the Texans is how they replace that dependable depth as they keep shaping the front of their defense. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Suddenly Have A Receiver Battle Fans Need To Watch
Jayden Higgins season-ending ACL injury left the Texans looking for more answers in a receiver group that suddenly needed reinforcements, and the front office responded by adding veterans Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones to the 90-man roster. For a team trying to sort out depth during training camp, the moves bring in two experienced pass catchers who have seen plenty of NFL football and now get a real chance to show where they fit.
DeMeco Ryans pointed to that experience as part of the appeal, and the next few weeks will tell whether either receiver can carve out a place on the 53-man roster. With preseason reps and camp practices still ahead, the competition has become one worth watching closely, especially for a Texans offense still adjusting to a sudden opening in its receiver room. [Read more 🡒]