The Houston Texans have assembled their draft class, brought in a bunch of free agents, veterans and undrafted rookies, and soon they will be on the grass, all 90 players, trying to make the Week 1 53 man roster.

Now, there are a few dozen guys who are virtually guaranteed their spot on the roster. C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson are not sweating out final cuts. However, there are about 40 or 50 guys who should not rest easy at night.

It’s never too early to forecast what the 53 man roster night look like, so, knowing full well that more moves are coming this summer, here’s my best guess at what a 53 man roster might look like, if the team had to play a game this coming Sunday. Let’s start with the stone cold locks to make the team:

QUARTERBACK (2): C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills
This is an easy one. For the third straight season, the Texans will head into the season with Stroud and Mills as their top two quarterbacks. No Case Keenum this season, as he has signed with the Bears. Rookie Graham Mertz, coming off an ACL tear, is likely to spend the season on injured reserve, in sort of a redshirt year.

RUNNING BACK (1): Joe Mixon
Obviously, the team will be heading into the season with far more than Mixon at running back, but he is the only lock to make the 53 man roster, although the others who will eventually make it (you’ll see who they are below) are pretty close to locks.

WIDE RECEIVER (4): Nico Collins, Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel
The two veteran starters and their two rookie clones — Higgins’ direct comp is Collins, and Kirk’s is Noel — are the only locks at receiver to make the team.

TIGHT END (2): Dalton Schultz, Cade Stover
Schultz’s bloated contract makes him a lock, as he looks to recapture his 2023 form, and the team is very high on Stover making a big leap in his sophomore season.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (7): Cam Robinson, Blake Fisher, Tytus Howard, Juice Scruggs, Jarrett Patterson, Laken Tomlinson, Aireontae Ersery
The stating offensive line in Week 1 will be some permutation of five players from this group of seven. Robinson and Howard are the only ones who I would put in ink right no to start.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (7): Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, Derek Barnett, Denico Autry, Mario Edwards, Tim Settle, Sheldon Rankins
This is the nerve center of the defense, a scary list of names who all subscribe to DeMeco Ryans’ SWARM mentality. Good to see Rankins back on the depth chart after he spent last season in Cincinnati.

LINEBACKER (3): Azeez Al-Shaair, Henry To’o To’o, Christian Harris
Christian Harris is the interesting one here, as he missed almost all of last season with a mysterious calf injury, and when he was healthy and available late in the season and in the postseason, he was stapled to the bench. His job right be less safe than I’m indicating here.

CORNERBACK (3): Derek Stingley, Kamari Lassiter, Jaylin Smith
SAFETY (4): Calen Bullock, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Jalen Pitre, Jimmie Ward
Man, it’s just fun to read all of these names. What a group of dogs that Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans have assembled in the secondary.

SPECIALISTS (2): Ka’imi Fairbairn, Tommy Townsend
It feels weird not to type Jon Weeks’ name in an article like this. First time since 2009, which coincidentally was my first year writing for the Houston Press.

So here are the totals on “lock” players for their positions on the team:

OFFENSE — 16
DEFENSE — 17
SPECIALISTS — 2
Let’s go shopping for 18 more guys, shall we?

36. Tucker Addington, long snapper
Let’s get this out of the way. Addington will be in a camp competition with undrafted rookie Tyler Brinkman. I’ll take the vet.

37. Woody Marks, running back
38. Dameon Pierce, running back
39. Dare Ogunbowale, running back
40. Jakob Johnson, fullback
This will be an interesting training camp for Pierce, who has seemingly fallen out of favor in the running back rotation the last two seasons, and yet Ryans and Nick Caserio are effusive in their praise for him. I think Marks, drafted to be a third down back, makes the team. Ogunbowale is a valuable special teamer, and Johnson is the fullback and has history with OC Nick Caley in New England. For now, Pierce makes the club.

41. Xavier Hutchinson, wide receiver
There are a TON of names in the room at receiver. For now, I’ll add Hutchinson, who had a few big plays last season. This gives the texans five wide receivers, so we may need one more.

42. Irv Smith, Jr., tight end
Brevin Jordan will be the one making the team on many prognostications out there. I think Smith’s blocking, which was very good in his late season stint with the Texans last season, is the difference for Smith in making the club.

43. Ed Ingram, guard
44. Trent Brown, tackle
These will be the final two offensive linemen, giving us a total of nine.

45. Kurt Hinish, defensive tackle
46. Darrell Taylor, defensive end
47. Dylan Horton, defensive end
Hinish makes the team for the fourth straight season, after joining as an undrafted free agent in 2022. Taylor is a new face with upside on the edge. Horton begins his first FULL season since recovering from Stage 4 cancer last year.

48. E.J. Speed, linebacker
49. Jake Hansen, linebacker
Speed signed a one year deal to come over from the Colts, and like Hinish, Hansen is trying to make the team for a fourth straight season, after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2022.

50. Ronald Darby, cornerback
51. Tremon Smith, cornerback
52. Jaylen Reed, safety
We close out the secondary with two solid veterans at corner, in Darby and Smith, Reed is aisxth round rookie with some quality traits.

53. John Metchie III, wide receiver
For now, the final spot on the roster goes to Metchie, as the sixth receiver, but this is VERY tenuous. There are at least two other receivers who will have a good look at making the team — Justin Watson and Braxton Berrios.

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