Houston Texans: Five players who exceeded expectations

Andre Hal, Safety

A seventh-round pick in 2014 out of Vanderbilt, Andre Hal played corner his rookie season and played admirably but only sparingly. In 14 games he managed 21 tackles and four pass deflections, but after drafting Kevin Johnson in the first round to play corner, Hal looked to be on the roster bubble.

Before training camp, it was reported that Houston would slide the second year player to safety in what seemed like an effort to try and find a spot for the young man.

Instead of just finding a spot, Hal replaced one of their free agent signings, Rahim Moore at the position and wound up starting 11 games. Hal finished the year with 36 tackles, 10 pass deflections and four interceptions, which included one defensive touchdown for the sophomore.

Now as the offseason approaches, Hal looks to be set as a starter moving forward, which is a far cry from what many thought would happen when talk of the position switch started to go around.

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