Houston Texans training camp preview: Start date, when rookies, veterans report, position battles to watch

There wasn’t much to be excited about for the Houston Texans in 2022 as they logged a 3-13-1 record to grant them the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Houston ranked 30th in scoring (17.0 ppg) and 27th in defense (24.7 ppg allowed), highlighting a need to revamp their defense while finding a franchise quarterback for the future.

Houston is hoping to have found the answer for the latter, as they selected Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud in this year’s draft.

Houston Texans training camp start date

Rookies reporting: July 25
Veterans reporting: July 25

First preseason game: August 10 vs. New England Patriots

Key position battles to watch

Defensive Line

The Texans pulled off a seismic draft day trade to grab Will Anderson Jr, potentially finding their future anchor of the defense. It will be interesting to see how many snaps he’ll log alongside Jerry Hughes and veterans Chase Winovinch and Johnathon Greenard, who are each seeking to put together bounce-back seasons.

Wide Receiver

There’s nowhere to go but up for the Texans here, hence the team made a big move to acquire Robert Woods, while also drafting Nathaniel Dell and Xavier Hutchinson. Nico Collins will be key to watch after putting together an underwhelming season, and the newly acquired Noah Brown from Dallas could potentially be the breakout star Houston needs.

Linebacker

The Texans signed two former pro-bowlers to the position with the acquisitions of Cory Littleton and Denzel Perryman. Littleton is looking to have a bounce-back year after having a rough season in 2022, while Perryman looks to become a staple of the linebacking core after coming off two strong seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders.