The 2014 undrafted kid: Anthony Denham
After joining the Texans as an undrafted free agent out of Utah in 2014, Denham has yet to see the field in a regular season NFL game.
Vitals
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 235 pounds
Age: 24
No career stats
Denham spent nearly the entire 2014 season on the practice squad and despite making the 53-man roster later in the year, he never saw the active game day roster. In 2015, he spent the season on injured reserve.
Look for Denham to compete for the third tight end spot in 2016, but it may not be a lock despite his experience over the other candidates.
Season prediction: Potential practice squad player
The 2015 undrafted kid: Eric Tomlinson
Eric Tomlinson played at UTEP and was originally signed by the Philadelphia Eagles but found his way to the Texans practice squad before the year was over.
Vitals
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 263 pounds
Age: 24
No career stats
Tomlinson didn’t light up the stat sheets during his time in El Paso, and most likely won’t do much for Houston. If Denham didn’t suffer an injury last season, he would have most likely been the practice squad tight end and Tomlinson may still be in Philly.
Season prediction: Cut before 53-man roster is finalized
The 2016 undrafted kid: Stephen Anderson
The third undrafted tight end trying to make Houston’s roster is the former Cal Golden Bear, Stephen Anderson.
Vitals
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 230 pounds
Career Receptions: 101 (Cal)
Career Yards: 1,260 (Cal)
Career TDs: 7 (Cal)
Houston showed interest in Anderson during the pre-draft process and they were probably thrilled to see him last through all seven rounds and be available after all the names had been called.
Anderson is undersized for the position, but could put on weight now that he has a chance to work with NFL conditioning coaches. One thing that’s for sure, the kid has talent.
After posting 40-yard dash times as low as 4.58 and recording a 38-inch vertical jump, he brings some athleticism and versatility to the position. A former walk-on at Cal, Anderson now has a chance to score an NFL job after being undrafted.
Next: Houston Texans positional breakdown: RBs
I for one, am betting on him to win that final spot in Houston, but will most likely be a seldom used third tight end. Still, a long way to come for a kid who originally wasn’t even given a college scholarship.
Season prediction: 8 receptions, 45 yards, 1 TD