HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans' 2025 training camp runs from Wednesday to Aug. 27 at NRG Stadium.
There are countless new faces on the offensive line with the deaparture of left tackle Laremy Tunsil, left guard Kenyon Green and right guard Shaq Mason. Left tackle Cam Robinson, swing tackle Trent Brown, left guard Laken Tomlinson, right guard Ed Ingram and rookie tackle Aireontae Ersery were brought in to help stabilize a unit that struggled last season.
There are also new faces in the receiver room -- Christian Kirk along with rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, and Houston also picked up running back Nick Chubb. And who could forget, there's also a new playcaller in Nick Caley. This group joins an offense led by quarterback C.J. Stroud, running back Joe Mixon and wideout Nico Collins.
The expectation is that the offense will make or break the season for the Texans in 2025.
Here's a closer look at what we are watching at camp -- and a 53-man roster projection:
Can the Texans' offense improve under Caley?
The offense struggled against the AFC-champion Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs in January and has been a focal point for general manager Nick Caserio and coach DeMeco Ryans this offseason. Enter Caley, who takes over a unit that ranked 18th in scoring (22.1) and 16th in total offense (329 yards per game). The most alarming part was pass protection. Stroud was sacked 52 times (second most) and was pressured on 38.6% of his dropbacks (third most per Next Gen Stats). That caused an overhaul of the offensive line and firing of former coordinator Bobby Slowik. It's now up to Caley to help the Texans try to at least reach the AFC Championship Game for the first time in franchise history.
Three players to watch
LT Cam Robinson. He was a noteworthy free agent acquisition after a stint with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024. According to Next Gen Stats, Robinson allowed the third-highest pass pressure rate among left tackles with at least 500 pass blocking snaps (12.1%) and the fourth-most sacks (nine). He must be better in 2025 for Houston.
RT Blake Fisher. He is going into Year 2 in Houston after starting five games as a rookie. He's unmolded clay, so how he develops throughout camp is vital. Him and Robinson play big potential roles in how efficient the offense can be.
WR Jayden Higgins. Despite being selected in the second round, this rookie was the top pick for the Texans in the draft. So far, he's looked the part, and Houston hopes that he can give Stroud help as a pass catcher outside of Collins. Throughout the spring Higgins performed up to his draft status, but now it's time to see how he looks once the pads come on.
Key position battles
Tackle. Ironically the two offensive tackles I'm watching are also in position battles with rookie tackle Aireontae Ersery -- also a second-round pick. Blake and Robinson will get every opportunity to win starting roles, but Ersery is a wild card in this battle.
Slot receiver. Kirk's chemistry with Stroud was on display during minicamp, so we'll see if that continues. But Noel -- a third-round pick -- has blazing speed, and that could make Houston's offense more dynamic. We'll see who wins that battle between the vet and the rookie.
Keep an eye on: Can Will Anderson Jr. take the next step?
The former Alabama defensive end has flashed high-end production in his two seasons. After earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2023, he followed that up with 11 sacks (tied for 10th most) last season while missing three games, so there's room for more. League executives, coaches and scouts recently ranked Anderson among the top 10 pass rushers, but can he insert his name into the conversation with the likes of Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt and Micah Parsons at the top of the list? He'll have every opportunity this season, and playing opposite of veteran Danielle Hunter (also ranking in the top 10) only helps his chances.
53-man roster prediction
QB (3): C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills, Graham Mertz
RB (4): Joe Mixon, Nick Chubb, Woody Marks, Dare Ogunbowale
FB (1): Jakob Johnson
WR (6): Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Christian Kirk, Xavier Hutchinson, John Metchie III
TE (3): Dalton Schultz, Brevin Jordan, Cade Stover
OL (9): Cam Robinson, Aireontae Ersery, Laken Tomlinson, Juice Scruggs, Jake Andrews, Jarrett Patterson, Tytus Howard, Blake Fisher, Trent Brown
DL (10): Will Anderson Jr., Denico Autry, Dylan Horton, Tim Settle Jr., Sheldon Rankins, Folorunso Fatukasi, Mario Edwards Jr., Danielle Hunter, Darrell Taylor , Derek Barnett
LB (5): Henry To'oTo'o, E.J. Speed, Azeez Al-Shaair, Jamal Hill, Christian Harris
CB (5): Derek Stingley Jr. , Tremon Smith, Jaylin Smith, Kamari Lassiter, Jalen Pitre
S (4): Calen Bullock, Jaylen Reed, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Jimmie Ward
Special teams (3): Ka'imi Fairbairn (K), Austin Brinkman (LS), Tommy Townsend (P)