Someone needs to step up in the Hall of Fame Game

Before football begins anew this week for the Houston Texans, the team got word on Monday that sent a shock to the core of the pass-rushing unit. This announcement was that newly signed defensive end Denico Autry is suspended for the first six games of the upcoming season.

That means Houston should sign someone in his place to have more high-end production in the pass rush, right? Well, let's slow our roll on that kind of discussion. Although the team is good in terms of cap space, there is no reason to spend it right now and have nothing left in case of an emergency later down the line. After all, the preseason is just about to begin for the Texans, as they take the field in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night.

The squad should take a wait-and-see approach, given they play this week. What if there are players on the depth chart that the team feels comfortable with during those first six weeks that Autry will miss? Then that would be a good situation for Houston as not only does someone step up, but the suspension ends in Week 7, meaning this could be an even more dangerous pass rush with multiple great depth pieces on the roster.

Who might be able to step up for the Texans? In order to answer this, let's look at the first unofficial depth chart of the season.

Of course, everything should be taken with a grain of salt since this depth chart is unofficial. However, it is a look into the mind of coach DeMeco Ryans.

Autry is currently listed as a second-team edge rusher with Derek Barnett. Barnett is a fine depth player in his own right, tallying 2.5 sacks with the Texans last season in just six games. However, the seven-year veteran capped out with just 6.5 sacks as a season-high. He is good depth for the team, but can he be counted on to step up in Autry's absence? Absolutely. Autry, according to the depth chart, was set to be a rotational edge player, meaning he would come in and out of the game and not be a full-time starter.

However, a player on the roster is buried beneath the second stringers, who has been a menace in the pass rush before on the Texans. Jerry Hughes led the team with nine sacks in the 2022 campaign. The 14-year veteran has recently shown off his ability to be a disruptive force in the backfield and could be a great candidate to do that again with Autry out.

Everyone else on the roster is a relatively unproven commodity, whether it's due to a lack of playing opportunity or if they are about to play in their first game on Thursday. Each of these players has a terrific chance ahead of them to carve out a roster spot and potentially usurp one or multiple players above them on the depth chart.

One thing is for certain, the Texans should look at the roster and what it can do before considering a free-agent addition. Who knows, maybe one of the guys already on the team can step up and join the rotation or become a bigger part of it.