The Houston Texans have a very young team. Maybe not the youngest in the league but fans often forget how many guys are still on their rookie contracts. This is a team that is both actively competing for the playoffs, while also developing talent behind their starters.
This crop of guys seems to be on the verge of doing great things. We're not just talking about the Will Anderson's, C.J. Strouds, or Nico Collins' of the team. No, we're talking about guys who are backups on this team. Backups who are impressing us each and every day and may one day be a major cog for the machine that is a Houston Texans perennial playoff squad.
Some young guys are starters who look ready to take over things as well. A guy or two who may be ready to shed the perception of a project and establish themselves as a starter for years to come. We scoured the roster for these two types of players and we're happy to announce we found three guys who could be ready to be major players in 2024.
S Jalen Pitre
Jalen Pitre hasn't been bad since getting drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but we'd be hard-pressed to not admit that there are (or were) better options than him out there to sign. Pitre, however, had an impressive preseason in limited action. He posted a 90.0+ on PFF and got fans talking about him ready to take that next step. Preseason isn't the regular season, but we're optimistic that he can be an asset moving forward.
RB British Brooks
British "Bulldog" Brooks is everything his new nickname suggests he is. He's compact, muscular and bowls people over. As with Pitre, the hype around Brooks comes from his preseason play. He didn't put up ungodly numbers as a running back but hit people often and hard. He'll likely play some fullback as well, and if he can prove to be a valuable runner and blocker, who knows what his upside is?
LB Jake Hansen
Henry To'oto'o and Christian Harris have struggled since getting drafted, and while they've had flashes, Jake Hansen may be the one who benefits from their struggles. With Harris out for the foreseeable future, Hansen will fill in as the starter middle linebacker on the team. He'll have every opportunity to prove his worth as a regular starter. Assuming he plays well.