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Houston Texans forever - Mixon to miss at least first four games (6 Viewers)

Kiper's grade:

Houston Texans: B+
Top needs entering the draft: Wide receiver, offensive tackle and guard

Quarterback C.J. Stroud took a step back last season, which is why the theme of Houston's draft always had to be getting him more support. His top three receivers -- Nico Collins (eight games), Stefon Diggs (10) and Tank Dell (three) -- all missed time because of injuries in 2024. Dell's return timeline from a significant knee injury is uncertain, and Diggs is now in New England. Stroud was also sacked 52 times, second most in the NFL, behind a poor offensive line. Houston retooled the unit in free agency, but I'm not sure anyone would say it absolutely improved it. The Texans swapped out Laremy Tunsil, Kenyon Green and Shaq Mason for Cam Robinson, Ed Ingram and Laken Tomlinson.

You get the point, and it's the reason my top needs for Houston all came on offense. This front office can't let Stroud's rookie contract slip away, especially in a winnable AFC South. But rather than attack the holes with its early picks, Houston kept trading back for more draft capital, including selections in future years. The Texans entered Thursday with seven picks but ended up making nine. In all, they made seven trades in the draft.

The Texans dealt their first-rounder in one of those moves, but they made four Day 2 selections. Two of them were Iowa State receivers. Jayden Higgins brings 6-foot-4 size and explosion outside; Jaylin Noel brings speed and after-the-catch burst to the slot. They were both top-seven receivers on my board. As for the offensive line, Aireontae Ersery is 6-foot-6, 331 pounds and can handle speed or power off the edge. He might not step into a starting role right away, but he could develop into a starting left tackle in time.

The Texans took Jaylin Smith -- my CB25 -- at the end of the third round, but there's upside in his game. They traded a future third-rounder to move up from No. 179 to No. 116 to take my RB17 early in Round 4. (I like Woody Marks, though -- he squirts through traffic to break free.) The two picks in the seventh round are interesting fliers. I moved defensive tackle Kyonte Hamilton up my board late in the process, and tight end Luke Lachey has some strong blocking traits.

No guard here, but Houston did the most important thing for its draft: improve the offense around Stroud.
 
So when RB Woody Marks got drafted, on the Texans livecast apparently John Harris jumped up out of his chair, and from the clip I heard of it on the radio, pretty much orgasmed on air.
 
Chronicle's way too early roster prediction:


QB: C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills
RB: Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale, Woody Marks
FB: Jakob Johnson
WR: Nico Collins, Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, Justin Watson
TE: Dalton Schultz, Cade Stover, Brevin Jordan
LT: Cam Robinson, Aireontae Ersery
LG: Tytus Howard, Laken Tomlinson
C: Jarrett Patterson
RG: Juice Scruggs, Ed Ingram
RT: Blake Fisher, Trent Brown

DE: Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter, Derek Barnett, Denico Autry, Darrell Taylor, Dylan Horton
DT: Mario Edwards Jr., Sheldon Rankins, Tim Settle Jr., Tommy Togiai
LB: Azeez Al-Shaair, Henry To’oTo’o, Christian Harris, E.J. Speed, Nick Niemann
CB: Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Ronald Darby, Tremon Smith
Nickel: Jalen Pitre, Jaylin Smith
S: C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Calen Bullock, Jimmie Ward, Jaylen Reed

P: Tommy Townsend
K: Ka’imi Fairbairn
LS: Austin Brinkman
 
Field Yates article on five picks he loved from each round of the draft:

Jaylin Noel, WR, Houston Texans (No. 79)
I almost included an entry on both the Noel and Jayden Higgins picks. The Texans reunited the former Iowa State receivers (they selected Higgins at No. 34), and I was a big fan of the pair leading up to the draft. Noel is the more exciting player, as his suddenness and juice led to four touchdowns of at least 50 yards in 2023. Houston needed to address receiver heavily because Tank Dell's 2025 status is uncertain right now and Stefon Diggs departed for the Patriots. Noel has a legitimate shot to take over as its Day 1 starter in the slot.
 
PFF grade and player reviews:

Houston Texans: B
2 (34): WR Jayden Higgins, Iowa State

Higgins — Higgins was one of the few receivers at the top of this draft class with ideal ‘X’ receiver size at 6’4” and 215 pounds, and he added to that physical profile with strong testing across the board at the NFL Combine. He profiles as a reliable possession receiver who dropped just three of his 209 targets over the past two seasons at Iowa State. It's not their biggest need along the OL, but adding another weapon for C.J. Stroud makes a lot of sense given Stefon Diggs’ departure and Tank Dell coming off a major injury.

2 (48): OL Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota

Ersery — The Texans’ offensive line offseason overhaul continues here with the Ersery addition. Over the last two seasons, Ersery showcased an explosive first step and quick feet, allowing him to significantly impact zone-blocking schemes, where his 89.5 PFF grade charted in the 84th percentile.

3 (79): WR Jaylin Noel, Iowa State

Noel — Noel brings strength and athleticism to the slot for the Texans. He earned an 81.7 PFF receiving grade with 2.62 yards per route run in 2024, showing good body control on off-target passes and looking explosive with the ball in his hands.

3 (97): CB Jaylin Smith, USC

Smith — Houston continues to add to a strong secondary. Although Smith posted a career-best 82.5 PFF coverage grade on this outside in 2024, he profiles as a solid option in the slot. He allowed just 0.90 yards per coverage snap and a 59.8 passer rating when targeted this past season.

4 (116): RB Jo'Quavious Marks, USC

Marks — After spending four years as a regular member of the Mississippi State backfield, Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks transferred to USC, where he set career highs in PFF rushing grade (85.9), overall PFF grade (83.4), rushing yards (1,154) and missed tackles forced (34). On 622 career collegiate carries, Marks fumbled only once. Marks joins a backfield that features Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce as the Texans continue to load up on offense in this draft.

6 (187): S Jaylen Reed, Penn State

Reed — This is a good value pick, with the Texans securing PFF’s 134th-ranked prospect at No. 187. Reed is a physical, downhill box safety who earned an 80.5 PFF run-defense grade in 2024.

6 (197): QB Graham Mertz, Florida

Mertz — After a long career as Wisconsin’s starter, Mertz spent the past two seasons at the helm in Gainesville with mixed results. In his final season, he struggled to fend off freshman phenom DJ Lagway before a Week 7 ACL tear ended his college career. Aside from a bad opening game against Miami, Mertz had been throwing the ball well, as he didn’t have a PFF passing grade below 76.0 in any of the four games he played.

7 (224): DI Kyonte Hamilton, Rutgers

Hamilton — Despite being a regular part of Rutgers’ defensive rotation over the past few seasons, it wasn’t until 2024 that he truly stood out, posting a PFF grade of 81.3. He was particularly dominant against UCLA in Week 8, recording six pressures and two sacks with a 92.0 pass-rush grade.

7 (255): TE Luke Lachey, Iowa

Lachey — Lachey comes in at 6-foot-6 and posted vertical and broad jump results above the 75th percentile at the tight end position. He wasn’t overly productive at Iowa, with just 362 receiving yards on 265 routes over the past two seasons.
 
Source: Texans re-signing veteran DT Folorunso Fatukasi

The Houston Texans are re-signing defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi, a source confirmed to ESPN.

Fatukasi, 30, started 11 games for the Texans last season and contributed to a Texans run defense that ranked ninth in fewest yards allowed (107) and eighth in yards per attempt (4.2).

Fatukasi isn't known for rushing the passer as he only had one sack last season and has 5.5 in his career. But he's impactful in defending the run. He led the Texans defense in run stuff rate (4.8%) and was tied for third in run stuff tackles (eight), according to Next Gen Stats.
 
The Texans and rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins have agreed to a fully guaranteed four-year, $11,700,824 contract, making him the first second-round pick in NFL history to have a fully guaranteed contract.
 
Tidbit in an ESPN article: Sources say Houston tried a couple of times to trade up for an offensive lineman but could not make it work.
 
Also ESPN: Houston could move Tytus Howard from left guard to left tackle and play 2024 second-round pick Blake Fisher at right tackle. It's possible Ersery shows enough in camp to earn one of the two starting tackle spots, as well. And the Texans expect Tomlinson to be able to play left guard and Juice Scruggs to battle Ingram for the right guard spot. The hope is to create as much competition as possible along the line so that the best combination of five emerges and the atmosphere around the group is more conducive to success than last year. New offensive coordinator Nick Caley will also put his stamp on the unit as he installs his new offense.
 
4 prime time games. Two afternoon games (at Rams and vs Raiders) and possibly a third in LA for the Chargers with time/date TBD.


2025 Houston Texans schedule

(Preseason) Date Opponent Time TV
Sat, Aug. 9 at Minnesota 3 p.m. ABC
Sat, Aug. 16 Carolina Noon ABC
Sat, Aug. 23 at Detroit Noon ABC

REGULAR SEASON

Date Opponent Time TV
Sun, Sept. 7 at L.A. Rams 3:25 p.m. CBS
Mon, Sept. 15 Tampa Bay 6 p.m. ABC (MNF)
Sun, Sept. 21 at Jacksonville Noon CBS
Sun, Sept. 28 Tennessee Noon CBS
Sun, Oct. 5 at Baltimore Noon CBS
Sun, Oct. 12 Open date
Mon, Oct. 20 at Seattle 9 p.m. ESPN+* (MNF)
Sun, Oct. 26 San Francisco Noon Fox
Sun, Nov. 2 Denver Noon Fox
Sun, Nov. 9 Jacksonville Noon CBS
Sun, Nov. 16 at Tennessee Noon Fox
Thu, Nov. 20 Buffalo 7:15 p.m. Prime* (TNF)
Sun, Nov. 30 at Indianapolis Noon CBS
Sun, Dec. 7 at Kansas City 7:20 p.m. NBC (SNF)
Sun, Dec. 14 Arizona Noon Fox
Sun, Dec. 21 Las Vegas 3:25 p.m. CBS
TBD at L.A. Chargers TBD TBD
TBD Indianapolis TBD TBD
 
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We play one team coming off a bye. Titans have week 10 bye and we play them on the road week 11.

We don't play any teams getting the 10 day rest after a Thursday game.
 
Strength of schedule: The Texans are tied for the 14th-easiest schedule in the league (opponents had .481 winning percentage in 2024).
 
Heard a comment on the radio that I had to pass on to someone.

So apparently they wanted to make a Hard Knocks show following Bill Belichik at North Carolina. Only, his 24 year old girlfriend wanted content control of it, and they canceled it.

While discussing it, local radio host referred to her "Jack Easter-she".
 
Chronicle:

OTA practices will continue Thursday and Friday. Here are some observations from the first day:

Kamari Lassiter shines, again
One of the standouts in OTAs last year was then-rookie cornerback Kamari Lassiter, who often won his matchup against Stefon Diggs.

Well, Lassiter was at it again Wednesday.

He had two deflections in practice during team drills. His best one was when he was lined up opposite wide receiver Nico Collins, who ran a go route. Lassiter was with Collins step for step, which is huge considering Collins' speed and long strides. And at the last second, Lassiter deflected Davis Mills’ pass to Collins.

He also deflected another pass intended for wide receiver John Metchie a short time later.

C.J. Stroud limited, other veterans missing
The first day of OTAs was well-attended, especially by the young core of C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson Jr., Derek Stingley Jr. and Nico Collins.

But several veterans were missing, some of whom are dealing with injuries.

Missing were running backs Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce, edge rusher Danielle Hunter, defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, linebacker Henry To’oTo’o, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, offensive tackle Trent Brown, wide receivers Justin Watson, Braxton Berrios and Tank Dell, tight ends Brevin Jordan and Dalton Schultz, and rookie quarterback Graham Mertz.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud, who was at practice, went through his warm-ups but was limited. Backup quarterback Davis Mills took the first- and second-team snaps in seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills while Kedon Slovis took third-team snaps.

Meanwhile, linebacker Christian Harris attended practice but did not dress out. He stood with the linebackers in a hoodie during individual drills and watched from the sidelines.

It’s unclear what Harris is dealing with. He suffered calf and ankle injuries last season, but was expected to return.

Ryans downplayed Stroud’s limitations Wednesday, as well as other players who were absent, noting it was a voluntary practice and that different players are on different schedules in returning to practice.


Several O-line combinations used
Offensive coordinator Nick Caley mixed and matched different offensive line combinations throughout the day.

At one point, Cam Robinson started at left tackle, Laken Tomlinson at left guard, Jake Andrews at center, Tytus Howard at right guard and Aireontae Ersery at right tackle.

Sometimes Ersery was switched out for Blake Fisher. At other times, the lineup combination was Ersery at left tackle, Juice Scruggs at left guard, Jarrett Patterson at center, Ed Ingram at right guard, and Austin Deculus at right tackle.

This isn’t to say this will be the lineup heading into the season. There’s a long way to go, and Caley is just trying to find the right combination of players and where they fit best.


Jalen Pitre returns
Nickel cornerback Jalen Pitre, who suffered a pectoral injury last season that was surgically repaired, was on the field at OTAs and participated in team drills.

A source had previously said Pitre may miss time in OTAs as he rehabs to the side. But Wednesday was a great sign for Pitre that he’s ahead of schedule.

Pitre, who made the move from safety to nickel corner in 2024, signed a three-year contract extension earlier this offseason.
 
On the former-Texans notes, Stephon Diggs making the wrong kind of publicity over a video of him on a boat partying during voluntary OTAs. Passed some girls a baggy with a pink substance that people speculate is a mix of drugs known as pink cocaine.

Glad he didn't cause disruptions when he was here. Not a very good look off doing that while recovering from his injury and his teammates are out working.
 
Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said C.J. Stroud is dealing with “general soreness” in his throwing shoulder, but maintained that he’s not concerned that the issue will affect the star quarterback moving forward.

Stroud has not thrown in any of the Texans' six practices during offseason workouts. He’s only handed the ball off to running backs.

“We’re taking extra precautions with him,” Ryans said during his press conference Tuesday. “But he’ll be good to go. No concerns on my end.”

When asked whether Stroud would throw in the team’s mandatory minicamp practice next week, Ryans did not say.

“When he’s ready to go, he’ll be ready,” Ryans said, addressing Stroud’s issue for the first time since organized team activities began last week. “We’re not going to rush him into anything.”
 
First team O Line in camp has mainly been: Cam Robinson LT, Tomlinson LG, Jake Andrews C, Tytus Howard RG, Blake Fisher RT.

Local radio guys were commenting on Demeco's wording that the "offensive line mindset is drastically changing" and viewing it as an indictment on how bad it was.

Actually heard lots of great conversation on the radio, wish I had gotten back to the computer quicker to try to write it down before I forgot it. Some of it was talking about sometimes OC's come up with stuff and it's the position coaches that have to try to actually make it happen, and so they often end up with a better view of what it takes and what works and such. Which wasn't the point that he (Seth Payne) had set out to make, but when he arrived at it he mentioned, Slowik was never a position coach, and maybe that played into some of the stuff we saw last year that didn't seem to work and that we heard there were grumblings about.

Also mentioned how he'd referred to Jalen Higgins and Noel in ways comparable to what had been said about Anderson, Bullock and Latimer in their rookie seasons. But that Ersery hasn't gotten that same kind of praise at least yet.
 
Clint Stoerner was talking about what he saw in mini camp, and he said Jaylin Noel was the receiver who was running routes that he thought would allow him to most immediately contribute in the NFL.

Also he apparently didn't have concerns about CJ's shoulder, though I didn't hear that segment, just heard the hosts refer to it later.
 
GregR said:
Clint Stoerner was talking about what he saw in mini camp, and he said Jaylin Noel was the receiver who was running routes that he thought would allow him to most immediately contribute in the NFL.

Also he apparently didn't have concerns about CJ's shoulder, though I didn't hear that segment, just heard the hosts refer to it later.
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oh wow link or source? Would love to see here more on noel
 
zeeshan2 said:
GregR said:
Clint Stoerner was talking about what he saw in mini camp, and he said Jaylin Noel was the receiver who was running routes that he thought would allow him to most immediately contribute in the NFL.

Also he apparently didn't have concerns about CJ's shoulder, though I didn't hear that segment, just heard the hosts refer to it later.
Click to expand...
oh wow link or source? Would love to see here more on noel
Click to expand...

I believe he was listening to Stoerner's radio show here in Houston
 
Major said:
zeeshan2 said:
GregR said:
Clint Stoerner was talking about what he saw in mini camp, and he said Jaylin Noel was the receiver who was running routes that he thought would allow him to most immediately contribute in the NFL.

Also he apparently didn't have concerns about CJ's shoulder, though I didn't hear that segment, just heard the hosts refer to it later.
Click to expand...
oh wow link or source? Would love to see here more on noel
Click to expand...

I believe he was listening to Stoerner's radio show here in Houston
Click to expand...
Yes it was local radio. Stoerner was on the morning show (Payne and Pendergast) as a guest though.

https://www.audacy.com/stations/spo...c/episodes/2aeec96e451e/chapters/5408d2ce1b13 (can't seem to link directly to it, so click on the link and then click on the Clint Stoerner talks OTAs link).

9:13:30 is where they start discussing the WRs. 9:16:40 is where he goes into Noels, but listen to the first part as well as Stoerner goes over Higgins fully first and where he thinks he may have work to do.

Suppose I should go post this in their player threads.
 
Four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb is expected to sign a one-year deal with the Houston Texans on Monday, sources told ESPN.

The signing is contingent on Chubb passing a physical.

The former Cleveland Browns running back would join a Texans rushing attack led by two-time Pro Bowl rusher Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale, and fourth-round pick Woody Marks out of USC.

Injuries derailed Chubb's tenure with the Browns. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 of the 2023 season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, forcing him to miss the first six games of the 2024 season before he returned in Week 7 and scored a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.

But Chubb, 29, failed to regain his Pro Bowl form before his season ended prematurely because of a broken foot in Week 15.

In eight games, he ran for 332 yards and recorded career lows in yards per attempt (3.3) and percentage of carries that gained at least 10 yards (4.9%).

Houston hopes Chubb can recapture his pre-injury production and form a one-two combo with Mixon, who totaled 1,016 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns en route to earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2024.

Chubb's expected signing in Houston was first reported by NFL Network.
 
The Texans have signed four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb, the team announced Monday.

Chubb's deal is for one year and $2.5 million, a source told ESPN, confirming an NFL Network report. It can be worth up to $5 million.
 
Not bad depth, I've pretty much given up on Pierce being a fit for this offense. He needs to go somewhere else with a scheme similar to what we had his rookie year to maybe be successful again.
 
Buckna said:
Not bad depth, I've pretty much given up on Pierce being a fit for this offense. He needs to go somewhere else with a scheme similar to what we had his rookie year to maybe be successful again.
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I have similar thoughts. I do grow tired of hearing a certain percentage of the fanbase telling me we need to be patient with guys like him and Metchie. It's like they live in fantasy land and don't understand roster spots, salary caps or the fact we've given them plenty of time to perform.
 
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The Texans’ decision to rest Stroud’s sore throwing shoulder made headlines and filled up message boards from panicked fans, who yearned for more answers than what Ryans was initially willing to divulge.

But Stroud said he was fine the entire time.

“It’s like how pitchers, they take relief weeks and nights off,” Stroud said Tuesday in his first public comments since April. “Same thing for all throwing athletes. You’ve just got to be cautious. And those things are bound to happen. It’s not about if, it’s about when.
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Offensive line
The offensive line had a little bit of a better day than the one they had in Tuesday's practice. For the most part, they gave C.J. Stroud time, allowing him to hit open targets.

The lineup used most often included Cam Robinson, Laken Tomlinson, Jake Andrews, Tytus Howard and Blake Fisher.

But the Texans continued to rotate lineups. Tomlinson and Andrews have remained fixtures with the starters throughout.


Stroud's day
Stroud, who had not thrown in previous OTAs until Tuesday, made several plays in team drills.

He had his most success in the red zone, where he threw at least two touchdowns, one to Xavier Hutchinson and another to tight end Dalton Schultz.

No cutting corners
For the second straight practice, the Texans' offense opted not to test cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., who was named first-team All-Pro last season.

Second-year cornerback Kamari Lassiter had a good practice, making several plays, including a couple of pass deflections.


A familiar visitor
Texans legend J.J. Watt attended Wednesday's practice.

He said he no longer has the itch to return to the field and was looking forward to calling games this season for CBS in a new analyst role.

He also said he and wife Kealia have a second child on the way
 
Texans safety Jimmie Ward was arrested at 5:38 a.m. in Montgomery County, Texas, and is facing a felony assault charge, according to the Montgomery County Jail website, allegedly for family violence following an incident in Magnolia.

Ward is currently still in custody
 
Second-round pick, receiver Jayden Higgins, has impressed during minicamp. He has made one-handed catches with starting cornerback Kamari Lassiter in coverage and has connected with C.J. Stroud on other plays.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound wideout has shown he'll be pushing for a starting role and could clinch that spot by the second week of training camp. He moves extremely well for someone of his size and would complement No. 1 receiver Nico Collins. -- DJ Bien-Aime (6/11)
 
The Houston Texans are signing cornerback Damon Arnette to a one-year deal, a source told the Houston Chronicle.

Arnette was a first-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 but has a history of legal troubles and played last season for the Houston Roughnecks of the UFL. He will have a chance to compete for a roster spot when the Texans report to training camp July 22.

The move comes a few weeks after veteran cornerback Ronald Darby told the Texans during organized team activities that he planned to retire. The Texans have been looking for a cornerback to replace him.
 
The Texans will host seven training camp practices open to fans in Houston this summer, and will travel to West Virginia for a few days of practice in August.

Training camp officially begins July 23. The dates open to fans are July 26, July 28-30, Aug. 1-2 and Aug. 14. All practices open to fans are free and will begin at 9 a.m.

From Aug. 4-7, the Texans will travel to Sulphur Springs, W.Va. to host practice at The Greenbrier. This will be the Texans' third time hosting training camp practices at The Greenbrier. They also traveled there in 2017 and 2018.

Last year, they held practice for a few days in University Heights, a suburb of Cleveland.

After the West Virginia trip, the Texans will play a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings before returning to Houston.

The practice Aug. 14 is a joint practice between the Texans and the Carolina Panthers. The Texans also will have a joint practice with the Lions ahead of their final preseason game on Aug. 21 in Detroit.

Fans can begin claiming free tickets to the open practices at 10 a.m. Thursday through Ticketmaster's website.
 
Former Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Bryan Braman died Thursday after seeking treatment this year for a rare, aggressive form of cancer, according to his agent. He was 38.

Braman had undergone multiple surgeries during treatment in Seattle, according to a GoFundMe page set up to help him with expenses. Braman had been diagnosed with cancer in February. 😢
 
Mixon starting camp on Non-Football Injury list (ankle). He could miss all of preseason.

The Texans have a large number of players on the PUP list, with a group including defensive tackle Denico Autry, wideout Tank Dell, defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi and safety Jimmie Ward all landing on the list. It's worth noting the only person expected to land on the PUP list when the season starts is Dell.

The Texans' starting offensive line for Day 1 of training camp featured left tackle Cam Robinson, left guard Laken Tomlinson, center Jarrett Patterson, right guard Tytus Howard, and right tackle Aireontae Ersery.


Thursday:

After a first day that saw the offense have success, it was the defense that turned the tables on Thursday.

It started with Pitre’s interception of quarterback C.J. Stroud. It was the first interception of camp through two days.

Stroud appeared to slightly overthrow his receiver, and Pitre was there for the interception before returning it several yards.

The Texans continued to experiment with their offensive line. During the team’s walk through before practice and the first team period of the practice, Houston utilized rookie Aireontae Ersery at left tackle, Laken Tomlinson at right guard, Jake Andrews at center, Tytus Howard at right guard and Blake Fisher at right tackle.

The combination introduced three players (Ersery, Andrews and Fisher) at different starting positions from Wednesday when Ersery started at right tackle while Cam Robinson and Jarrett Patterson featured at left tackle and center, respectively, with the first-team offense.


Saturday:

Al-Shaair had an INT and a pass break up Saturday. Mills and Kedon Slovis also each threw a pick.

The Texans’ offensive line struggled on Saturday, giving up multiple sacks as Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter wreaked havoc off the edge. But there appears to be one unexpected name surging in the competition.

Jaylon Thomas continued to work with the first team at left guard on Saturday. It’s the third consecutive day Thomas has joined the starters, and the third-year pro appeared to hold his own in pass protection. Thomas is a third-year pro who’s spent time on Houston’s practice squad in 2023 and 2024. The former undrafted free agent has played in just one career game for the New York Giants in 2023 and joined Houston’s practice squad after being released by them shortly after.

Third-year guard Juice Scruggs also got his first reps with the starters at left guard on Saturday. The former second-round pick has been relegated to lining up with the backups so far at camp, but he got extensive work with the first team to end the week.

Nickel corner Jalen Pitre missed his second consecutive practice Saturday for an undisclosed injury. Though Pitre missed practice, he was in attendance.

His first absence came a day after he picked off C.J. Stroud in team drills on Day 2 of practices. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out although the injury is not expected to be serious. It’s likely he could return at some point next week.
 
Quarterback C.J. Stroud had trouble connecting with receivers in team drills because their defensive backs were just that good. Bullock was responsible for two pass deflections, Lassiter was responsible for two himself and even Stingley got into the action. The offense has rarely tested him.

After team drills were over, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, known for a little trash-talk, briefly walked out to reporters and stated, “I’m just chillin’. I’m not really doing s---,” as if to indicate it was easy work.

It was the second consecutive practice that the defense bested the offense. In Saturday’s practice, the defense came up with three interceptions (1 against CJ, 2 against backup QBs).
 
Ranking NFL team talent under 25: Texans, Seahawks lead list

1. Houston Texans
2024 ranking: 1
Blue-chip players: QB C.J. Stroud, Edge Will Anderson Jr., CB Derek Stingley Jr., CB Kamari Lassiter
Notable graduated players: WR Tank Dell, OL Juice Scruggs

Stroud's birthday is Oct. 3 and Anderson's is Sept. 2, and both players will turn 24. The former first-rounders had standout rookie seasons, with Stroud and Anderson taking home 2023 NFL Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, respectively. Stroud threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns, and Anderson had 45 tackles and seven sacks.

The Texans also have a ton of youth in the secondary, including three starters. Stingley, who made first-team All-Pro last season, is still just 24. The other outside cornerback, Lassiter, is 22 years old, and so is free safety Calen Bullock.

Other young players include 24-year-old starting linebacker Henry To'oTo'o and this year's draft picks, including 23-year-old offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery, 22-year-old wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel and 21-year-old cornerback Jaylin Smith.
 
The Texans suffered what looked to be their first significant injury of training camp.

During the final play of the team’s first 11-on-11 period, rookie defensive tackle Kyonte Hamilton went down while trying to defend a run. Play was quickly shut down, and medical staff rushed to take care of Hamilton while his teammates took a knee in solidarity.

Staff attended to Hamilton’s lower leg and later loaded him into a stretcher. The Texans players convened around Hamilton to give him words of encouragement before he was taken off the field. Hamilton gave the fans in attendance a thumbs up as he left.
 
The Texans seem to have narrowed in on the majority of their first-team offensive line.

For the second consecutive day, the team opened its first 11-on-11 period with Cam Robinson at left tackle, Laken Tomlinson at left guard, Jake Andrews at center, Tytus Howard at right guard and rookie Aireontae Ersery at right tackle.

Jarrett Patterson swapped spots with Andrews at first-team center during later periods, but the rest of the lineup stayed consistent throughout practice.

Robinson, Tomlinson and Howard look to have solidified their spots at their respective positions, as they’ve consistently been with the first team whenever they’ve been on the field.

Ersery, a second-round pick, was swapping with second-year player Blake Fisher through the early stages of camp.

But Fisher, who started the final six games for Houston at right tackle last season, struggled in pass protection and with false starts. He’s been working exclusively with the team’s second unit over the last two days. Former second-round pick Juice Scruggs also continues to run with the second- and third-team offense.

Andrews and Patterson seem to have the closest competition at center. It’s likely that both will continue to get first team reps in camp practices and during preseason games, which will help Houston better gauge the better option. The position will likely be the final piece placed in the Texans’ reset front five for 2025.
 
Uggggh, the poor performance by our 2nd round OL picks is frustrating. Can someone else besides Casserio evaluate these prospects? Not sure I can take any more high draft picks wasted on the line.
 
The Houston Texans’ first practice here in this West Virginia town was another test of patience for its first-team offense, which has had more bad days than good over the first two weeks of training camp.

The defense dominated again, picking off the offense four times (two from C.J. Stroud) and sacking Stroud on several occasions.

Making matters worse, the presumed starter at left tackle, Cam Robinson, suffered a lower leg injury on the first play of team drills.

It was unclear whether the injury was contact or non-contact. He was able to get up on his own power but didn't return. After practice coach DeMeco Ryans said he didn't have any updates on his status.
 
GregR said:
The Houston Texans’ first practice here in this West Virginia town was another test of patience for its first-team offense, which has had more bad days than good over the first two weeks of training camp.

The defense dominated again, picking off the offense four times (two from C.J. Stroud) and sacking Stroud on several occasions.

Making matters worse, the presumed starter at left tackle, Cam Robinson, suffered a lower leg injury on the first play of team drills.

It was unclear whether the injury was contact or non-contact. He was able to get up on his own power but didn't return. After practice coach DeMeco Ryans said he didn't have any updates on his status.
Click to expand...

Starting to get a little worried about the Offense. Hopefully, the D is just that good (pause) and they're taking some time getting used to Caley's new system.
 
Aaron Wilson with KPRC 2 is saying that one source has said it's not believed to be a long-term issue with Robinson. Hopefully get more info soon.

Either way I was already worried about this makeshift o'line, hopefully the defense can be elite because I think we're going to need it. Some not glowing reports yesterday about Chubb having no burst or speed anymore was also worrying (and similar to how he looked last year in Cleveland). Hopefully they can get some sort of semblance of cohesive line play but I am starting to have to some scary flashbacks to some JJ Watt seasons where an elite defense was wasted by a barely functioning offense and swiss-cheese o'line.
 
First depth chart released by the team, with "Unofficial" right there on it... has Chubb at RB, followed by Pierce, Ogunbowale, Marks, J Jordan, JJ Tailor, British Brooks. Nico, Kirk and Higgins at WR. Cam, Tomlinson, Patterson, Tytus, Ersery as OL. Rankins and Mario Edwards Jr at DT. Pitre at Nickle. Bullock and CJG-J at safety.
 
Linebacker Christian Harris and running back Dameon Pierce both returned to practice for the first time since training camp began.

The two players were dealing with leg injuries and had missed all offseason workouts in the spring and the first 11 training camp practices.

Heard a good stretch of radio today talking about camp. Safety Jaylen Reed was one guy mentioned, not necessarily as dethroning a starter, but a guy who has done the most to help himself with his camp play this year.

Also a lot of talk about Jaylin Noel. Though Higgins might start ahead of him, were talking about how he just always manages to get open and brings a playmaking element, and they are going to have to find ways to get him the ball if he's not in the starting group.

Really the whole secondary got a lot of praise. And Ersery outplaying Fisher. Some praise for Titus how he's playing at guard, and taking on a leadership role on the line.

Offense still behind the defense though. O-line concerns have not been alleviated so far in camp.
 
I don’t want to kick you guys when you’re down, and Justin Fields is stinking up the joint while the coach is talking about Breece Hall as a pass catcher, but what was the plan with the OL? Did the front office not have to answer questions about it? If they did, what’s the company line? May I venture to say that I’m not sure the company line (no pun intended) they might have given is going to be adequate enough to protect the QB so that he might find my investment named Nico open for nice gains on the reg. Signed, an interested party.
 
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During the team’s scrimmage at the Greenbrier Resort, Gardner-Johnson went back to make a tackle on receiver John Metchie III. Before reaching Metchie, Gardner-Johnson went down to the ground and began clutching his right leg.

Practice went silent and players took knees in prayer as Gardner-Johnson was attended to by team medical staff. Gardner-Johnson was then helped into a cart while unable to put any weight on the right leg. The team circled up around their teammate before he was taken off the field, with quarterback C.J. Stroud and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair being the final players to offer their words of encouragement.
 
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