The Houston Texans 2026 season is officially underway.
With players reporting to camp, football has returned, opening a new chapter in the franchise’s history with a chance to finally reach the Super Bowl.
This should be one of the league’s more complete teams. The Texans return nine starters on defense and upgraded the offensive line. They have veterans stepping up at wide receiver and bolstered the run game with a massive trade in the offseason.
Everything comes down to meeting expectations, primarily with the offensive pieces. C.J. Stroud is geared up for another campaign, but how will he respond knowing there’s a contract potentially waiting for him at the season’s end? Who else needs to step up and prove their value?
Several names must impress at this training camp. Here’s Texans Wire’s top 12 players to watch over the next month.
1. QB C.J. Stroud
Everything starts and ends with Stroud. Has the offense taken a jump forward? Good, that’s because of QB1. Has the passing attack regressed? Well, blame that on the man entering his fourth NFL season.
Fair or not, Stroud still has yet to get his extension. While the former No. 2 overall pick led Houston to the playoffs for a third straight year, he also tossed seven interceptions, including four in the divisional round loss that secured a bid in Santa Clara for the New England Patriots.
Stroud didn’t have a bad season last fall. It wasn’t at the MVP level, but there was promise in the 14 games he played. But the postseason is what people will remember. It’s what he’ll be judged on throughout the regular season. It’s what will determine if fans are bought in to the once-heralded quarterback and potential long-term solution being “the guy” past 2026.
If he impresses throughout camp, there’s no doubt that the Texans will feel good about working on a new contract before the regular season begins. If there are consistent struggles, Houston may have a problem in its plan to win it all this fall.
2. WR Tank Dell
Dell has to practice. There’s nothing more to say. And no, it can’t just be a few drills sprinkled in with sprints on the sidelines. He must see legitimate action if he is to be considered ready for a new year.
While the 2023 third-round pick has been a fan favorite and beloved by the franchise, his severe leg injury suffered in 2024 has kept him out of football activities for over 18 months. At some point, the Texans have to know there’s either a plan with Dell or a life with a new No. 2 receiver.
It’s clear that Dell is getting closer to being back at full speed. Earlier this month, a video went viral of him moving through receiver drills and cutting routes at full speed. But again, it’s one video. Was that a one-time thing or had Dell actually turned the corner?
No one will know how close Dell is to 100 percent until they get a look at him during practices.
OL Wyatt Teller
The hope is for Teller to return to his All-Pro form. The former Cleveland Browns star was one of the league’s best run blockers for several years, earning his way to several Pro Bowl nods and All-Pro campaigns. But at 32, Teller is coming off arguably his worst NFL season, though the entire Browns offensive line struggled to find any consistency last year.
Signed to a two-year deal, Teller will need to solidify the left guard spot with consistency and physicality. This is a team that plans on competing for a Lombardi Trophy and the interior offensive line has been a problem for Houston to fill with competant talent in recent years.
For Teller, it’s also a moment to prove last fall was a down season and the best is still to come entering a new location. The Texans however, won’t give him the starting job just because of a contract. If he struggles, DeMeco Ryans has been known for his willingness to bench players.
4. RB David Montgomery
The Texans traded a Day 3 pick for Montgomery because they believed he could be a difference-maker in the run game. Ok, how much of a difference-maker is the question since it probably can’t get much worse from last season.
The former Pro Bowler wanted a fresh start to become a lead back and asked for a trade this offseason. He now joins the Texans as the hopeful heir apparent to Pro Bowler Joe Mixon, who also was traded and needed a change of scenery to return to his peak form.
Montgomery has been a lead back in the past, but that was with the Chicago Bears four years ago and much earlier in his tenure. He’s 29 and has been a split-carry runner for the Lions, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s an older back with immense pressure to deliver as a runner who can double the workload.
No one is saying Montgomery has to be an All-Pro, but some skeptics wonder if his role could actually increase or if this is a bad experiment by Nick Caserio and company. If he hits, Montgomery could be the final piece of getting the offense to unlock its potential.
5. OT Aireontae Ersery
The Texans were willing to move Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil to save money and spend elsewhere, but they still needed a long-term left tackle. Enter Ersery, who struggled early on during his rookie season like mosr first-year tackles to do, but found his groove in December.
We’ve seen this in the past with rookies. A promising finish one season now has expecations changing on their overall potential. Ersery, who should be a lock to start at left tackle, still needs to show that those promising drives in spurts late last December can be more of a common theme in Year 2.
6. WR Jaylin Noel
Nico Collins is the top weapon in the passing game. Jayden Higgins impressed with his six touchdowns last season and should slide in as the new No. 2. So, who comes in as the third option? While Dell should be the favorite when healthy, training camp is a perfect time for Noel to expand his role beyond being just a full-time returner and part-time receiver.
In spurts, Noel looked like a competent No. 3 option. He excelled in the win over the Los Angeles Chargers and put together strong performances on Monday Night Football (four catches, 77 yards) against the Seattle Seahawks, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars win at home. He’s a smooth route-runner with a good catch radius and is known for dropping vey few passes between his short NFL career and exceptional college career at Iowa State.
Having a player of Noel’s potential fighting for first-team reps would be a massive win for Houston’s offensive passing attack, especially since receivers outside of Collins struggled with consistency.
7. TE Brevin Jordan
Like Dell, Jordan hasn’t played football in over a year. Unlike Dell, he hasn’t played football in nearly two years since he tore his ACL in Week 2 back in 2024 and then suffered a leg injury during the early stages of training camp last year.
Unlike in years past, the Texans can’t just hope for Jordan to recover and be a factor. There’s actual competition this year in the tight end room, with two spots already locked up by Dalton Schultz and rookie Marlin Klein. How many tight ends will the Texans keep? Better yet, what makes Jordan a standout to avoid being cut?
8. TE Marlin Klein
Of all the Texans’ draft picks, Klein’s selection drew the most pushback. He’s a rookie who shouldn’t be worried about meeting expecations, but that’s what happens when most draft pundits list you as a fifth-round talent and you go in the second round.
Klein, who flashed at Michigan, is still learning how to play football at the highest level. A German-born prospect who only started playing the game back in high school, there’s still plenty he must develop before one could even call him a master of the craft. But fans aren’t waiting long to see what Klein can become. They want to see who he is now.
Caserio has done well drafting on Day 2, but the second pick of the second round could be considered his weakest move. Four years ago, it was John Metchie III. Two years ago, it was Blake Fisher. They at least had decent grades to warrant the conversation.
If Klein struggles big time, this could end up looking like Caserio’s biggest whiff in ages.
9. OL Keylan Rutledge
For the most part, people respect that Rutledge is a rookie learning how to play one of the more challenging positions in the NFL. He is also learning how to play a new position that he’s only been working on for about two months, so there’s going to be trial and error.
But, the Texans traded up to land him. They gave up decent draft compensation to make sure Rutledge was coming to Houston. Some draft experts thought it was a slight reach, especially the trade, but he’s a mauler in run blocking and one of the best interior linemen prospects to come through Georgia Tech.
The Texans are counting on Rutledge to be the last piece of a revamped offensive line. If he can, perhaps the woes of the past staff can finally be quieted for the long haul. Again, he’s a rookie, but when teams make trades to move up for a player, the pressure cooker begins to boil.
10. OT Braden Smith
Much like Teller, Smith is one of the better run-blocking linemen in the league when on the field. Also like Teller, he has missed a decent amount of time over the past four seasons due to injuries.
Signed to a two-year deal, Houston would love nothing more than to have stability at right tackle after last season’s woeful turnstile that was Tytus Howard playing out of position. Smith should have the job locked down, but he missed all of the offseason workouts while recovering from an injury.
Since 2021, Smith has missed 23 games due to injuries. Some thought he could retire this offseason after his issues last year. Being a veteran should allow Smith to miss all of the spring and catch up by the time fall camp starts, but he’s going to have to prove he can stay on the field.
11. OL Ed Ingram
Ingram was awesome last season for the Texans’ run game. One could say that after leaving Minnesota, he revitalized his career and became one of the more consistent run blockers in the NFL, helping the Texans secure another postseason bid.
The Texans saw the value in Ingram’s upside and refused to let him go, signing him to a three-year extension worth $37.5 million. That’s a big investment in a guard who only saw success in one season and didn’t even win the starting job out of training camp.
Was last season a one-hit wonder similar to former Patriots standout Shaq Mason? Was it the beginning of a new chapter in Houston? He’ll have a chance early in training camp to prove the latter.
12. DE Dominique Robinson
The Texans were willing to let Derek Barnett test free agency and find a replacement in a younger pass rusher like Robinson. With the Chicago Bears, Robinson was a situational option who only recorded three sacks, but did excel in pressures by getting to the quarterback.
Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter should handle most of the pass-rushing duties, but what if a player gets hurt? What if they need a break for a drive or two? Having Barnett allowed the Texans to exhale since he remained one of the best No. 3 defensive ends in the league.
Robinson has the potential, but that’s all it is for now; potential. Showing off in camp should be a sign that he’s turned the corner or remains a question mark in the grand scheme of the defense. Last season, the Texans made a signing for a former No. 3 pass rusher to compete with Barnett. That ended up being Darrell Taylor, who was released before the season’s end.
Is Robinson a Taylor 2.0?
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Top 12 Texans players under the most pressure entering NFL training camp
