Battle Red Blog
Who knew the secondary was the priority in the draft?
Free agency? Done. NFL Draft? Done. Throughout the offseason, the Texans have added talent at every position. As for the draft and undrafted rookies, Houston added three draftees and two undrafted free agents. The Texans have 39 defensive players on the roster for approximately 25 spots available on the 53 man roster. While free-wheeling Nick Caserio is likely to add additional talent this offseason, the roster is fairly set heading into summer and training camp.
The eighth annual Rosterology post will be coming out next week and will predict which of these players will make the roster. For now, let’s analyze the talent the Texans posses.
If you want to view the Texans Pre-Draft Depth Chart Analysis, click here.
In bold are players the Texans drafted and in bolded italics are the undrafted rookies
Analysis: Houston refrained from adding any defensive ends in the draft for the first time since 2021. This group was fortified via free agency and Danielle Hunter’s contract extension. The biggest battle will be if Dylan Horton in the last year of his contract can win a spot over second year Solomon Byrd and veteran pass rusher Darrell Taylor. Houston usually keeps five DEs on the roster.
Analysis: This group got off leagues easier than most predicted. Defensive tackle was tabbed as the third biggest need behind offensive line and wide receiver. However, Houston didn’t address this position until the 224th pick with Kyonte Hamilton. Hamilton is a smaller, pass rush-oriented tackle. Houston tends to carry five DTs, but with five returning and the boomerang return of Sheldon Rankins, Hamilton will be hard pressed for a roster spot. Last year, Marcus Harris, a seventh-round pick from Auburn, had an excellent offseason and still didn’t make the team (he is now actually on the Patriots roster).PLUS, the recent addition of Fatukasi makes Hamilton’s road to the roster extremely tenuous.
Analysis: Another group untouched by the draft, Houston has depth and experience at the linebacker position. The addition of E.J. Speed brings elite depth to this position. Look for second year LB Jamal Hill to exceed expectations this year and join the rotation. The undrafted rookie K.C. Ossai is a Conroe, Texas native and made All-Sun Belt as a junior. His older brother is Joseph Ossai who plays for the Cincinnati Bengals. Woodard was added yesterday after not impressing in Seattle’s rookie minicamp - he was the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
