(SportsRadio 610) - In two weeks, the 2022 Texans start camp at the Houston Methodist Training Center.
This is the first season with Lovie Smith as head coach, Pep Hamilton as offensive coordinator, Davis Mills entering as the starting quarterback and a full draft class for second-year general manager Nick Caserio.
Off-field drama is also expected to be minimized, with Deshaun Watson traded to the Cleveland Browns and the Texans moving on with their rebuild.
To prepare for July 29, we’ve listed the top 25 players to watch at training camp.
25. A.J. Cann, right guard
Cann signed with the Texans this past offseason to address their obvious need at right guard. He started at least 13 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2015-2020 before suffering an MCL injury that limited him to just four games last season.
From 2019-2021, Cann played for offensive line coach George Warhop, who was hired this offseason by the Texans for the same role on Smith's staff.
Last year, the Texans tried to address right guard by signing Lane Taylor, who played in eight games and started five for Houston in 2021.
24. Ross Blacklock-Thomas Booker, interior defensive linemen
Both players could end up making the team, but there is a realistic scenario in which one of them does not.
Blacklock, a second-round pick by the Texans in 2020, is entering his third season and has started just three games. He was supplanted on the depth chart last season by rookie Roy Lopez and Maliek Collins is considered Houston's best interior defensive lineman.
It's an open question as to who is better between Blacklock and the rookie Booker, who the Texans drafted out of Stanford in the fifth round of the draft this year. If Booker outplays Blacklock at camp, it becomes an interesting numbers game when it's time to cut the roster down to 53 players.
The Texans carried eight defensive lineman at that point a year ago, four on the interior and four ends.
To Blacklock's credit, he still stands out athletically and has shown flashes. He and Collins had the third-most quarterback pressures for Houston last year and the most among interior defensive linemen.
23. Rasheem Green, defensive end (also plays inside)
Green is one of four veteran defensive ends the Texans signed this offseason who have a good chance of not only making the team, but playing a significant number of snaps. He record 6.5 sacks for the Seattle Seahawks last season and is also capable of playing inside.
Green started 16 games for Seattle last year and might be the Texans' most athletic defensive lineman, along with Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. Once players finally put on pads at camp, watching the new look lines and how they match up should be a lot of fun.
22. Phillip Dorsett, wide receiver
A major concern for the Texans' offense is the lack of playmakers. Brandin Cooks is their top wide receiver and beyond that, not much really stands out.
Dorsett, 29, is a former first-round pick with the Indianapolis Colts in 2015 who is supremely talented. He bounced around before landing on the Texans' practice squad and later promoted to the active roster last December.
In three games with Houston last year, Dorsett had six catches for 107 yards and had an entire offseason to build chemistry with Mills. Maybe this is the year it comes together for Dorsett, who's struggled to stay on the field since a foot injury in 2020.
Dorsett, for what it's worth, did stand out at times during organized team activities.
21. Pharaoh Brown, tight end
Brown is looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2021 season. He is easily the most physically imposing of the Texans' tight ends and could contribute both as a blocker and pass catcher.
He will have to improve on leading all NFL tight ends in both penalties and penalty yards, as he did last year.
Simply watching Brown at camp is always worthwhile, again, because of the physicality. Whether that translates to real live game success is another matter.
20. Jerry Hughes, defensive end
Hughes is a Sugar Land-native playing for the hometown team, with his former Buffalo Bills assistant defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire and teammate Mario Addison.
Hughes, 33, has a solid 12-year NFL resume he brings to the Texans who obviously needed help with their pass rush. Only four teams sacked the quarterback fewer times than Houston last year.
Hughes last had double digit sacks in 2014 and hasn't posted more than 4.5 since 2018. He had two sacks last year for the Bills.
The veteran leadership and credibility he brings to the locker room is certainly valuable. But how much does he have in the tank after playing so much football?
19. Maliek Collins, defensive tackle
As mentioned earlier, Collins is considered the Texans' top interior defensive lineman.
Collins wins one-on-one matchups and will be relied upon heavily this season.
The Texans like him enough to give him a raise, from the $5 million they paid him last year to a two-year, $17 million deal with $8.5 million guaranteed this past offseason.
Stay tuned for the battles up front with rookie left guard Kenyon Green, and the aforementioned right guard Cann.
18. Brandin Cooks, wide receiver
The Texans signed Cooks to a two-year contract extension worth nearly $40 million this offseason. He is unquestionably their best offensive weapon, one of the important locker room presences and tone setters on the team.
There is not a lot of suspense in watching Cooks practice. He's as consistent as they come. What will be worth paying attention to is how the team manages his workload, given how much they are sure to rely on him once the games count.
17. Laremy Tunsil, left tackle
A major offseason storyline for the Texans was Tunsil not showing up to voluntary offseason activities. The key word in that was always "voluntary."
Tunsil was at mandatory minicamp and looked like the same, chiseled Pro Bowl caliber left tackle that Houston's grown accustomed to.
The least of the Texans' worries or concerns should be Tunsil. Briefly watching him go to work against their new defensive ends like Okoronkwo was pretty fun and minicamp and should carry over to training camp.
16. Tytus Howard, right tackle
Howard is back at his natural position, playing tackle the way he should have been last season when the team inexplicably moved him to left guard.
They picked up his $13.2 million fifth-year option for next season, signaling he's part of the plan at tackle at least for the next two years.
How does Howard look now that he's back playing tackle full time and allowed to be the best version of himself? How much does that improve the offensive line?
15. Mario Addison, defensive end
Another former double-digit sack guy from the Bills who's played a lot of football, Addison comes to the Texans with a ton of intrigue.
The 34-year-old had seven sacks for Buffalo last year. He consistently had at least nine sacks per season from 2016-2019 for the Carolina Panthers.
The same question of "how much is left in the tank" applied to his Buffalo teammate Hughes goes for Addison. But Lovie Smith likes to rotate defensive linemen and Addison is among the best of them, certainly from a résumé standpoint.
14. Jonathan Greenard, defensive end
Greenard led the team in sacks (eight) and tied for the team-lead in quarterback pressures (19) last year. He did this playing in his 12 games, as he was limited with a foot injury.
Greenard was still recovering at minicamp, so we will be watching to see how limited he is, or how he's managed during training camp.
Last season seemed like Greenard really just scratching the surface of his potential.
13. Steven Nelson, cornerback
In previous stops, Nelson has been a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs.
While there may be some competition at cornerback, Nelson's background, contract (two years, $9 million) and the drafting of Derek Stingley Jr. at No. 3 overall seem to indicate which direction the Texans are going at that position.
Smith said ahead of the draft that in order for the Texans to play the kind of football they want to play, they'd have to be better at corner. That same day, they met with Stingley and soon after, signed Nelson.
12. Roy Lopez, defensive tackle
The pleasant surprise and final pick of last year's five-man draft class, Lopez became a contributor to the team almost immediately.
Lopez started 15 games as a rookie last year, then showed up to minicamp looking leaner. He is already known for his strength, use of his hands, and football instincts.
But what does he look like when he's more fleet of foot?
11. Garret Wallow, linebacker
Wallow was mostly a special teams player last year before starting a pair of games toward the end of the season. His name comes up consistently when you talk to people behind the scenes at NRG Stadium.
Caserio has even mentioned Wallow as someone who's shown the most improvement since the offseason program. How that translates to training camp and ultimately on the field this season is what we're watching.
10. Christian Harris, linebacker
Remember how excited the Smith was when the Texans drafted Harris in the third round? That image remains stuck with me.
Surely, Smith has a plan and vision for how to utilize Harris, a former defensive back who Nick Saban turned into a linebacker at Alabama.
When we talk about "modernizing" Smith's defense, it has a lot to do with how mobile today's linebackers are and their ability to cover ground. Guys like Wallow and Harris illustrate this.
9. Jalen Pitre, safety
At least early on, Pitre looks like someone who will be fun to watch at every practice. He tries hard at everything and his work ethic is something coaches and executives rave about.
Expectations are through the roof on for Pitre, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. He's replacing Justin Reid, who played well for the Texans over four seasons before leaving for the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency.
The Texans also passed on the opportunity to draft Kyle Hamilton, widely regarded as the best safety of this draft class, and moved back two spots to instead select ...
8. Kenyon Green, left guard
I've said this since he was drafted. Green looks like he will be a good player and an immediate fix to the Texans' gaping hole at left guard.
The expectation is that he should start immediately, which you hope for when someone is selected No. 15 overall.
But there is some added pressure, which hopefully Green does not internalize, in being the player the Texans traded back to select.
Again, they missed out on Hamilton, who went to the Baltimore Ravens at No. 14. The Philadelphia Eagles at No. 13, Houston's original slot, drafted defensive tackle Jordan Davis, who some considered to be the most talented to player in the draft.
Zion Johnson, arguably the best prospect at the position, was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers two spots behind Green.
7. Brevin Jordan, tight end
Jordan played in nine games and had three touchdown catches as a rookie last year. It took some time for him to develop, but once he came along, Jordan looked like what Texans fans thought they were getting from the former Miami tight end.
There will be plays designed for Jordan in Pep Hamilton's offense, which emphasizes tight ends. Jordan and Brown appear to clearly be Houston's best options at that position from a pass-catching standpoint.
It would have been nice to see the Texans do more at tight end, but they might just believe in Jordan and Brown for where they are now.
The free agent tight end market next year, when the Texans will have more money to spend, should be robust.
6. Nico Collins, wide receiver
There are so many reasons to be bullish on Collins.
He is a big target with ideal size and athleticism. Opportunities for him should be plentiful, given how few proven options the Texans have at receiver.
Also, Collins was another player who flashed at OTAs and minicamp. As much as Texans fans are trying to find out if they have a franchise quarterback in Mills, this season could go a long way in finding out how good Collins truly is, too.
5. John Metchie III, wide receiver
The Texans for years have been trying to find a reliable slot receiver. Y'all have not forgotten the hope in Keke Coutee, the failed Anthony Miller experiment, and Danny Amendola's cup of coffee here last season.
Metchie, standout at Alabama, is supposed to be that guy.
He was mostly a non-participant during OTAs and minicamp because he's still recovering from a torn ACL injured during the national championship game.
What's the plan for him at training camp and how close is he to being ready to play? I ask because I think Metchie's the best offensive player Caserio's drafted yet.
4. Marlon Mack, running back
Add Mack to the list of players who stood out at OTAs and minicamp. Nearly two years removed from an Achilles tear, Mack has a chance to be the Texans' lead back with rookie Dameon Pierce and veteran Rex Burkhead.
The last time he was healthy in 2019, Mack was a 1,000-yard rusher for the Colts. We've seen the retread running back program before with David Johnson and Phillip Lindsay.
Here's to hoping this year is different.
3. Dameon Pierce, running back
Longtime legendary Texans insider John McClain thinks Pierce could be the team's lead back and even eclipse the 1,000-yards rushing mark as a rookie.
He was most recently part of a running back committee at Florida and Houston's setup seems primed to be the same. But what if Pierce sets himself apart? What if not having so many miles on him in college works to his benefit as a pro, at least early on?
Having new running backs is welcome and having a young, drafted one is a breath of fresh air going into camp.
2. Derek Stingley Jr., cornerback
The Lisfranc injury led to questions about Stingley as a top pick, but didn't stop the Texans from taking him No. 3 overall, their highest draft pick so far under Caserio.
They are being careful with Stingley, who is still recovering from surgery last year, but expect him to be ready for camp.
Stingley is widely considered one of the best cornerback prospects of the past decade, someone who's been discussed as an NFL talent since he was a freshman at LSU.
What's he going to be doing at camp? Hopefully it's more than individual drills like at OTAs and minicamp, as it would signal how close he is to being ready to play.
1. Davis Mills, quarterback
What a difference a year makes for Mills.
As a rookie, he had the opportunity to keep his head down and work behind Tyrod Taylor early on. Then he was thrust into action after Taylor's hamstring injury in Week 2.
Taylor returned a few weeks later, but underperformed, setting the stage for Mills to take over as the Texans' starter.
Now we enter the season trying to evaluate if Mills can be the Texans' quarterback of the future, or if they should be in the market for another next year.
It's Mills' job to win or lose.