A 2024 free agent appears to be changing positions for the Houston Texans

It's fair to say that one of the key concerns for the Houston Texans in 2024 is their defensive tackle spot. One could argue it's one of two weak points on the team, the other, arguably, the offensive line. Both sides of the ball are among the least improved (on paper) and are the biggest areas of concern heading into the 2024 season. Right now, the Texans may have one valid starter in Foley Fatukasi.

Fatukasi came over in the offseason as a free agent, as part of the team's attempts to overhaul the defense.

That's it, that's the extent of the "obvious" starters for the Texans at defensive tackle. Yet, according to Pro Football Focus, the Texans may be seeing one of their more recent acquisitions change positions. If that's true, then the Texans may not be as shallow up the middle as previously thought.

According to PFF, Fatukasi and fellow free agent acquisition Denico Autry are being viewed as the two men to beat for the defensive tackle starting jobs. This is a tad surprising, as Autry came over originally as a defensive end. He played that position for most of his career, including most recently with the Tennessee Titans.

Yet, it appears as though the first-year Texan will be moving inside this season, with PFF saying;

"The edge positions are locked in with Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. wreaking havoc, and newcomers Denico Autry and Foley Fatukasi provide beef up the middle, but some extra recruiting could help strengthen the interior. "

Autry was someone I thought could in fact play inside for the Texans, as he did play defensive tackle for a while with the Indianapolis Colts. So naturally, moving inside made sense. As the modern NFL is smaller and faster, you no longer need 330 lbs men in the middle. Autry, who's just 265 lbs, could easily be a presence worth remembering for the Texans.

It's entirely possible the Texans always saw him as an interior guy or possibly opted to move him (assuming PFF is correct) inside after the acquisition of Danielle Hunter. Hunter will of course garner a lot of attention, and as he's a great three-down end, you're not taking him off the field for anyone. It was believed that Autry may take a backup or situational role on the team following Hunter's arrival, but plenty of people in the media talked about the possibility of Autry filling a major need for the Texans at tackle.

It appears as though that's the case, and if it is, the Texans have one less need to worry about.