From spring mini-camp to the heat of training camp to the preseason, undrafted rookies are duking it out to make the Houston Texans’ final 53-man roster.
By August 31st at 4:00 P.M. Eastern, all cuts will be final; some undrafted faithfuls will make it, some won’t. Three, in particular, are building undoubtedly notable cases to be on the side that will.
1. Tyron Johnson – WR
As a litter of undrafted free agents vies for a spot on the Texans receiving corps as a second-stringer, Tyron Johnson leads the pack.
A former Louisiana State Tiger/Oklahoma State Cowboy and five-star recruit, Johnson has wowed the Texans coaching staff with speed (4.34 40-time) and size (6-1, 193). He’s made waves in training camp and preseason; leading the Texans in week one of the preseason in receiving with two receptions for 48-yards.
Johnson has flashed NFL potential as a deep threat. As NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein says, “Johnson’s game is geared to get down the field and make explosive catches.”
“Tyron Johnson, rookie, getting better, works hard, great kid, got great speed,” said Bill O’Brien after Sunday’s practice. “[He] needs to probably take a jump here from one game to the next, like open-field running and special teams, but he’s working hard.”
Johnson’s a bit of a project with limited college production split between time at LSU and Oklahoma State. But, he has traits that the Texans tend to favor in projects; speed and size. Through his first months as a Texan, he’s shown enough whether it be OTAs, training camp, or preseason ball to get the call-up.
2. Damarea Crockett – RB
Seemingly overnight Damarea Crockett’s chance to make the 53-man roster spiked. With the departure of D’Onta Foreman, the Texans suddenly needed to fill the void of a power back. It turns out, Crockett is just that.
A 5-11, 225-pound battering ram with 4.4 speed to boot, Crockett has impressed in training camp. The former Missouri Tiger bullied SEC defenders to the tune of 5.9 yards per carry — he’s emulating that in the pros.
During Thursday’s preseason loss to the Packers, Crockett rushed the ball six times for 24 yards and one touchdown.
His highlight of the night came on a one-yard rushing touchdown where he deflected a linebacker tackle, then steamrolled his way into the endzone behind a Max Scharping block. Crockett also had a 12-yard scamper where he catapulted himself through a hole then punished a tackler while falling forward.
It should be clear that Crockett’s effectiveness stems from his power, explosiveness, and sheer will to bully defenders. “He runs hard. He runs hard,” said O’Brien in training camp.
It also helps that Crockett doesn’t mind working on special teams. Said O’Brien: “He works hard on special teams, he’s quiet and he’s got a good attitude. I’ve seen some good things.”
The Texans need a change-of-pace power-orientated back to compliment Lamar Miller and Duke Johnson. Crockett is the likeliest candidate to be just that.
3. Karan Higdon – RB
Why can’t two undrafted backs make the roster? While Crockett has shined as a power back, Higdon is a jack-of-all-trades that, like Crockett, is turning heads in both training camp and preseason.
Higdon offers the Texans a true bell-cow back track record; leading Michigan in rushing yards in 2017 (994) and 2018 (1,178). At 5-9, 206-pounds with a well-rounded — not dynamic — skill set, he draws comparisons to Lamar Miller on tape.
Higdon started his NFL debut by batting off three straight 6+ yard runs; finishing with 37 on eight attempts. With Duke Johnson sidelined for Saturday’s preseason game against the Detroit Lions, Higdon has an opportunity to build on a respectable debut.
Keeping both Crockett and Higdon is a stretch considering O’Brien prefers to stash a special teamer at RB4. But, both have seen time there and haven’t spawned complaints. At this point, it’d be hard to justify losing either considering their respective outstanding offseasons.
