Top 3 Houston Texans players to watch against Rams in preseason

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio inherited a brutal situation left by Bill O’Brien and his regime. O’Brien had already been in the process of tearing down a roster that once looked like a potential contender in the AFC, and as a result, the Texans were in really bad shape in terms of their draft capital as of last year and there were very few roster building blocks to speak of.

In short order, it’s safe to say that the former Patriots executive has turned things around. At least, the Texans are no longer an absolute embarrassment when it comes to their overall roster, future draft capital, and pieces worth building around. As a matter of fact, this Texans team actually has a lot it can hang its proverbial hat on when it comes to the roster and future draft capital, especially after trading away Deshaun Watson for a massive bounty of picks.

Now entering week two of the preseason, the Texans have piqued my interest. I won’t go so far as to say they are a contender in the AFC South but I do think the Texans are worth tuning in to watch and there are a number of players that could be emerging for them rather quickly. Let’s take a look at three players you’ll want to watch in their matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Friday night at SoFi Stadium in California.

Honorable mention Houston Texans player to watch: Derek Stingley Jr., CB

The Derek Stingley Jr. hype is growing by the day. I think a lot of people were surprised when the Houston Texans took Stingley over Cincinnati cornerback Sauce Gardner, who went one pick later to the New York Jets. Stingley is coming off of a Lisfranc injury which is certainly not an injury you want to see to a top prospect at the cornerback position, but the Texans bet on Stingley’s outstanding combination of size, athletic traits, and downright dominant tape at times.

There’s no guarantee that Stingley will play in this game against the Rams, which is why he’s getting an honorable mention, but if he plays, it will be must-see TV.

The Texans would obviously rather have a healthy Stingley for Week 1 of the regular season, and the Rams aren’t going to be playing any key starters in the game, but it could be a good opportunity to get some reps in for a couple of series. Stingley is one of the Texans’ best and most important building blocks for the future.