Houston Texans undrafted free agent cornerback Collin Wright continues to make a strong case to be one of the final players standing at the end of August 30th's NFL roster cutdown day.
In a defensive back room that already features All-Pro's, multiple Pro Bowlers and prospects hungry to show their importance to the Texans, the former Stanford Cardinal has separated himself from the pack as a ballhawking threat who's liable to flip a drive on its head at a moment's notice. He proved that yet again today in camp, as he snagged another interception for himself while in coverage, this time off of quarterback C.J. Stroud on a pass intended for wide receiver Jared Wayne during team drills.
Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke further confirmed this sentiment about Wright after a training camp session this past week, when he expressed to the media:
“He’s made a play on the ball everyday he’s been here from the Spring until now. He’s just always around the ball. Very sharp kid, very intelligent. Very happy with where he’s been so far.”
If Wright continues to elevate throughout the latter portions of camp and preseason, then Houston will most likely be forced to have to reevaluate any final decisions that didn't originally include the Missouri City-native.
Collin Wright is making final roster decisions for the Houston Texans that much harder during training camp
Last season, the Texans originally kept four cornerbacks once the final 53-man roster was announced. The group included Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Tremon Smith and rookie Jaylin Smith. Considering that Stingley and Lassiter are both locks to make the roster, that leaves two spots available for seven contestants to compete for.
At the time of writing, Houston's other cornerback options (including Wright) in camp have been:
- Brandon Codrington (#17)
- Stephen Hall (#41)
- Alijah Huzzie (#28)
- Jaylin Smith (#22)
- Ja'Marcus Ingram (#20)
- Tremon Smith (#11)
- Collin Wright (#37)
As the lone veteran with extensive history with the Texans already, one could make the argument that Smith should be seen as one of the favorites for one of the final two selections. Then, the other Smith (that being Jaylin), would be identified as the second-year option who's hungry to prove his value after a injury-riddle rookie season out of USC last year.
However, Wright's prolific performances in training camp thus far has shifted that perception entirely. Even though the Texans normally tend to lean on veteran leadership as much as they can afford to (depending on the position), Wright's immediate impact has opened the door to the possibility that a secondary featuring him and the younger Smith would provide Houston with a much higher ceiling for electric playmaking behind their frontline starters.
Depending on who you ask, Wright has pole position to be one of the final four starting cornerbacks left once head coach DeMeco Ryans and his staff make final decisions on the roster in 20 days. The 6-foot, 195-pound former Stanford Gundelach award winner (2024) has already shown the tenacity and fight to make the most of his camp opportunity amongst more established players. During this preseason home stretch, Wright will have to show that he can be an actual difference maker once live NFL games begin, instead of just being a "flash in the plan" camp player.
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