Heading into this week's preseason matchup between the Houston Texans and Las Vegas Raiders, head coach DeMeco Ryans and his coaching staff still have some tough decision to make regarding the 53-man roster. By my count, there are at least three vital positional battles that could be decided by this Thursday's contest.
Whether it's been due to strong performances throughout training camp, last minute injuries or even some mishaps from last week's game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the choices have seemingly ebbed and flowed kind frequently. Regardless, the best 11 men --both offensively and defensively-- must be on the field as much as possible, and it's about time that Ryans and co. establish the pecking order so that they can make sure all quality reps are dolled out accordingly.
With that said, here are the battles that could be determined with strong enough outings against the Raiders, and what the implications are for the team moving forward.
Three positions the Houston Texans can solidify this week against the Las Vegas Raiders
Right tackle: Braden Smith vs. Trent Brown
In a battle of the incoming former Indianapolis Colt in Braden Smith and returnee Trent Brown, the Texans have witnessed an intense back and fourth competition for the role since training camp began. While Smith was an exciting get for the franchise this offseason, reports from camp have suggested that Brown has been the more reliable option overall on the right side of the formation. Then, it also doesn't help Smith that he put some bad plays on film against the Chargers this past Thursday. One case in particular stood out.
- 2nd Quarter, 8:54 on the clock, 2nd & 2 from the Houston 33 yard line, Smith was beat by Chargers linebacker Kyle Kennard on a rush move to his outside shoulder in pass protection. The result was 31-yard completion to tight end Marlin Klein by backup quarterback Davis Mils in spite of Smith's whiff.
Outside of that, my main nitpick on Smith was also watching the film and seeing plays where he got blown backwards by a couple of yards by incoming rushers in pass protection. While he did end up holding serve after initial pushes by defenders, I'm still looking for either Smith or Brown to offer more resistance initially at the line of scrimmage. If Smith continues to be a bit shaky on the right side, I could see Brown slide in and offer a more palatable option for the coaching staff's consideration from Thursday onward.
Third Running back: Jawhar Jordan vs. Noah Whittington
At first, Jawhar Jordan was seen as a virtual lock for RB3 based on strong performances throughout training camp. However, an untimely lower body injury has kept Jordan sidelined over the last week or so, and it's allowed the undrafted Whittington to slot in and take some live reps against the Chargers. Whittington actually led both teams on the night in carries with 13, while also leading all rushers in yards with 40.
Bringing physicality, balance and a recent availability advantage, Whittington could leverage Jordan's absence into a potential roster spot if he performs well enough against the Raiders and beyond. The biggest factors for Whittington would be pass protection responsibilities and special teams versatiity.
Fourth Defensive end: Logan Hall vs. the field
Offseason defensive end/defensive tackle acquisition Logan Hall didn't suit up in week one of the preseason. However, Ryans has stated that Hall and other healthy bodies will be participating against the Raiders this week. There's been much made of whether or not Hall will move inside to tackle or remain at his natural end position, but reports suggest that Hall could be in play to snag DE4 ahead of names like Dylan Horton, Dominique Robinson and Solomon Byrd.
Drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of the second round in the 2022 NFL Draft, the former UH Cougar didn't have the early career success that him and his team would've hoped. Outside of his career-high 5.5 sacks in 2024, Hall didn't sustain any high levels of success for his defense, Thus, he was allowed to walk in free agency and find his way to Houston this offseason on a two-year, $13.75 million max deal.
However, several defensive players have had played some of their best football under the tutelage of Ryans and co., including Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins and Tommy Togiai and former Texan Tim Settle Jr. If Hall --who still has a lot of untapped potential-- can follow suit and unlock a new level of production with Houston's defense, he could be a terror at D4. It all starts for Hall against the Raiders, though.
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