Welcome newbies!

Welcome to the madness, newbies.

Nine new players enter the fold for the Houston Texans following draft weekend with the intent of helping the AFC South winners improve. There’s four new offensive weapons, a new trench player on both sides and two members of the secondary all ready to take the next steps forward in their careers.

The top three picks should have an immediate impact on the squad. Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel were two of the top targets and likely will serve as the No. 2 and No. 4 weapons for C.J. Stroud. Then there’s second-round pick Aireronte Ersery, who likely won’t be the Week 1 starting left tackle, but the expectation is for him to take over long-term in place of five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil

Cam Robinson, who inked a one-year, $12 million deal earlier this week, is expected to start in place of Tunsi, who was traded in a blockbuster move with the Washington Commanders built around four future draft picks. Robinson isn’t guaranteed to be the long-term answer for the Texans as C.J. Stroud’s new blindside protector. He allowed seven sacks and gave up the sixth-most pressures among offensive tackles during his 11 games with the Vikings.

At wide receiver, there’s talent outside of Nico Collins, but everyone besides Christian Kirk is on thin ice of making the roster. The same goes for the tight end room with the arrival of Iowa’s Luke Lachey.

The draft is officially in the books, so here’s an updated look at the team’s (projected) depth chart after the arrival of nine new picks.

Note: Undrafted free agents and future deal players will not be mentioned.

* – denotes rookie

Quarterback (3)QB1: C.J. StroudQB2: Davis MillsQB3: Graham Mertz*

Mills returns as Stroud’s backup, but it seems like Houston has another long-term plan in motion just in case the former third-rounder walks in free agency. Mertz, who led the SEC in completion percentage during the 2023 season at Florida, likely won’t be cleared to play until 2026, giving him time to learn the playbook under new offensive coordinator Nick Caley.

Running back (5)RB1: Joe MixonRB2: Dameon PierceRB3: Woody Marks*RB3: Dare OgunbowaleRB4: J.J. Taylor

It’s the Mixon show for another year, but Marks might have a bigger role than most Day 3 picks. He’s a receiving threat that shines when asked to win in the flats on third down. That might make him the new No. 2 back, especially with Pierce, Taylor and Ogunbowale all becoming free agents after the season.

Fullback (1)

FB1: Jakob Johnson

Johnson has special teams experience and a previous relationship with Caley. There is a legit chance for him to make the final 53-man roster.

Wide receiver (10)WR1: Nico CollinsWR2: Christian KirkWR3: Jayden Higgins*WR4: Jaylin Noel*WR5: John Metchie IIIWR6: Justin WatsonWR7: Xavier HutchinsonWR8: Jared WayneST: Braxton BerriosInjured Reserve: Tank Dell

With Dell missing most of the season, Houston added two weapons to win in both the slot and on the outside. Given that Higgins and Noel played together in Ames, the transition of working together in the pros should come easily.

Tight end (4)TE1: Dalton SchultzTE2: Brevin JordanTE3: Cade StoverTE4: Luke Lachey*

There’s a chance for Jordan and Stover to pass up Schultz after a down season, but all three should be on the active roster. Lachey likely takes over as a blocking option with red zone upside, but he’ll need a great training camp to ensure there’s a spot for him in the 53.

Offensive Line (10)LT: Tytus Howard, Aireontae Ersery* Trent BrownLG: Laken Tomlinson, Nick BroekerC: Jarrett Patterson, Juice Scruggs, Jake AndrewsRG: Tytus Howard, Ed IngramRT: Blake Fisher, Zach Thomas

Robinson might be the best fit for left tackle entering the draft, but Houston’s selection of Ersery signals he’s the long-term starter after 2025. The bigger question at this point is whether former second-round pick Blake Fisher is ready to transition into a full-time starter, thus allowing Howard to shift inside for good.

Defensive line (13)DE: Will Anderson Jr., Darrell Taylor, Dylan Horton, Casey ToolhillDT: Sheldon Rankins, Mario Edwards Jr., Kyvontae Hamilton*DT: Tim Settle, Kurt Hinish, Tommy TogiaiDE: Danielle Hunter, Denico Autry, Derek Barnett, Solomon Byrd

Houston is set on the edge for years to come with nine different options, including three backups who could start for most teams. Hamilton should compete with Hinish and Togiai for second-team reps through camp as a late-round gem.

Linebacker (7)LB1: Azeez Al-Shaair, Jamal HillLB2: Christian Harris, Henry To’oTo’oLB3: E.J. SpeedST: Nick Niemann, Jake Hansen

Linebacker was a need going into the draft since Harris enters a contract season, but the Texans added E.J. Speed in early April. He’ll compete with To’oTo’o and Harris for subpackage reps in DeMeco Ryans’ defense. Everything else should remain the same.

Cornerback (8)CB1: Derek Stingley Jr.CB2: Kamari LassiterSlot: Jalen PitreCB4: Ronald DarbyST: Tremon SmithDepth: Jaylin Smith * Junior Gregory, D’Angelo Ross

Smith is expected to see action in the nickel and on special teams. It’s interesting to see Houston move up in Day 2 for the former Trojan to compete for starting reps after paying a new three-year deal to Pitre literally less than two weeks before the draft. All three starters aren’t going anywhere.

Safety (6)

S1: C.J. Gardner-Johnson

S2: Calen Bullock

Dime: Jimmie Ward

S4: Jaylen Reed*

ST: M.J. Stewart

Depth: Russ Yeast

Landing a talent in Gardner-Johnson to shore up the back end of the defense could be a game-changer in the playoffs. He’s exactly the type of player that was missing once Pitre went out with a chest injury. The Texans also might have landed his replacement in the fifth round with Reed out of Penn State. If you watch his tape, it like seeing a more undefined CJGJ option.

Special teams (3)K: Ka’imi FairbairnP: Tommy TownsendLS: Tucker Addington

For the first time in 15 years, someone else than Jon Weeks will be snapping a football. It still remains the end of an era.