After six long months since the Houston Texans’ -playoff run ended in January, here we are. It is the first day of training camp for the 2026 season, and the functional beginning of the fourth season of the DeMeco Ryans Era. Players arrived at the building yesterday, and this morning, the next six weeks of sweat and Texas heat begin.
Yesterday, we posed the three biggest training camp questions on the offensive side of the football, which is admittedly the side of the ball with way more pressing inquiries than the defensive side of the football. On defense for the Texans, the team is nothing short of sensational. Still, though, nothing is guaranteed.
So let’s dig in! Here are the three biggest training camp questions facing the Houston Texans’ elite defense:
Can their health luck continue?
The Texans’ core group on defense, in my mind, consists of seven names — defensive ends Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, cornerbacks Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley, safeties Calen Bullock and Jalen Pitre, and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. In 2025, that combination of seven players missed a grand total of five games, and three of those five were Jalen Pitre’s trip to concussion protocol. That is an ungodly amount of good injury luck, especially considering the physicality with which that group plays. The percentages say one or more of these guys will miss more time this season. The most concerning positions depth-wise are defensive end and linebacker. The drop off from Anderson and Hunter to the next edge players is substantial, and at linebacker, losing E.J. Speed to a quad injury for the season damages the depth there, as well.
Do Reed Blankenship and Kayden McDonald make this defense flawless?
The Texans return most of their defense from last season. In fact, they return most of this same group NEXT season, as well. Here is the really exciting part — the new pieces on this defense directly address the scant few areas of concern from last season. The second safety spot was a revolving door of idiots (C.J. Gardner-Johnson), journeymen (M.J. Stewart), and street free agents (K’Von Wallace). Now, here comes Reed Blankenship, an impactful young safety who’s best known for his football IQ. Second round rookie defensive tackle Kayden McDonald was widely viewed as a fantastic value at the 36th overall selection. McDonald is a big body who should be a huge factor in the run defense. It’s really hard to find a “kill spot” for other teams to target on this defense. Again, health is a major factor.
Is this secondary the best position group in the NFL?
Blankenship joins a secondary with a first team All Pro at one corner (Stingley), two Pro Bowlers heading into their third seasons (Lassiter, Bullock), and Jalen Pitre, whose versatility may actually hurt his Pro Bowl chances because he doesn’t really have a position. This is undoubtedly the best position group on the team, and I think it’s the best position group across EVERY team, on either side of the ball. The group is young, embraces violence, and are all under contract for at least two more seasons. I would also go so far as to say that this is the best position group in the history of the Texans’ franchise, neck and neck with the 2011-12 offensive line, which had three Pro Bowlers (Duane Brown, Wade Smith, and Chris Myers).
