Battle Red Blog
Potential options for the Texans secondary.
The Houston Texans are almost completely locked in within their secondary, as far as starters go, but one of their top backup cornerbacks just retired.
Ronald Darby was signed earlier this offseason by Houston, and before training camp even begun, he decided to hang the cleats up. Darby would’ve been a solid, veteran presence that could have started if needed.
Now that Darby is gone, Houston has looked outside of the building for answers, working out several players. One of those players is Damon Arnette, who was a first-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2020 NFL Draft. Another veteran being worked out by Houston is Duke Shelley, who played for the Minnesota Vikings last season.
If Houston opts to stay within the building and pass on some veteran options, there are several players that they should consider.
One of those options is Jaylin Smith, who was drafted in the third-round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Smith is someone that is extremely versatile, having played both inside and outside cornerback, along with safety.
Since the start of organized training activities, Smith has been talked about very highly by his teammates.
If Smith can continue to impress throughout training camp, along with the preseason, it would not be a surprise to see him get some opportunities on defense.
Smith played for the Texans in 2021, along with 2022, therefore this will be his second stint with the team, and he is the type of person that shouldn’t have left in the first place.
Not only can he provide depth at cornerback, but he is also a special teams ace, arguably one of the best in football, and his presence in that department has been missed.
He signed a two-year, $6.5M deal with the Texans earlier this offseason, and he will be one of the top backups for DeMeco Ryans’ defense.
Bryant was signed by the Texans last offseason, and due to injuries, got to play significant snaps in 2024, and he was not bad when given those opportunities. If the Texans have the same injury bug in the secondary, they know that they have someone that can contribute at a decent level.
The Texans start training camp in about a month, and these three players will have the opportunity to carve out a name for themselves on defense.
