The Texans opened up their 2024 organized team activities for the media on Tuesday.
Day 1 of OTAs was Monday but wasn’t an open practice. On Tuesday, the media was allowed in to take pictures and videos of the action.
While we’ll have to wait until training camp to hear the popping of the pads there were some observations to be made today, with most of the players returning to the field for the voluntary practice.
The Texans are currently in Phase Three of the offseason program. Houston will have 10 sessions in which teams are allowed to hold 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. Phase Three lasts four weeks and contact is prohibited.
Here’s what stood out on the first day of open OTAs.
2024 Texans OTAs
Texans RB1 pic.twitter.com/YFGXAoXoZU
— Jayson Braddock (@JaysonBraddock) May 21, 2024
The Texans had a mid-morning practice on Tuesday, allowing them to get on and off the field before the hottest part of the day. It’s Houston so the humidity still made its presence felt during the session.
There were some key veterans who weren’t in attendance at the practice in wide receiver Stefon Diggs, offensive tackles Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard, along with defensive end Danielle Hunter, to name a few. It’s not alarming to see several key veterans missing from the voluntary session.
Derek Stingley Jr.
Of the players in attendance, Stingley Jr. is the place to start. First off, he looks the part. He’s filled out his frame and has the ideal build for the position. Stingley Jr. looks as if he figured out the formula to equally distribute mass across the entirety of his frame.
He’s a complete cornerback that can lock down coverage or attack ball carriers. Now, it’s as if he’s added a muscle-suit of protection from injury. Stingley Jr. in Year 3 may be the real-life equivalent of a create-a-player on Madden.
Stingley Jr. returned an interception in drills today and at the end the defense followed him down for a group celebration. He sat and posed for the imaginary picture with his fellow defenders in the end zone with a huge smile on his face.
He’s getting bigger, healthier and more comfortable. Watch out opposing offenses, there’s going to be a dangerous Stinger attached to the backend of the Texans’ SWARM!
Texans CBs pic.twitter.com/DGjr0PpI8r
— Jayson Braddock (@JaysonBraddock) May 21, 2024
Kamari Lassiter | Calen Bullock
“Oh man, he’s a dog”
“When I first seen him I’m like ‘bro is tall’.”
“Being in the room with him, you can tell how locked in he is. He’s answering the questions, sometimes before the veterans” pic.twitter.com/k7bLJqNaay
— Jayson Braddock (@JaysonBraddock) May 21, 2024
The rookies began getting acclimated to their NFL veteran teammates. There wasn’t a whole lot to take away from the first open OTA practice outside of their size and movement skills.
Bullock has surprised with how long he is from teammates and the media alike. Lassiter showed early recognition and explosion in drills as he moved around the practice field with comfort. He didn’t show the appearance of a rookie with a deer-in-the-headlights type of reaction to his tasks on the day.
— Jayson Braddock (@JaysonBraddock) May 21, 2024
Jeff Okudah | C.J. Henderson
Cornerbacks Okudah (3rd) and Henderson (9th) were both top-10 picks in the 2020 NFL draft. They were the first two cornerbacks selected that year. Head coach DeMeco Ryans talked after Tuesday’s practice about what he liked about Okudah and Henderson, to make him add both this offseason.
Ryans said, “They have the movement skills, they are big, fast, long corners that can run with anybody.” Okudah and Henderson were able to show off some of that blend of length and speed in practice with the Texans. Towards the end of practice Okudah had a pass breakup against John Metchie III on the far sideline. A little before that Henderson was able to get in on his own breakup against Jared Wayne.
Ryans is betting that at least one of the former highly-touted draft picks will unlock the potential behind their pedigree on their third team in five years. The athletic profile is there and now they’re in a defense with talent all around and with a coach who can play them to their strengths and traits.
Okudah stuck out today due to his length. On top of his 6-foot-1 frame he has a 6-foot-6.5 wingspan with 32.5-inch arms. The freakish athletic profile that Ryans mentioned is seen in his 4.48 speed and 41-inch vertical.
Henderson isn’t as long with a 6-foot-4 wingspan but still has the 6-foot-1 height and is even faster at 4.39. It’ll be interesting to see if Ryans and the Texans can maximize the duo’s abilities.
The Texans have the pass rush to where Houston can have Okudah and/or Henderson play a lot of press man coverage and jam receivers off the line of scrimmage. They won’t have to stay in coverage long with the talent of Houston’s defensive line. Okudah and Henderson need to stay tight in coverage for about 2.5-3.0 seconds, typically.
Their combination of length and speed allows them to be aggressive in their jam to slow routes and also catch up and close windows if they don’t land their punch flush off the line.
— Jayson Braddock (@JaysonBraddock) May 21, 2024
Tank Dell
Dell hit the ground running in the NFL. In his first three games he caught 15 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns. In his last four games before he fractured his fibula he totaled 25 receptions for 369 yards and five touchdowns.
Dell has been working back from the injury and just three weeks ago we was struck by a bullet as an innocent bystander. Dell was flying around at practice and was in a jovial mood with numerous teammates and staff cutting up with him.
He looked like himself on the field and with his personality. It’s great to see the excitement and happiness still there after what he’s been hit with over the last year.
It’s a similar parallel to fellow receiver John Metchie III, who was returning from a torn ACL that happened in his last collegiate game at Alabama, before being hit with his Leukemia diagnosis.
Metchie and Dell have been through enough and hopefully Texans fans can now just watch the former second and third round picks thrive as they are the only two receivers out of the Texans’ top eight at the position that are under contract past this season.
Kenyon Green & Juice Scruggs
Kenyon Green & Will Anderson Jr
5/21/24 OTAs pic.twitter.com/9vTa3cSvJC
— Jayson Braddock (@JaysonBraddock) May 21, 2024
There were several offensive linemen out today. It allowed Green and Scruggs to work a lot on the interior of the offensive line. Mostly, Green at his left guard position that he was drafted to play with Scruggs handling the snapping.
While there wasn’t hitting, we did get to see some snaps and sets. Scruggs looked solid in technique and stout. Whether it’s at center or left guard, he should make a huge leap in Year 2.
It was good to see Green looking svelte and moving well. Ryans spoke on what he’s seen from Green, saying, “Kenyon [Green] has done a really great job of putting himself in a position to compete. He did a great job of working throughout the offseason. We know he had the surgery last season, so he was battling back, rehabbing.”
Green missed all of last season after suffering his shoulder injury. Ryans sounded pleased at the work he’s put in and the shape he returned in. “Focused on his body, getting in shape, getting stronger, and it was really good to see him back being able to play at full health,” Ryans said.
Green has everything still in front of after the first two seasons went less than ideal for him. Ryans seems open-minded to give Green the chance to earn a starting spot and understanding of what’s held him back to this point.
“Once he gets over that hurdle, now we can see how good of a football player Kenyon can actually be when he’s not battling and dealing with injuries. So, I’m excited of what’s ahead for Kenyon because he’s really put in the work to give himself a really good chance this year,” Ryans said.
Juice in drills pic.twitter.com/rQXNK80eSR
— Jayson Braddock (@JaysonBraddock) May 21, 2024
Dameon Pierce & Jawhar Jordan
Ryans talked about the shape Pierce returned in for this season and what he envisions with his backfield. Ryans said, “He has changed his body, he is strong, he has been working out every day of the offseason program.”
Pierce’s reworked physique wasn’t the only area that Ryans noticed a change in the running back, stating, “I see Dameon having a very clear head space as we are out working, and I think that will allow him to have a really productive year this year.”
Jordan was drafted in the sixth-round of this year’s draft and should be a great complement to Joe Mixon and Pierce. He may end up pushing Pierce for the backup job but as of now, it seems as if Ryans has already set his expectations for the top two spots on the depth chart by saying, “I think him and Joe [Mixon], as a one-two punch, would be very beneficial for us all.”
From the practice, Jordan did get loose for a run he bounced towards the right side of the line and outside. There’s no tackling on the play but he looked good shooting out the gap and bouncing towards the edge running away from defenders. It sounds like Jordan has his work cut out for him to surpass Pierce on the depth chart, but if it’s due to Pierce’s reemergence and not from Jordan disappointing as a rookie, then it’ll be a win for the team with an even more diversely talented backfield.
Rookie linebackers
Sixth-round rookie Jamal Hill and undrafted linebackers Max Tooley and Tarique Barnes all got on the field today at the same time. Seeing all three rookies in the unit together was a welcomed surprise from the standpoint of getting to compare.
Out of the trio, Hill caught my eyes a few times with his movement skills. He was pleasantly bigger than I expected and even his technique in drills didn’t look like a safety convert with limited linebacker reps.
The Texans linebacker group behind Azeez Al-Shaair and Christian Harris is written in pencil. One or two of these rookies could get into the mix this season.
— Jayson Braddock (@JaysonBraddock) May 21, 2024
John Metchie III & Xavier Hutchinson
Metchie III and Hutchinson seemed to be doing most of the catching on the day. Hutchinson may have caught the most passes on the day, routinely gliding through space and plucking it naturally.
Metchie III was all over the place it appeared. He did have one tough adjustment down the left sideline that he wasn’t able to haul in. It’ll be almost impossible without injuries hitting at the position for Hutchinson to factor into the equation. Houston is just too deep at the position.
Metchie III will be working to prove that he can be the fourth receiver after the big three of Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell. Noah Brown, Ben Skowronek, Robert Woods, Steven Sims and Hutchinson will all be competing for spots on the depth chart as well.
Metch pic.twitter.com/ivTS4kuE0k
— Jayson Braddock (@JaysonBraddock) May 21, 2024
Quick Notes
Troy Pride Jr. is a cornerback with the quads of a running back. I had to double-check that he didn’t switch to defensive lines due to the size. I mentioned during rookie mini-camp that undrafted free agent running back British Brooks was a quadzilla as well. After glancing at the Texans roster it shows that Pride Jr. is Greer, SC and Brooks is Gastonia, SC. That’s an hour away from each other. I’m not sure what they’re putting in the water in that part of the Carolinas but I just ordered a gallon of it. Myles Bryant and Desmond King II spent most of their positional workouts together. It’s important to note that Lassiter wasn’t a part of this group, instead he was with Okudah, Henderson, Stingley Jr. and other outside cornerbacks. Ryans said that he won’t overload his rookies who have versatility to play different spots. He said he’d start them with one thing and then if they can take that and learn more then he’d give them more. It sounds like first up in the NFL training for Lassiter is as an outside cornerback.
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