4. Brennan Scarlett, OLB
Every year there are several players who make NFL rosters despite not being drafted and people look back and ask how that was possible. One player who could find fans asking that question about him in the near future is outside linebacker Brennan Scarlett.
After recording six and a half sacks during his final year in college at Stanford, Scarlett went undrafted this offseason. The reason for this was due to his small sample size while in college.
Originally a member of the Cal Golden Bears, Scarlett had injuries in 2011, 2013 and 2014 which either ended his season prematurely or forced him to miss the entire year. In 2015 he played his one season at Stanford and finally showed the pass rushing ability that Houston found interesting.
Now after appearing in two preseason games, the 6-foot-4, 264-pound Scarlett is going to make it hard for the Texans to keep him off the 53-man roster. He has been all over the place in each of the last two preseason games, and this weekend’s game was his best.
Scarlett recorded six tackles, forced a fumble and had two sacks. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle even took notice and detailed the great day the rookie had after missing most of camp with even more injury issues.
For Scarlett, the key will be staying healthy and on the field. If he is able to do that, he could wind up being a solid player for years to come.
Next: More OLB depth