The Houston Texans linebacker position is filled with many questions

Last time I mentioned that the Houston Texans defensive line just underwent a massive overhaul. However, you can’t leave their linebacker room out of this discussion either. After losing Blake Cashman and Jonathan Greenard in free agency, they turned to free agency primarily to replace talent and also found a gem in the draft. If this position worries you, it’s probably justified. I wouldn’t go so far as to say this will be a bad band, but they have their faults.

Henry To’oTo’o started six games last season, Christian Harris started 12 and Azeez Al-Shaair is a new addition from the Tennessee Titans. This means that many of these players will start together for the very first time in Week 1.

Depth Chart (10)

Many of these players are unknowns, which is concerning as a Texans fan at the position group. There aren’t as many “safe” players at the linebacker position as in years past, but trusting young players like Christian Harris and Henry To’oTo’o isn’t a foreign idea. Texans front office. . They’ve done it in the past with Blake Cashman for example. However, what can Texas fans expect from this group of players?

It may take some time for this unit to gel and get good production. They haven’t seen many starting reps together, and Al-Shaair, who is a projected starter, is in his first year with the team. If anyone can bring production out of this position group, it’s DeMeco Ryans. This may be a successful group by the end of the season, but it’s foolish to expect that to happen in September.

Once training camp is over and this position is used for the first time, we’ll see some great battles and should be a little clearer about 1) who will start and 2) what type of production we might see from them. There’s a lot to like about them and a lot to hate about the group. One thing is certain though. They will rely heavily on To’oTo’o and Harris, both respectfully in their freshman and sophomore years.

One player I’m interested in is Jacob Phillips. The former Cleveland Brown is only 25 years old after eight starts in three seasons. He probably won’t get the starting job in week one, but moving forward, he’ll be a fun player to watch develop in Houston. The former Cleveland third-round pick has ties to Houston, as they acquired the draft pick to select him by trading running back Duke Johnson to Houston in 2020. Phillips is still young enough to be able to revive his career at Houston, a bit like Blake. Cashman did so and had a successful NFL career.

My initial prediction

OLB: Christian Harris
MLB: Azeez Al-Shaair
OLB: Henry To’oTo’o