If you are an avid reader to this space, then you know that on Monday I dropped my earliest ever 53-man roster projection for the Houston Texans. Never before have I done one before the draft, a dynamic for which I accounted by reserving roughly a half dozen spots for currently nameless “drafted rookies.”
By doing this exercise through a “roster construction” lens it allowed me to really get a feel for which areas of the roster the Texans have inarguably improved, and also gave a somewhat anxiety-inducing feel for positions where they, at a minimum, need some depth.
The good news is that depth is now the theme of the remainder of the offseason. Unlike four seasons ago, when the Texans would go into the NFL Draft, and the analysts would list needs for the Texans as simply “everything,” the Texans now have most of their needs filled, at least in the top portion of the depth chart.
With that in mind, here are the positions that the Nick Caserio and his staff have improved the most over the first few weeks of the offseason:
Left guard
Last season, this was the messiest position on the team, without question. Veteran Laken Tomlinson was brought in on a low level deal to be the starter, and by the end of the first month, he was rotating IN GAME with Juice Scruggs. Ultimately, the best version of the Texans’ offensive line had Tytus Howard playing left guard. Now, the Texans will likely turn to newly signed Wyatt Teller, who was a three time Pro Bowler in Cleveland, and invokes the tough identity that the Texans are seeking in their offense, particularly in the run game.
Right tackle
You could say practically the same thing about Braden Smith, their newly signed right tackle, as we just did about Teller. Smith is a nasty run blocker, who like Howard, has position versatility, in that he has played guard before. Smith and Howard are comparable players in terms of quality, but Smith is a much better fit for the ethos the Texans are desperately seeking in that line room. Ultimately, Nick Caserio was able to sign Teller and Smith for the same amount combined that the Browns paid Howard on an extension a few weeks ago.
Starting running back
For a fourth round rookie, Woody Marks was more than serviceable as the team’s starting running back in 2025. He didn’t pop statistically, but Marks was a work horse, and was really tough in some key short yardage and “run out the clock” situations during the team’s ten game winning streak. That said, David Montgomery is a huge upgrade as the bell cow running back. Also, Montgomery’s presence allows Marks to go back to the role he was drafted for, catching the ball out of the backfield and picking up key yards on third down.
Tight end depth
Dalton Schultz was great in 2025, as he broke the team record for catches by a tight end in a regular season. After Schultz, though, the position’s a bit of a mess, as indicated by how often the team used tackle Blake Fisher as a blocking tight end in jumbo sets. Enter, Foster Moreau, who was most recently with the New Orleans Saints. Moreau is not a super dynamic pass catching option (although he’s not terrible), but he is a presence in blocking, both in pass protection and in the run game. Cade Stover and Brevin Jordan are officially on notice.
Strong safety
There wasn’t much to improve on the Texans’ defense from 2025, but one position that was a bit of an Achilles heel, combined with a revolving door, was the safety position opposite Calen Bullock. The original starter in Week 1, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, was cut after Week 3. From there, M.J. Stewart, Jaylen Reed, Myles Bryant, and even K’Von Wallace took cracks at it, to varying degrees of success. Now, here comes former Philadelphia Eagle Reed Blankenship, who will be the unquestioned starter, and bring some high football IQ and physicality to the position this season.