HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans will open the 2023 NFL regular season against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 10 at M&T Bank Stadium.
But before reaching Week 1, the Texans will go through training camp, which features joint practices with the Miami Dolphins in Week 2 and the New Orleans Saints in Week 3 of the preseason. The Texans had the longest odds (+1000 per Caesars Sportsbook) to win the AFC South heading into the weekend before camp.
There's intrigue to see what coach DeMeco Ryans does in Year 1 with quarterback C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick from April's draft, and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., the No. 3 pick.
Here's a 53-man roster projection:
QUARTERBACK (3): C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills, Case Keenum
Mills and Stroud took the first-team reps during the spring and will compete for the starting spot. The Texans invested a lot when they took Stroud with the second pick, but that doesn't mean he's guaranteed the starting spot as the incumbent Mills has already been pushing him this offseason. Keenum is the third quarterback serving in a mentor role.
RUNNING BACK (4): Dameon Pierce, Devin Singletary, Mike Boone, Dare Ogunbowale
The Texans added three new faces to the room in Singletary, Boone and Andrew Beck. Pierce is the lead back after his 939-yard rookie season, but the battle for who is the No. 2 option will be between Singletary and Boone. Singletary has the leg up based on career production. He has 3,151 rushing yards in four seasons compared to Boone's 516 in five seasons.
FULLBACK (1): Andrew Beck
The Texans signed Beck in free agency to a two-year $6.25 million deal even though they already had a fullback on the roster in Troy Hairston. Beck is the frontrunner to win this competition, mainly because the Texans guaranteed $4 million of Beck's contract.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Robert Woods, Nico Collins, Nathaniel Dell, John Metchie III, Xavier Hutchinson, Noah Brown
The wide receiver room has questions. In 2022, the Texans finished 26th in receptions (176) and 28th in receiving yards (2,154) and touchdowns (9). The locks are Woods, Dell, Metchie and Collins based on draft status or contracts. The final two spots will be between Brown, Amari Rodgers, Alex Bachman, Jalen Camp, Johnny Johnson III and Hutchinson.
TIGHT END (3): Dalton Schultz, Teagan Quitoriano, Brevin Jordan
The Texans' tight end room is straightforward. They signed Schultz in free agency and invested late-round draft capital into Quitoriano and Jordan. In the past three seasons, Schultz ranks seventh among tight ends in receiving yards (2,000), fourth in receptions (198) and fifth in receiving touchdowns (17). The other tight end on the roster is Mason Schreck, who caught two passes last season for the Texans. Schreck will be fighting for a roster spot since there's little investment in him.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Laremy Tunsil, Shaq Mason, Kenyon Green, Michael Deiter, Juice Scruggs, Scott Quessenberry, Jarrett Patterson, Tytus Howard, Charlie Heck
Like the tight end room, offensive line is clear for Houston. The Texans have their starters set -- Tunsil, Green, Scruggs, Mason and Howard. The Texans made Tunsil the highest-paid tackle in the NFL after signing him to a three-year, $75 million deal this offseason and gave Mason a three-year extension for $36 million after trading a sixth-rounder for him as well.
But the backup battles could be intriguing. The center spot after Scruggs will be between Quessenberry, who started 16 games, and Patterson, a sixth-round pick. But Patterson played center and guard in college, so if he impresses enough, he could be the backup guard over Deiter or Jimmy Morrissey.
DEFENSIVE LINE (9): Will Anderson Jr., Jonathan Greenard, Maliek Collins, Hassan Ridgeway, Sheldon Rankins, Roy Lopez, Jerry Hughes, Chase Winovich, Dylan Horton
The Texans revamped this group through free agency and the draft by signing Rankins, Winovich and Ridgeway and drafting Anderson and Horton. Houston realized it needed to bolster its line after allowing the sixth-most rushing yards in NFL history last season. The team needs Anderson and Rankins to hit the ground running in camp because Ryans' scheme is predicated on the front seven holding its own.
LINEBACKER (6): Christian Harris, Cory Littleton, Blake Cashman, Christian Kirksey, Henry To'oTo'o, Denzel Perryman
The Texans signed two former Pro Bowl linebackers during the offseason in Perryman and Littleton to improve a unit that contributed to the rushing defense's woes. They also drafted To'oTo'o to pair with his former Alabama teammate in Harris. The group has a blend of veteran pedigree and young talent. Each spot is up for competition in the starting lineup in Ryans' base 4-3 defense.
CORNERBACK (5): Steven Nelson, Shaquill Griffin, Tavierre Thomas, Derek Stingley Jr., Desmond King II
The cornerback group combines proven quality veterans and a talented cornerback in Stingley, the 2022 No. 3 overall pick. King has the versatility to play in the slot and the boundary, so there isn't a need to have two backup boundary corners. The unit has shown potential during spring practices with moments of air-tight defense.
SAFETY (4): Jimmie Ward, M.J. Stewart, Jalen Pitre, Eric Murray
The Texans' safety unit is similar to last season, but insert Ward -- who came from San Francisco like Ryans this offseason -- instead of Jonathan Owens, who signed with the Green Bay Packers in free agency. Ward brings veteran leadership to the secondary and can help implement Ryans' scheme. Brandon Hill was a 2023 seventh-round pick, but the dead cap is minimal. If he's released, he can return to the practice squad.
SPECIALISTS (3): Ka'imi Fairbairn, Cameron Johnston, Jon Weeks
The group is the same as last year, and the franchise hasn't brought in outside competition this offseason.