Houston Texans

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.

Tank Dell

WR

Dell is on the field in uniform, but he's not sporting a helmet, as the Texans are taking a "patient, long term approach" with the wide receiver this offseason, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. The 26-year-old has been sidelined since tearing multiple knee ligaments in Week 16 of the 2024 season. While Dell may not participate in offseason workouts, there's a good chance he's on the field at training camp with an eye toward Week 1 of the regular season. If healthy, Dell should occupy a spot in three-wide sets alongside Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins, with Jaylin Noel and Xavier Hutchinson available as sub-package wideouts.

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.

Jalen Walthall

WR

Walthall spent three years at Hawaii before transferring to Incarnate Word for his remaining two collegiate seasons. The wide receiver caught 70 receptions for 847 yards and eight touchdowns over 10 games in 2025. If Walthall can prove in training camp that his quickness translates to the NFL level, he may be able to sneak onto the Texans roster as an offensive depth option and special-teams contributor.

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.

Lewis Bond

WR

Bond (5-foot-11, 197 pounds) is likely a slot receiver to the Texans after a Boston College career where he provided quality underneath receiving production but little in the way of big plays. Bond's reliable hands could prove useful to the Texans. It just would probably require some injuries at receiver first.

Kamari Ramsey

S

Ramsey (6-foot-0, 202 pounds) started the second of his first two collegiate seasons at UCLA and then both of his campaigns at USC, though over the course of his three seasons as a starter he missed a total of seven games due to injury. While Ramsey doesn't stand out in terms of frame, athleticism or physicality, he boasts experience and versatility, having rotated between his natural position at safety and nickel in 2025 to help round out USC's secondary. As a rookie in Houston, Ramsey figures to compete with M.J. Stewart and Jaylen Reed for depth opportunities behind Reed Blankenship and Calen Bullock.

Wade Woodaz

LB

Woodaz was a versatile player at Clemson, serving as an inside and outside linebacker while also chipping in at the nickel corner position. He has sideline-to-sideline speed with a 4.56 40-yard dash at his pro day, and he was trustworthy in coverage as a senior. Still, Woodaz needs to develop more patience and a better ability to diagnose plays before he's ready to be a full-time starter. The 22-year-old should be an impressive special-teams asset until that time comes.

Febechi Nwaiwu

G

Nwaiwu (6-foot-4, 319 pounds) boasts a massive frame and wingspan, having measured in with 34.5-inch arms at the NFL Combine, and in his final season at Oklahoma he displayed the versatility to operate at center in addition to his usual starting role at right guard. Houston spent a first-round selection on a hopeful starter at left guard, Keylan Rutledge at No. 26 overall, but Nwaiwu projects to begin his NFL career as a depth option.

Marlin Klein

TE

Klein spent his entire three-year college career with Michigan, and in 2025 he was named as an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention after posting 24 catches for 248 yards and a touchdown. He has an athletic, 6-foot-6 frame that should help him develop as a capable blocker at the NFL level, but he'll need to work on his route running and pass-catching ability to earn the trust of QB C.J. Stroud in the passing game. Dalton Schultz (calf) will be the Texans' starting tight end next season, so Klein will compete with Cade Stover (knee) and Brevin Jordan (knee) for the backup job.

Kayden McDonald

DT

The Texans traded up with the Raiders to take McDonald, a classic nose tackle in stature (6-foot-2, 326 pounds) but one who finds the ball carrier much more often than most two-gap defensive tackles. McDonald set the interior anchor for Ohio State's smothering defense in 2025, yet even while working through the thickest part of the trenches McDonald managed to accumulate 65 tackles (nine for a loss) in 14 games. The Texans run defense and pass rush were both already strong, yet with McDonald in the rotation it gets even tougher to block the Texans.

Keylan Rutledge

G

Rutledge (6-foot-4, 316 pounds) is something of an underdog story and an unconventional first-round pick, but there's a lot to like about his game and there's reason to believe this pick will age well for the Texans. Rutledge began his collegiate career at Middle Tennessee, where he stood out for two years before playing one year at Georgia Tech in 2025. Rutledge is a relentless mauler who should stand out as a run blocker immediately as an NFL starter for Houston, and his excellent athletic testing (5.05-second 40, 32.5-inch vertical) gives reason to think there's plenty of upside.