First look at who is in line to make the Houston Texans roster in 2025
We. Are. Back.
The longest active article series here at Battle Red Blog enters its EIGHTH year of publication. The Texans are several weeks away from training camp and the 90-man roster is all but finalized.
The crafting of an NFL Roster has become more of a science than an art. With emergency QBs, larger practice squads, and shorter Injured Reserves (IR) stints, players can stick around the building more often than before.
The 2025 roster is arguably the deepest it’s been in years, making the 53-man cut both hard to predict and thrilling to track. In 2021 under David Culley, only about 40 players seemed worthy of a roster spot. This time, I count around 62 who could legitimately make the team.
For those who are new, this is based off the NCAA Basketball Tournament’s Bracketology. We will be posting this every other week all the way through preseason and before the August 26th roster cutdown date. So stick around throughout the offseason to see if your favorite player will make the team.
As a note, rookies are in bold and undrafted rookies are italicized
Last Four In
- Alijah Huzzie, CB
- Trent Brown, OT
- Tommy Togai, DT
- British Brooks, FB/RB
First Four Out
- Dare Ogumbowale, RB
- John Metchie III, WR
- Foley Fatukasi, DT
- Jimmie Ward, S
Biggest Riser: Juice Scruggs
Scruggs rose in the ranks purely by virtue of the Texans clearing house on the offensive line. Houston chose to retool the offensive line with cheap veterans and an offensive tackle in the draft. Scruggs has the luxury to start at two positions in 2025. Even though his position is safe, a poor preseason could see him unseated by the quantity of options Houston has amalgamated.
Biggest Faller: Jimmie Ward
Mentioned on the Stock Down report in OTAs, no player had a worse offseason than Jimmie Ward. He is facing felony assault charges after a mid-June arrest. He will be 34 years old entering the last year of his contract. He is coming off foot surgery. Houston drafted two secondary players with safety experience in Jaylin Smith and Jaylen Reed. Houston found a star in Calen Bullock. Don’t be surprised if Houston cut ties with the old and expensive safety facing felony charges.
Offense (25)
Quarterbacks (2 + 1 emergency QB)
C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills
CUT: Graham Mertz (emergency QB), Kedon Slovis
Analysis: Mertz will challenge Mills for the backup role. However, it’s equally likely that the rookie will start the season on IR as he fully recovers from an ACL injury suffered last fall. Mertz’s progress from middling college QB to confident backup will be an intriguing multi-season development.
Running Backs (5)
Joe Mixon, Nick Chubb, Woody Marks, Dameon Pierce, British Brooks
CUT: Dare Ogumbowale, J.J. Taylor, Jawhar Jordan, Jakob Johnson
Analysis: Brooks made the roster last year by converting to fullback, but he contributed little as he tore his meniscus in Week 5. His battle with Jakob Johnson will be intense for the role. As for Pierce, Houston should carve out enough roster space to retain him for one more season.
Dare Ogumbowale has defied the odds to make the Texans’ roster the past two seasons, but the additions of Nick Chubb and Woody Marks prove too much for the veteran. Finding a legitimate role for Woody Marks will be necessary to his development as the potential long-term solution at RB.
Wide Receivers (6)
Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Christian Kirk, Xavier Hutchinson, Justin Watson
CUT: John Metchie III, Braxton Berrios, Jared Wayne, Johnny Johnson III, Xavier Johnson, Daniel Jackson
IR: Tank Dell
Analysis: It’s a battle of rookies vs vets in the WR room. Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel should be roster locks, which puts immense pressure on former draft picks Xavier Hutchinson and John Metchie III to outperform the free agent additions. Those additions include Christian Kirk, Justin Watson, and Braxton Berrios. If Metchie can finally develop into the player we’ve all hoped, this race gets simple quickly.
Tight Ends (3)
Dalton Schultz, Brevin Jordan, Cade Stover
CUT: Luke Lachey, Irv Smith Jr.
Analysis: The health of Cade Stover and Brevin Jordan alters the complexion of this group. Stover broke his collarbone in the Wild Card Game, and Brevin Jordan tore his ACL Week 2. Both should be ready to defend their roster spots in training camp, but either could lose their spot to underrated Luke Lachey who can block better than either of them.
Offensive Lineman (9)
Tytus Howard, Cam Robinson, Laken Tomlinson, Juice Scruggs, Jarrett Patterson, Blake Fisher, Aireontae Ersery, Ed Ingram, Trent Brown
CUT: Jake Andrews, LaDarius Henderson, Jaylon Thomas, Zach Thomas, Eli Cox, Austin Deculus
The most important position battle is the most complex. Assume the coaching staff will try every possible iteration of this Rubik’s cube before the season is underway.
This grouping assumes the top talent finds its way on the roster, but that could be far from the truth when all is said and done. Look for Jake Andrews to compete for the starting center role while LaDarius Henderson fights off Ed Ingram for right guard. Plus, don’t look past undrafted rookie Eli Cox, who should fit in nicely at 6’4”, 305 pounds, he has center-guard flexibility too.
DEFENSE (25)
Defensive Ends (5)
Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, Dylan Horton, Denico Autry, Derek Barnett
CUT: Darrell Taylor, Casey Toohill, Solomon Byrd
Analysis: Interestingly, Darrell Taylor is listed as the backup DE in front of Derek Barnett and Dylan Horton on ESPN and Ourlads. Taylor recorded three sacks last year in Chicago in an underwhelming season, but will push the non-starters for a roster spot.
When healthy, Dylan Horton has been a serviceable backup option but has yet to record a sack. Houston could move on from 35-year-old Denico Autry whose production waned along with his health last season.
Defensive Tackles (4)
Tim Settle Jr., Sheldon Rankins, Mario Edwards Jr., Tommy Togai
CUT: Foley Fatukasi, Kurt Hinish, Kyonte Hamilton, Junior Tafuna
Analysis: Once again, Houston decided to address this position of need via free agency. They did select Kyonte Hamilton in the seventh round, but his road to the roster will be fraught with competition.
There are seven players vying for four-to-five spots; competition my friends, competition! I predict Houston to move on from Foley Fatukasi after an injury-ridden and statistically-disappointing season.
Houston brought back Sheldon Rankins after a one-year dissapointment in Cincinnati, but his drop-off in production for the Bengals could carry over to Houston.
Linebackers (6)
Azeez Al-Shaair, Christian Harris, Henry To’oTo’o, E.J. Speed, Jamal Hill, Jake Hansen
CUT: Nick Nieman, K.C. Ossai, Jackson Woodard
Analysis: Houston has always kept a bevy of linebackers on the roster since DeMeco Ryans took over. The only addition to this squad is E.J. Speed, who should make a significant impact on the defense in 2025.
Christian Harris’ perpetual injury status will be a storyline to follow this upcoming training camp. Hill played exclusively on special teams last season but could see a bigger role on passing downs in Year 2.
Cornerbacks (5)
Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Jaylin Smith, Tremon Smith, Alijah Huzzie
CUT: Damon Arnett, Keydrain Calligan, D’Angelo Ross
Analysis: The backup roles are completely up for grabs. The surprising retirement of Ronald Darby subsequently elevates not one, but two rookies onto the roster. Undrafted rookie Alijah Huzzie is a legitimate cover nickel with aggression at the catch point – watch for him in training camp. I predict he’ll beat out Arnett in training camp.
Pure special-teams player Tremon Smith returns to Houston, but faces an uphill battle himself.
Safeties (5)
Jalen Pitre, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Calen Bullock, Jaylen Reed, Myles Bryant
CUT: Jimmie Ward, M.J. Stewart, Russ Yeast
Analysis: Even without Jimmie Ward, who was recently arrested for a third-degree felony, this group has elite potential. Pitre’s health is the force multiplier on this defense, and he brings immense versatility. A second year of growth for Calen Bullock would unleash this entire defense. Look for rookie Jaylen Reed to come on strong in the second half of the season as a box safety.
Special Teams (3)
Kicker: Ka’Imi Fairbairn
Punter: Tommy Townsend
Long Snapper: Austin Brinkman