5 Things to Watch for at Texans Training Camp

As the Houston Texans enter training camp ahead of the 2024 NFL season, bigger storylines surround the team than in years past, making this one of the most entertaining summers in years for Texans fans.

Here are five things to watch for at Texans training camp this summer:

1. High expectations

After going 11-37-1 over the three seasons spanning 2020-22, the Texans were expected to struggle heading into the 2023 campaign. However, the team punched well above its projected weight, winning the AFC South and a playoff game in 2023.

Just a year after being an underdog, the team must adjust to its status as a popular Super Bowl pick. That’s made all the more difficult by a tough schedule that ranks as the fourth toughest in the NFL. In addition to a schedule against the up-and-coming AFC South, the team has an unfavorably late bye week (Week 14) and will face playoff teams Miami Dolphins, the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens, who beat them in the playoffs last season, in a 10-day span between December 15 and December 25.

2. How much better can CJ Stroud be?

Arguably one of the biggest stories of the 2023 NFL season has been the rapid improvement of Texans rookie quarterback CJ Stroud. His 4,108 passing yards and 23 passing touchdowns earned him a Pro Bowl nomination and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He also became just the third player in NFL history to lead the league in passing yards per game and touchdown-to-interception ratio in the same season, joining Tom Brady and Joe Montana.

He now enters his second season with completely different expectations, and his off-season work reflects that. He has shown maturity and leadership, putting in off-season workouts and receiving praise from his teammates. We will be looking closely at Stroud’s preparation this summer.

3. WR’s talented corps

In the 2023 season, Stroud wasn’t the only one to surprise skeptics. He had the help of a strong receiving corps that created separation and found holes in opposing secondaries. In his third season, receiver Nico Collins led the way with 1,297 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, earning him a three-year, $75 million contract extension. Tank Dell, Noah Brown and tight end Dalton Schultz also had strong seasons.

As if the current class wasn’t strong enough, the Texans traded for four-time Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs this offseason, propelling their receiving unit near the top of the league ranks.

With Diggs, Collins and Dell among the top three receivers in the rankings, the No. 4 spot is up for grabs. Brown should be a serious contender for that spot, along with Robert Woods, John Metchie III, Ben Skowronek, Xavier Hutchinson and newcomer Quintez Cephus.

4. Camp Competitions

The Texans have plenty of returning talent on both ends of the ball, but there are still several starting spots up for grabs heading into Week 1. Perhaps the most notable position in question is left guard. Kenyon Green, a first-round pick in the 2022 draft, is entering his third season and has impressed head coach DeMeco Ryans since returning from injury. He’ll be competing with Kendrick Green and Jarrett Patterson for the interior spot on the offensive line.

Derek Stingley Jr. has established himself as Houston’s CB1, but the other outside position remains a question mark. Despite being a rookie, Georgia standout Kamari Lassiter is firmly in the running for the starting cornerback role. He’ll be competing with several other members of the Texans’ defense, including former top-10 draft picks Jeff Okudah and CJ Henderson.

5. Joe Mixon: A new star running back

Running back Devin Singletary has been solid for the Texans in 2023, but it’s no secret that the ground game was one of the weakest parts of this team. The Texans were aggressive in addressing that need this offseason, trading for veteran back Joe Mixon. In his seven seasons in Cincinnati, Mixon rushed for over 1,000 yards four times and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2021.

Mixon’s potential isn’t limited to the ground game, as he’s shown serious potential as a receiving threat throughout his career. Seeing how he fits with Stroud in Bobby Slowik’s scheme will be one of the most interesting things to watch during training camp.