Houston Texans

Jaylin Noel

WR

Noel reportedly connected with quarterback C.J. Stroud for multiple touchdowns during team drills at mandatory minicamp, which took place from June 9-11. The 2025 third-rounder displayed impressive versatility as a rookie, suiting up for all 17 regular-season games while compiling a 26-292-2 receiving line (on 35 targets), rushing six times for 12 yards, and racking up 799 kick-return yards and 335 yards on punt returns. He enters Year 2 competing with Tank Dell (knee) and Xavier Hutchinson for receiver reps behind Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins, with Koch reporting that Noel currently appears to be in the lead for the No. 3 role.

Tank Dell

WR

Dell continues to rehab from the devastating knee injury that cost him all of the 2025 season. While he wasn't a full participant during Houston's just-completed minicamp, he did catch passes in team drills and worked off to side. The Texans' goal is to have Dell continue to ramp up over the summer so that he can increase his activity level during training camp. However, the team isn't providing a concrete timeline for when the wideout will be fully ready to participate in practices or play in games.

Layne Pryor

TE

The Northern Iowa product spent time with the Texans' practice squad last season and signed a reserve/future contract with the team in late January. Once fully healthy, Pryor will likely compete for a depth role in Houston's tight end room.

Trent Brown

OT

Brown has recovered from the ankle injury that forced him to miss the Texans' AFC divisional-round loss to the Patriots back in January. The 33-year-old was working with the first-team offense Tuesday, but he's expected to serve as the backup right tackle behind Braden Smith during the regular season.

Justin Watson

WR

Watson suffered a postseason-ending concussion during Houston's wild-card win over Pittsburgh in January, but he's back to full health with minicamp underway. He currently projects for a depth role in a wide receiver corps led by two-time Pro Bowler Nico Collins and 2025 second-rounder Jayden Higgins.

Logan Hall

DE

It's not clear when Hall picked up the injury, but it isn't expected to cause a long-term absence. Until he's back to full strength, rookie second-rounder Kayden McDonald could see more practice reps.

Marlin Klein

TE

Per Wilson, the injury isn't expected to keep Klein off the practice field for an extended period. The rookie second-round pick, who's competing with Foster Moreau for the No. 2 job behind Dalton Schultz, will have a chance to return to practice at some point during the Texans' mandatory minicamp, which begins Tuesday.

Louis Hansen

TE

The rookie tight end out of Connecticut is getting his first chance in the pros with the Texans. Over the course of the past three seasons with the Huskies, Hansen totaled 46 catches for 463 yards and four touchdowns in 40 games.

Dalton Schultz

TE

Jaylin Smith

CB

A third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Smith suffered a hamstring injury in Week 2 that landed him on injured reserve until returning in Week 8. He then sustained a season-ending torn meniscus in his knee in Week 9. Wilson reports Smith is now 100 percent healthy and has no restrictions this offseason. He'll compete for a role behind starters Derek Stingley, Kamari Lassiter and slot corner Jalen Pitre.

Brevin Jordan

TE

Mandatory practices still haven't started up yet for the new year, so there's no reason for Houston to rush Jordan back into action. The Texans signed Foster Moreau in free agency and added second-rounder Marlin Klein in the 2026 NFL Draft, so Jordan's place on their 53-man roster is far from guaranteed at this point.

Cade Stover

TE

Stover sustained a knee injury during Houston's playoff loss at New England in the divisional round back in January, but he's had time to move past the issue, allowing him to participate in the team's offseason workouts. After the Texans drafted tight end Marlin Klein in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Stover's path to a spot on the final 53-man roster for the upcoming season looks narrow.

Ajani Carter

CB

Carter was waived/injured by the Texans on May 21, but after going unclaimed on waivers, he's reverted to IR. The Houston product underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last week but should be able to return at some point during the 2026 season, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. Carter appeared in just two regular-season games during the Texans' 2025 campaign, handling 36 special-teams snaps.

Nico Collins

WR

Collins' restructure guarantees his salary for the next two seasons while providing him cash increases of $9 million in 2026 and $8 million in 2027, per Schefter. Houston general manager Nick Caserio made it clear in an interview during the 2026 NFL Draft that the team is not considering trading Collins despite having received calls about the 27-year-old wideout, as DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN reports, and the Pro Bowler's new contract reinforces his long-term status as the No. 1 target for C.J. Stroud. While suiting up for 15 regular-season games in 2025, Collins secured 71 of 120 targets for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns -- his third consecutive season with over 1,000 receiving yards.

Jha'Quan Jackson

WR

The 26-year-old from Tulane spent time on the Saints' practice squad last season and hasn't appeared in an NFL game since 2024, when Jackson served as one of the Titans' top return men and totaled 412 kick-return yards and 215 punt-return yards across 12 contests. He'll likely compete for a similar role ahead of the 2026 season.

E.J. Speed

LB

Per Wilson, Speed was injured while lifting weights. He's expected to need at least three months after surgery before he can begin rehab, so it's almost certain that the veteran linebacker will miss a significant portion of the upcoming season, though the expectation is that he'll be able to return at some point during the campaign. Speed started nine of the 16 regular-season games in which he played for Houston last season and also was a contributor on special teams. Jake Hansen (chest), Jamal Hill, Marte Mapu and Jake Hummel, along with rookie draft picks Wade Woodaz and Aiden Fisher, are candidates to get significant defensive snaps in Speed's absence.

Woody Marks

RB

Marks averaged a meager 3.6 yards per carry during his rookie regular season with the Texans, but the 2025 fourth-round pick had 24 catches for 208 yards and scored more receiving touchdowns (three) than rushing touchdowns (two). He also was a productive pass catcher in college, recording at least 47 receptions in four of five NCAA seasons. Montgomery is likely to lead the Texans in carries, but he ceded the majority of pass catching opportunities to Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit over the past three campaigns, as Montgomery had 24 or fewer catches in two of his three seasons with the Lions.

Xavier Thomas

LB

The 2024 fifth-round pick (Cardinals) played 18 games over his first two seasons, recording 10 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a pass breakup. However, he was waived by the Cardinals midway through the 2025 season before landing on the Texans' practice squad. It's unclear what he's dealing with, but he'll remain on IR unless he reaches an injury settlement with the Texans.

Evan Hull

RB

Hull played in six games for the Saints during the 2025 season, logging 19 rush attempts for 48 yards. The running back also produced some special teams value in his outings, adding 179 yards as a kick returner. Rushing depth will be key for a Texans offense that just reworked the offensive line, so any depth additions to solidify the room will help them develop the consistent rushing attack they were missing in 2025.

Daniel Sobkowicz

WR

Sobkowicz played for Illinois State throughout his four-year collegiate career. The wide receiver amassed 83 receptions for 1,141 yards and 19 touchdowns over 15 games in 2025. The Texans already have a deep wide-receiver room that will be further fortified with the return of Tank Dell (knee), so Sobkowicz will have to prove he has remarkable value as both an offensive player and a special-teams contributor to maintain a spot on the roster after cutdown day.

Josh Pitsenberger

RB

Pitsenberger played all four of his collegiate years at Yale, ending his career in 2025 as the team's captain. The running back ended his final season with 313 rushes for 1,571 yards and 19 touchdowns over 12 games while adding 16 receptions for 128 yards. Pitsenberger will provide additional depth to the Texans' running back room heading into training camp.

C.J. Stroud

QB

Stroud shouldn't lack for motivation, coming off a 2025 campaign in which he and his offensive line were the weak links on an otherwise loaded team. The Texans then picked up his fifth-year option this offseason, though it's not equivalent to a huge vote of confidence when the price tag ($25.9 million) is lower than what it costs to re-sign even a mediocre starting QB. There's still hope in Houston that Stroud can be more than mediocre, with help from a remade offensive line that added first-round pick Keylan Rutledge and veterans Braden Smith, Wyatt Teller and Evan Brown. The combination of better blocking and a locked-in QB could do wonders for Houston's offense, but even a slimmed-down version of Stroud is unlikely to offer much in the way of rushing stats for his fantasy managers.

Ali Gaye

DE

The defensive end dressed for three regular-season games for Tennessee last year, playing on 37 defensive snaps and 21 special-teams snaps, making one tackle. Gaye has nine tackles (eight solo) across two NFL campaigns.

Azeez Al-Shaair

LB

Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Al-Shaair's new deal amounts to a three-year, $54 million pact. The 28-year-old is coming off a 2025 regular season which he recorded 103 tackles and two picks in 16 games en route becoming a Pro Bowl selection. The Texans' starting middle linebacker is bouncing back from an offseason thumb procedure, but a full recovery is expected in advance of the upcoming campaign.

Aiden Fisher

LB

The Texans took a linebacker for the second time on Day 3, as they previously selected Wade Woodaz out of Clemson in the fourth round. Fisher piled up 215 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks over his final two seasons at Indiana, earning All-American honors in both seasons during the process. He's undersized (6-foot-1, 232 pounds) but has solid range as a run stopper and in coverage. Fisher should be a versatile option for the Texans defense, and he should at least be a special-teams contributor as a rookie.