5 Texans Rookies Who Could Steal the Spotlight at Training Camp

The Houston Texans’ rookie class has officially arrived to training camp this week after a long wait following the end of their offseason program. They’ll have about a week or so ahead on the veterans to get adjusted before things officially get rolling once everyone’s in the building on July 29th.

And this year’s Texans rookie class is an interesting one. Houston brought in several potentially impactful names on both sides of the ball throughout April’s draft that should be able to use this time in training camp to either establish a starting spot, a key placement on the depth chart, or simply just stake their claim on the 53-man roster.

Let’s dive into five rookies within the Texans’ draft class that’ll be worth keeping an eye on in the weeks ahead as ones who could inevitably steal the spotlight for one reason or another:

Keylan Rutledge | IOL

All eyes will be on the Texans’ first round pick, Keylan Rutledge, who enters the mix with high expectations of being able to not only start from Week 1 as an instantly impactful piece to this offensive line, but also translate from his natural position of right guard over to center.

Rutledge has shown flashes of being able to do just that. He lined up at center at the Senior Bowl before the draft, had reps at both guard and center during OTAs and minicamp during the Texans’ offseason program, and has voiced confidence in being able to make that transition at the pro level.

Yet, now comes the time for Rutledge to show it. If he can find his footing in the middle of this offensive line and outduel Jake Andrews for that starting spot, it’ll already make the decision to trade up for him in the first round look a little bit better before he’s even able to take the field for a regular-season game.

Kayden McDonald | IDL

Another rookie who will have a ton of attention in the early weeks of training camp: the Texans’ highest defensive selection in the second round pick, Kayden McDonald, who, like Rutledge, was someone Houston moved up two spots for via trade.

McDonald’s road to becoming a day-one starter might be a little tougher than where this offensive line competition stands. McDonald will be tasked with making a bit of an adjustment to the pro level by transitioning from a nose tackle into someone who can be utilized in a wide-nine, four-man front, while also having to battle with a tested veteran in Tommy Togiai for snaps.

McDonald will certainly have a key role on this defense for his rookie season. The question heading into camp, though, will be how quickly he’ll be able to adjust into this Texans defensive front, which can then determine how much of a workload he can secure at the start of the year.

Marlin Klein | TE

Marlin Klein, the Texans’ second-round rookie who emerged as a bit of a surprise selection on day two, came into the offseason program facing some early adversity.

Klein suffered a hamstring strain that took him out of OTAs and minicamp, and wasn’t able to really get the necessary on-field, team reps he could’ve certainly used coming in as a bit more of a raw product coming out of Michigan.

But it’s been over a month since the Texans were on the field for practice. Klein is expected to be fully healthy and can now get a fresh start on his preparation for the season. If he can get a strong few weeks going in camp, that could position him well on the depth chart in what is expected to be a competitive tight end room.

Lewis Bond | WR

The Texans’ biggest star within their rookie class at the offseason program might’ve been sixth-round wide receiver Lewis Bond, who showed up on the second and third-team units by making several impressive plays with his unique route running and YAC ability.

And he could very well ride that momentum into camp here too. He’ll certainly need to do so in order to find his footing on this roster, considering how loaded the Texans’ wide receiver room is with a dozen names currently onboard the 90-man roster in camp.

It’ll be tough for Bond to find his way much further up the depth chart than being deemed the WR6 through strictly his showings in camp. But making the 53-man roster should be the number-one goal in mind for Houston’s rookie pass-catcher. So far, he’s shown the right signs to make that possible.

Aiden Fisher | LB

The Texans drafted two linebackers onto their defense back in April. One of them came during the fourth round with Clemson’s Wade Woodaz, and the second being brought on with Houston’s last pick in the seventh round with Indiana’s Aiden Fisher. The latter could be worthy of a bit more attention throughout the next few weeks.

That’s for two reasons. For one, his roster security is far less intact than Woodaz. Nothing is guaranteed in terms of 53-man roster spots for seventh-round picks, so Fisher will have to bring his A-game here. But Fisher showed last season with the Hoosiers that he could certainly be an NFL talent with how productive he was, despite lacking the true tools in terms of athleticism.

Fisher finished his championship-winning campaign by totaling nearly 100 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, and two interceptions en route to back-to-back All-American selections. Especially with how wide open this Texans depth chart is at linebacker, Fisher has a ton of opportunity to work with here.

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