Houston Texans camp battles: Tight end

The Sleeper: Stephen Anderson

Houston invested no draft picks and made no moves during free agency to upgrade their position moving forward, but that doesn’t mean someone can’t come from nowhere, especially one who has done it before.

Vitals:
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 230 Pounds
Year: Rookie Season

Stephen Anderson was a former walk-on for the Cal Golden Bears and was able to do the unthinkable and become a starter for a Pac-12 team. Now he hopes to continue defying the odds as he tries to make an NFL roster and as is stands now, he is in line to be the third tight end at worst.

He is a good athlete with enough speed to get separation from linebackers. He also has shown great leaping ability and solid hands while at Cal where he hauled in 101 catches for 1,260 yards and seven touchdowns in three seasons.

The downside is he is a ‘tweener that struggles with blocking. At 6-2 he’s on the shorter end of tight ends and his 230 pound frame doesn’t offer much hope for his blocking to improve. Still, he can be a solid weapon if used properly.

The Verdict; Primary backup

Anderson couldn’t have picked a better place to start his NFL career. Houston simply doesn’t have the talent at the position that other teams do which leaves the third spot wide open for the taking. Look for him to be featured on formations that get him out in space against linebackers.

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