The Houston Texans made sure to focus on defense this offseason. The team needed some overhauls in the secondary and on the line, and the Texans did just that through the NFL draft. Five of the nine picks made were on the defensive side of the ball—two on the line, one at linebacker, and two more in the secondary.
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Each player taken, save for Solomon Byrd, has a realistic shot at starting this year. Byrd is left out in the cold because he's a defensive end and the Texans have one of the deepest talent pools at that position in the NFL. Every other player taken has a genuine shot to leave training camp and the preseason as a starter.
Kamari Lassiter, and Calen Bullock, a corner and safety combo, have the best shot due to the need at the positions. Jamal Hill, a linebacker, has an outside shot if certain guys don't continue to improve. Marcus Harris, a defensive tackle out of Auburn, is in the thinnest position group on the team. He'd have to actively be bad to not at least get major reps, let alone start.
Yet, despite the Texans coming into the 2024 offseason hurting for new players and overhauling the defense, NFL.com doesn't think any of the Texans' rookies will start for them. At least, start for them early in the season.
The official website of the NFL listed 14 players they think will have the best chance at starting, and not one was a Texans player. We understand not putting Hill, or Harris on the list. Certainly the case for Byrd. Yet, Bullock and Lassiter could easily earn a starting job out of camp. Especially if the holdovers from 2023 continue to struggle. The only player who stepped up in 2023 was Derek Stingley Jr.
Sure, some had their moments, but none were so good that the Texans would sit Bullock and Lassiter if the competition was dead even. They have a genuine shot to start, and I would be surprised if one of them wasn't in the starting lineup by the first week of the season.
