Projecting the Houston Texans depth chart entering training camp

The Houston Texans are gearing up for the 2024 season in a big way. Coming off of a majorly successful season in 2023, where they won 10 games, secured the AFC South championship, making and even winning in the playoffs, the squad put itself in a rarified position not ever seen before. This was a young team, filled to the brim with inexpensive talent, coming off of a major season with one of the more active free-agent classes in recent memory.

This was a team built to strike. There are numerous analogies for how teams build their rosters for winning seasons. Some rebuild their squad into a competitor. Others reload their squad, by getting new guys into positions and getting ready to repeat. The Texans somehow did both. They rebuilt core positions like at cornerback, while also adding on top of positions with stellar players. Spots like defensive end, wide receiver, and tight end only got better in the offseason.

All to help former rookie C.J. Stroud continue his sensational run so far. Now, we're looking at how well of a job the Texans' front office did in the offseason. We're going to look at every position on the team and determine who should be the starters, backups, and the like heading into the season. This is being done in the hopes of putting some context and proper expectation on the squad and its players as we head into the regular season.

Quarterbacks

Starter: C.J. Stroud

It's beyond obvious that C.J. Stroud is going to be the guy in Houston this season under center. Barring injury, there is no reason to think that Stroud isn't your guy heading into 2024. He's young and talented, and many people in the NFL have him as a top 10, if not a top 5 quarterback in the league. With that level of expectation around him, the Texans are doing everything they can to fortify him as a top guy in the league his season and for seasons to come.

Backup: Davis Mills

When looking at who should be the backup for the Texans, we have two of the more long-tenured quarterbacks in franchise history, Davis Mills and Case Keenum. Keenum is older by a large margin and whatever zip he had on the ball is gone. Mills, while never putting together a single season as good as Keenum is talented enough to fill in for Stroud in the event of an injury. Not to mention, he's been part of the team for years now. He's big, strong, and has won games for Houston with subpar talent. There's no real doubt in my mind that he could put together a winning stretch of games if he's called upon.

Others in line: Case Keenum, Tim Boyle

There' no way both Keenum and Mills go in the season together. One of them will be cut, as they're both carrying well over $3 million for their cap figure. It's possible that it can be Mills that gets cut, but Keenum seems to be at the end of his career. Former New York Jets and Detroit Lions quarterback Tim Boyle is also in Houston these days vying for a roster spot. The 29-year-old could be secured in a third-quarterback spot on the depth chart, assuming DeMeco Ryans and company will continue to carry three QBs on the roster. He's not a great player, but for a third QB, he'll be fine.

Running Backs

Starter: Joe Mixon

It's beyond obvious that Joe Mixon is going to be starting for the Houston Texans. They not only traded a seventh-round draft pick for him but gave him a massive contract extension this offseason. He's the man to beat in training camp, which is unlikely to happen. Unless he gets hurt, he's heading into the start of the season as RB1.

Backup: Dameon Pierce

Depending on how training camp goes Dameon Pierce may not only not be the backup for the team but he may end up being cut if he doesn't show up. He had an awful year in 2023 and if any of the other running backs show something different than what Pierce provides, we're going to see a brand-new backup in town. For right now, however, he's the backup to beat.

Others in line: Cam Akers, Dare Ogunbowale, J.J. Taylor, Jawhar Jordan, British Brooks, Troy Hairston, Andrew Beck

We're including the fullbacks here, but as you can tell there are a lot of players for not a lot of spots. Recently signed Cam Akers has a true shot and some are high on Jawhar Jordan. Fullback Andrew Beck has his supporters as well. However, it's going to be hard to decide who to hold onto as so many people on this end of the depth chart aren't making huge gains in positioning just yet.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Tank Dell

Assuming the Houston Texans run a three-receiver set base offense, you're looking at Stefon Digs, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell getting the start. All three men are potential 1,000-yard receivers and are obvious names to start. Collins just got a massive new contract, Diggs was an expensive trade asset acquired from the Buffalo Bills and Dell was the leading receiver as a rookie until an injury ended his season. These are the top three names until someone gets hurt or out-performed.

Backup: Noah Brown, Ben Skowronek, John Metchie III

The Texans could carry anywhere from six to eight wide receivers heading into the season. These three men, Noah Brown, Ben Skowronek, and John Metchie III are your best options as backups. Metchie was a former second-round pick who hasn't had a real shot yet in the NFL, while Brown was a huge asset for Houston last season. Skowronek was picked up in a trade, and there are high hopes he finds a place on the team, so it's unlikely he will get cut unless he utterly underperforms.

Others in line: Quintez Cephus, Xavier Hutchinson, Jadon Janke, Johnny Johnson III, Steven Sims, Robert Woods

There may be two more names that the team holds onto from the rest of the group. Depending on how much age has caught up to him, Robert Woods could be anywhere from the seventh guy on the roster, to a cap casualty. Xavier Hutchinson seems like your best bet from this group, though Jadon Janke and Johnny Johnson III could also make it to the regular season. Anyone else from this list who makes it would have needed to step up their performances, which is entirely possible, just not anticipated.

Tight Ends

Starter: Dalton Schultz

It seems pretty obvious that Dalton Schultz will head into the regular season as the starter at the tight end position. He's one of the 10-best guys at his position and recently came into a lot of money this offseason when the Texans re-signed him to a new deal. Schultz will likely have a huge season for the club, as he'll have more guys than ever drawing defensive focus off of him.

Backup: Cade Stover

For his key backup and partner in two tight-end sets, we have Cade Stover. He's a rookie out of Ohio State and someone that quarterback C.J. Stroud is incredibly familiar with. He's not a pass-catching dynamo by any means, but he's got solid hands and good size. So he can be a target if called upon. Yet, it's his blocking that will likely have him in the current backup spot. He's got a long way to go before he's ready to start regularly, if ever, but his spot as the key blocking tight end is all but secured.

Others in line: Teagan Quitoriano, Dalton Keene, Brevin Jordan

Right now any of these guys can be the third tight end, we'll have to wait and see how training camp shakes out. Yet, Brevin Jordan is likely your third guy. He's got the size, system familiarity, and no real candidates to unseat him. Teagan Quitoriano and Dalton Keene are both fine players, sure, but neither one is pushing Jordan to the edge right now. That may change come the start of the preseason games, however. So we'll see if Jordan can hang on to his spot.

Offensive Line

Starters: Laremy Tunsil, Kenyon Green, Juice Scruggs, Shaq Mason, Tytus Howard

This seems like the best option for the start of the season. Laremy Tunsil is on the verge of being the best offensive lineman in the team's history, while Shaq Mason proved to be a very reliable guard last season. Kenyon Green, Juice Scruggs, and Tytus Howard all struggled in 2023 with injuries. It's partially why no one rushed out to get upgrades at any of the positions in question, as the poor performances were widely seen as an outlier. Green didn't see much action at all, as his injury happened in the preseason, while Howard and Scruggs both dealt with significant injuries that derailed their seasons.

The hope is that a full offseason, with all of them healthy, will result in a much improved offensive line. Though only time will tell if that happens.

Backup: Blake Fischer, Kendrick Green, Dieter Eiselen, Nick Broeker, Jaylon Thomas

Blake Fischer is someone that many have hope for. The 2024 second-round pick is being groomed to be a starter sooner rather than later and could see sizable action this year. If Tunsil regresses or Howard can't return to form, Fischer may be asked to step up sooner than expected. Dieter Eiselen played major snaps last season for the Texans, but he'll start this year backing up Scruggs, making him a valid option should things go sideways. Nick Broeker remains one of the better backups the team has, and the second-year guard could be called into action if Kenyon Green or Shaq Mason go down at any point.

Others in line: Charlie Heck, Jarrett Patterson, Chris Reed, David Sharpe, LaDarius Henderson

Unlike other positions, the offensive line isn't going to be one with a lot of unexpected moves. Outside of the starters and the core-backups, Charlie Heck and Jarrett Patterson are your best options to make the team. Heck seems likely over Jaylon Thomas, but both could end up on the roster to start the season. The Texans offensive line isn't great, but it's also not a known commodity. Injuries and slow starts plagued just about every starter last season, so it'll be interesting to see how this unit does with a fully, healthy, offseason under their belts together.

Defensive Line

Starters: Will Anderson, Denico Autry, Folorunso Fatukasi, Danielle Hunter

It's unclear what the defensive line will look like to start the season. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter are your best bets. They're locks unless they get hurt. Folorunso Fatukasi is likely to start at defensive tackle, and Denico Autry could move from defensive end to defensive tackle. That seems to be your best possible lineup, but admittedly, the Texans didn't do a great job improving the interior defensive line this offseason.

Still, you have two Pro Bowl-caliber players in Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter at defensive end, and if Autry does move inside, you'll have a great pass rusher. The unit isn't great from top to bottom, but it could be as exciting as ever to watch.

Backups: Jerry Hughes, Tim Settle, Mario Edwards Jr., Derek Barnett

Unless one of the pups steps up, Tim Settle, Jerry Hughes, and Derek Barnett are your best options as backups. Mario Edwards Jr. could be a good backup, but time will tell what happens with this set of guys. Barnett is likely to stick around regardless, as he was re-signed by the Texans and has the size and strength to be a bit versatile. It wouldn't be hard to see him move to defensive tackle on occasion or permanently depending on need.

Others in line: Dylan Horton, Solomon Byrd, Khalil Davis, Malik Fisher, McTelvin Agim, Marcus Harris, Ali Gaye

Dylan Horton has a lot of people believing in his potential, but potential will only ever get you fired if you can't turn it into talent. Couple him with rookies Solomon Byrd and Marcus Harris, and you have three young players who could add some depth and skill to the defensive line. They may have bigger roles this season, it all depends on how the starters and backups perform through camp and the preseason.

Linebackers

Starters: Christian Harris, Azeez Al-Shaair, Henry To'oto'o (when needed)

It's very likely the Houston Texans won't run too many three-linebacker sets this season. The Texans are experimenting with different five-player defensive backfields, and it's looking like that may be the base defense for this season, or at the very least the most used variant. When they do go with three linebackers, the trio of Christian Harris, Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To'oto'o will be your group.

Harris improved as 2023 went on and To'oto'o performed admirably despite being a rookie, but neither man is a surefire starter. Al-Shaair is unspectacular but is a great run-stopping middle linebacker. They opted to pay him over bringing back all-around breakout star Blake Cashman, a move that will need time to play out to see if it was the right decision.

Backups: Jake Hansen, Neville Hewitt, Del'Shawn Phillips

Jake Hansen appears to be the next man up on the outside should To'oto'o or Harris struggle. He's got an upside but so far nothing about him screams to play him now. Neville Hewitt and Del'Shawn Phillips are not secured in their positions as backups, which is why the Texans made some of the moves that they did in the offseason at the linebacking position.

Others in line: Jamal Hill, Jacob Phillips, Maxwell Tooley, Tarique Barnes

There is a lot of hype surrounding Jamal Hill. The 2024 rookie has people excited about what he can become in the Texans' defense. Unfortunately, many agree he's a few seasons away from being ready for such a role. That may change as camp continues, but the Texans will unlikely lean on him this season for anything other than special teams. The other noteworthy name is former Cleveland Browns linebacker, Jacob Phillips. The former third-round pick is someone with potential, at only 25 years old. If he can stay healthy he could push not only for a backup role but a starter's spot as well. His inability to stay healthy though is exactly why the Browns gave up on him.

Cornerbacks

Starters: Derek Stingley Jr., Myles Bryant, Kamari Lassiter

There are some outlets, like ESPN, that have a different trio in their starting spots. Universally accepted players are Derek Stinggley Jr. and Myles Bryant as the nickel back, but some think Jeff Okudah is the third man. That's unlikely, as Okudah has been uniformly bad at his job since entering the league. Rookie Kamari Lassiter is far more likely to be the third guy. He's got more upside, less bad practices to unlearn and he's already more reliable. If he can prove his merit alongside Bryant and Stingley, then the Texans will have a nasty trio of cornerbacks.

Backups: Desmond King, Mike Ford, Jeff Okudah

Desmond King has a real shot at starting if Lassiter isn't ready. He's a much better option than Okudah, and while Mike Ford has his strengths, King is coming off of a very solid season as a Texans starter anyway. He's someone that can add to this defense. Ford can be a solid replacement for a few games, but historically he's not exactly the most consistent presence on defense. Still, until Okudah gets cut, King and Ford are the most likely names to get action who can help.

Others in line: Kris Boyd, C.J. Henderson, D'Angelo Ross, Troy Pride Jr.

Despite the overhaul at the position, the Texans still aren't satisfied. It's why projected starter at safety, Jalen Pitre, is taking reps at the nickel corner position. They don't have anyone aside from the top five guys on the team, which is why it's possible that Okudah keeps a spot on the roster. Even though Okudah is bad, there's potential that a guy like DeMecro Ryans can unlock his potential. It's unlikely, but considering who you have otherwise, it's not the worst idea.

Safeties

Starters: Jimmie Ward, Jalen Pitre

The safeties on the Texans are not the most secured position going, but it's better than some spots. It'd be fair to assume that many fans would be ok going into the season with Jimmie Ward and Jalen Pitre going into the season as your starters. The squad has had worse at the positions, sure.

They played fine enough last year. The problem is that a guy like Ward has to be better than 'good enough'. Pitre is still young and developing, and could be a long-term starter for the Texans. Yet, there is some evidence, like PItre playing corner, that the team may be about to bring in another big name at the position.

Backups: Calen Bullock, M.J. Stewart

Of all the positions on the Texans, however, they seem deepest at safety. The starting core may not be world-beaters, but you have two or three guys nearly as good right behind them. So while the ceiling isn't impressive, the drop-off is barely noticeable. A good problem to have. The two guys who make the most sense as backups are rookie Calen Bullock and M.J. Stewart.

Bullock may be the reason Pitre is playing some corner, and Stewart is a versatile player who can line up at any position and be effective. This is a solid unit.

Others in line: Lonnie Johnson, Eric Murray, Brandon Miller

So solid Lonnie Johnson could easily see serious action. He's not a huge get but he's good enough to warrant playing time in the event of an injury. Eric Murray and Brandon Miller aren't guys who can change the tide of a game consistently but for where they are on the depth chart, you can't do a lot better.

Special Teams

Kicker: Ka'imi Fairbairn

Ka'imi Fairbairn is easily one of, if not the best kicker in the history of the Houston Texans. Having him back gives the Texans a guy who can hit his shot from over 50 yards away. He's pretty accurate from everywhere on the field, the only issue is staying healthy. He's missed nine games across three seasons.

Punter: Tommy Townsend

Tommy Townsend was the second-best punter in the NFL in 2023 according to CBS Sports. The former all-pro is likely to be that good once again thanks to the climate control environment of NRG Stadium.

Long snapper: Jon Weeks

Jon Weeks is a quiet Texans legend, He's a 13-going on 14-year vet, who is a former Pro Bowler and the Texans' 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. The club is in sure hands with Weeks.

Return specialists: Desmond King II, Dameon Pierce, Steven Sims

While the return game has been nerfed by the NFL in recent years, having a guy who can still bring the ball upfield is important. The Texans' threesome of Desmond King, Dameon Pierce, and Steven Sims didn't strike fear into the hearts of opposing special teams, but they could get the job done.

Coaching Staff and Schemes

The core trio of coaches to know for the Houston Texans are head coach DeMeco Ryans, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, and defensive coordinator Matt Burke. Slowik came over with Ryans from the San Francisco 49ers, where they built the offense around C.J. Stroud and other young offensive players. Burke was a former defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins and now helps run Ryans' defense.

The offense and defense share a unique trait, in that they're both very aggressive. The offense, while envisioned as being a balanced attack, will likely favor more passing plays to running plays in 2024. Despite that, the offense will look to attack the defenses and be aggressive. Looking for deep passes and big touchdown plays. Defensively, more of the same. The defenders will be given a wide range of abilities to rush the quarterback, while the defense plays nice, tight coverages.

They'll work out of of a base 4-3, but you'll likely see a bot of 4-2-5 schemes defensively as well.

Coaching will always play a role in who starts and who doesn't, but for the most part, players will get more reps if they're skilled in a specific area (like pass rushing) or if they are all around a better option. We've seen Ryans hesitate to pull guys, however. Two key issues last season was Ryans keeping Damoen Pierce in over Devin Singletary, despite the latter's efficiency running the ball. The other issue was Ryans' continued use of Henry To'oto'o as a starter despite his inability to consistently make plays.

It's a sign that Ryans trust his guys, but it's also a sign that maybe he shouldn't trust them as much.