Texans rookie Kayden McDonald flashes strength, power 

Lined up low to the ground, Kayden McDonald fired across the line of scrimmage out of his three-point stance.

His charge was powerful, and effective. The Texans rookie defensive tackle, regarded as the top run-stopping interior lineman in the draft, reached his destination as he penetrated the backfield.

That’s the kind of strength and technique the Texans expect and anticipate from McDonald during his first NFL season. Drafted in the second round, the Big Ten Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year from Ohio State is already making a strong impression on the coaching staff.

“Kayden has really shown how strong he is," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "He's probably one of the stronger guys that we have. When you see him doing drills, he's knocking the coaches back a lot. Coaches are trying to hold bags and be tough guys, but Kayden is doing a great job of showing the strength that he has. Now it’s, ‘Can he pull it all in and consistently play with the proper hand placement, the proper footwork every single rep?’”

Now that he’s in the NFL, McDonald is determined to make an immediate impact as he’s set his ambitions on winning a Super Bowl and becoming an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in his first season.

The Texans targeted McDonald for a specific purpose: to bolster the middle of the top-ranked defense in the NFL as a big, strong anchor.

They regard him as the best run-stopping defensive tackle in this draft class.

“I just bring power, a powerful guy to come in and help them,” McDonald said. “Focusing on what I can do and the things I need to attack on, that I need to work on, build of those and let everything else handle itself.”

One of the major reasons why McDonald is in Houston after a consensus All-American season at Ohio State, recording 65 tackles to rival first-round draft picks Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs for the first hit for the Buckeyes defense last season, is to provide an imposing presence inside. That works perfectly in tandem with All-Pro defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, an elite and expensive pass rushing tandem.

McDonald should be a factor, especially as a run-stopper

"He's a big, strong man and we want him to play big and strong," Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. "That's a starting point for his role. All those guys, with the techniques that we play are slightly different. There's always a growth curve and he laid a really good foundation and probably felt our expectations of, ‘Hey, this is what it's going to be like.’ 

"As we come back, he’s another guy that hit the ground running. He came back a little bit early because we had the rookies back in a couple weeks to transition in. I think my expectations are that his growth curve will be exponential. Once he gets it really underneath him, it's going to take off. When you see him strike bags and the reasons we were high on him coming in. I think once he masters the techniques in what we're asking him to do, it's really going to start to shine.”

McDonald is off to a fast start with the Texans. Under the direction of defensive line coach and run game coordinator Rod Wright and Frak Okam, McDonald was as advertised during the Texans’ offseason practices.

“I think the biggest job he’s done well is trying to get acclimated, learn our scheme, learn our system," said Texans defensive tackles coach Frank Okam, a former NFL defensive lineman and All-American for the Texas Longhorns. “What you really see, though, is a guy with a good physical presence, ability to knock back and control people on the line of scrimmage. So, we’re excited to continue to try to develop that so he can continue to grow and evolve in his defense and this scheme."

The Texans needed a young, athletic defensive tackle to work in tandem with Sheldon Rankins, Tommy Togiai and Logan Hall.

McDonald, a Texarkana native who grew up in Suwanee, Georgia, provides a dominant inside presence at 6-foot-2 1/8, 326 pounds and operates with outstanding leverage and pad level. The first-team All-Big Ten Conference selection recorded three sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

“What I like about Kayden and his tape at Ohio State is the physicality, it shows up,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “When he’s across the line from an offensive lineman, no matter who it was, he was knocking those guys back in the backfield. That translates to Houston Texans defense.

“We want to knock guys back. He does that. He’s still a very young player who has so much room to grow, so much room to ascend. It starts right here today. You see him in his individual drills. He has the power. We can win with that type of power.”

And confidence, too.

McDonald has stated multiple times he’s the best defensive tackle in the draft. The fact that he wasn’t the first defensive lineman selected bothers him to this day. And it provides significant motivational fuel.

“Being blessed, staying in the moment,” McDonald said. “You can’t take this for granted. I’m walking out here today, and it’s like: ‘This is your first day in the NFL.’ It’s not a game no more. It’s a job, and you got to take it serious. ..

“We’ve all got energy and enthusiasm. It’s a great opportunity. At the end of the day, we want to get to L.A. and win a Super Bowl.”

The way that McDonald can complement the pass rushers and edge-setters that headline the Texans’ front seven and keep blocks off of Pro Bowl middle linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair can make him a tone-setter.

“He’s one of the best in the league, he wants everything his way and we’ve got to follow that,” McDonald said. “You’ve got to stay on that $50 million, $40 million line. You’ve got Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, those are two All-Pro guys. You just follow that plan and all things are going to work out.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and Sports Talk 790.

Texans work out two linebackers after Jake Hansen injury

By Aaron Wilson

The Texans are looking for reinforcements at linebacker.

They worked out veteran linebackers Sione Takitaki and Jahlani Tavai after linebacker Jake Hansen injured his foot. Hansen did avoid a potential season-ending injury, per a league source, but he is sidelined indefinitely.

Takitaki and Tavai worked out one day after the Texans worked out defensive tackle Alec Anderson, running backs Hassan Haskins and Alexander Mattison and wide receiver Montrell Washington. None of those players were immediately signed to a contract, but the Texans are expected to bolster the linebacker position.

Takitaki, 31, has previous stints with the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings.

Takitaki (6-foot-3, 245 pounds) has recorded 289 career tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and one touchdown.

Tavai, 29, has played for the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions. He started seven of 12 games last season for New England and had 42 tackles, four for losses and one forced fumble.

A former second-round draft pick, Tavai has 466 career tackles, 5 1/2 sacks and four interceptions. Tavai (6-foot-2, 255 pounds) was released by the Patriots in March after starting for them in a Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and Sports Talk 790.

Texans like Marte Mapu's range at linebacker

Mobile, agile and hostile, that's what NFL teams are seeking at linebacker.

In the case of Marte Mapu, he fits the bill for what the Texans are looking for at linebacker.

Mapu, acquired in a trade this offseason from the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick for Mapu and a 2027 seventh-round pick, is a former third-round draft pick from Sacramento State.

Mapu is a former Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year who played every game last season and had 25 tackles, one forced fumble and one interception. He has also played safety.

He has 89 career tackles and three interceptions in 44 games and 10 starts.

Mapu is one of the top contenders for the third linebacker job vacated by E.J. Speed, who is our for the season with a torn quadriceps tendon.

At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Mapu represents a leaner, rangier athlete.

“He’s another guy with a safety background from college," Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. "In terms of athleticism for the linebacker room, he has great length. He's a smooth athlete. There are some things that we can do in terms of what we ask our linebackers to do a lot and to play in space, to match up with different body types on offense and those things. 

"He has been a really good fit for us in terms of the profile we seek. He really uses his length to close windows and zones. He has some coverage from his defensive back background in terms of cover ability and matchups. He’s another guy that we just keep building the bank with the reps we get. I’m excited to see him keep growing.”

The linebacker competition is still developing between Mapu, Jamal Hill, Wade Woodaz and Aiden Fisher with Jake Hansen sidelined with a foot injury and Jake Hummel not practicing for the past few days.

"That's probably as deep a room as we've had since we've been here," Burke said. "I know we've had a couple guys suffer some injuries, but I think the whole group as a unit has some good depth to it. I think it's too early in camp to start anointing people or doing anything else. You know how we operate, we're going to get all those guys reps at different positions. 

"There are a lot of guys that we’re working through all those spots with. I think once we get into some real action and see how those guys operate when live bullets are flying, then we'll have a better idea of where that group's going.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and Sports Talk 790.

How the Texans are running punter competition between Jack Stonehouse, Kai Kroeger

By Aaron Wilson

The Texans are staging a hotly contested punter competition between Kai Kroeger and rookie Jack Stonehouse.

They are vying to be the replacement for Tommy Townsend, who's now the Tennessee Titans punter.

Kroeger was the New Orleans Saints’ punter last season and was acquired in an offseason trade, a swap of a 2028 sixth-round pick from the Texans in exchange for Kroeger and a 2028 seventh-round selection.

Stonehouse went undrafted out of Syracuse and signed a rookie free agent deal that includes $75,000 guaranteed.

A former undrafted free agent from South Carolina where he was an All-American selection and All-Southeastern Conference selection, Kroeger averaged 44.8 yards for the Saints. He had 18 punts land inside opponents’ 20-yard lines. He had two blocked punts, impacting his average.

An All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection at Syracuse who averaged a school-record 47.1 yards per punt last season, Stonehouse had a long punt of 64 yards last season.

While the Texans utilize the daily practice routine to evaluate both players, the preseason games count even more.

“When the lights are on, you're going to see who's performed the most," Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross said. "We’re always going to be fleshing things out on the practice field grass. We need to improve and improve quickly. Both Kai Kroeger and Jack Stonehouse have done a good job to this point. 

"I'm not going to decide the punting battle, the play is going to decide the punting battle. There are just a couple things we're looking for there, consistency, being a great holder, being great in the midfield area and controlling field position. Make sure we give ourselves long fields, being consistent at that position. I’m excited for the opportunity for both of those young guys and they’re good people, making our room better.”

Stonehouse, whose father and cousin played in the NFL, had six touchbacks, and 25 fair catches. He set a school career record with a 45.8 yards per punt average.

Stonehouse went to the NFL scouting combine and East-West Shrine Bowl. He participated in the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers’ local prospect days and met privately with the San Francisco 49ers. A Missouri transfer, his average hang time was 4.29 seconds, fourth in the nation.

Stonehouse has shown a lot of power and distance so far, but it’s early in the competition. The preseason games will likely be a major determining factor in the winner.

“For Jack,we saw a guy that’s very consistent,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said of Stonehouse, the third-highest graded punter in the nation last year. “He has a very strong leg. He does a great job of booting the ball. He had a really good first day today. You can hear the ball coming off his foot. That’s the thing that stood out about him today.”

“Having that healthy competition is only going to make that position better when it comes to the punter position. We’ve got Kai Kai’s done it in the league and now adding Jack is going to be really healthy competition coming through training camp.”

The Texans have back Ka’imi Fairbairn on an extension that averages $6.5 million annually as one of the highest paid kickers in the league.

Fairbairn tied David Akers’ NFL record with 44 field goals last season.

“That's a strong word, the word legacy," Ross said. "Houstonians should be proud of Ka’imi Fairbairn. Because of the person, because of the work, because of the consistency and what I've noticed, the two words for you about Fairbairn for this year are the leadership and the competitive. I’m proud of him and excited to see him this year. We all should be.”

Figuring out the punter competition hinges strongly on how good they are at holding for Fairbairn's field goal tries.

“Yeah, if it's not there, then it's a fatal mark in the skill set and it can't happen," Ross said. "You can't be the punter. Part of your job description, your goal is to be the best holder in the NFL. Everything we do is precision. When you talk about field goal operations, that's points, that's winning games. 

"At the end of it, it should come down to No. 15's foot. We need to have somebody that can hold it on repeat in all elements, dealing with any adversity or snap location or variability as possible. In summary, it's going to be a big part of whoever wins that job for us.”

Long snapper Austin Brinkman returns after a strong rookie season as the replacement for Jon Weeks.

“Austin Brinkman, super proud,” Ross said. “He’s changed his body for the better, so very proud of that, the process. Nobody’s doing it, he’s doing that work.”

The Texans added former starting running back Woody Marks to the mix as a kickoff returner candidate. The Texans plan to have two kickoff returners. Marks, the leading rusher for the Texans last season, could wind up as the main kickoff returners and third-down back behind starter David Montgomery

“Who do you want back there?” Ross said. “I want a fast player, right? Good vision, good ball security, but I want guys that can do it on repeat, sustain running through the smoke with physicality and falling forward. Receivers don’t necessarily run in the trash as much as running backs.

“So having a guy like Woody to be in our depth and as potentially a starter if he can win that job, man, that really benefits our team. Woody’s been dynamic with his running skill set. Now let’s continue to master fielding the ball, running your tracks, and setting up your blockers.”

Jaylin Noel has run the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds. He averaged 10.8 yards per punt return as a rookie and 27.6 yards per kickoff return.

And he’s been tutored this spring by former NFL All-Pro returner Darren Sproles, who’s with the Texans on a Bill Walsh coaching fellowship.

“You can’t coach speed, right?” Ross said. “Dynamic speed. We’re going to start there, and that’s going to make up for a lot of it. Jaylin Noel is tougher than his size or stature may look. I don’t get star stuck very often, but that was unique for me.

“What he and I have been talking about is how can we get Jaylin to slow down instead of try to circle everybody like he’s been doing his whole life. We’ve been doing some drills with him, and he is tough, and he is a worker and willing to listen. Everything that we’ve asked to learn how to cut vertically, he’s been working on. So, I think you’re going to see dividends of that come this season.”

The Texans signed a formidable special-teams contributor during free agency, adding linebacker Jack Hummel on a two-year, $4.75 million deal. Hummel hasn't practiced the past few days.

“One my favorite things now is pulling from that bag when I’m watching and preparing for opponents, I’m evaluating what we have to defend or stop,” Ross said. “We played against that guy. Man, he was good. You talk to your players, ‘Hey, what was he like to go against? That guy’s a horse.’ So, when we’re playing against Baltimore a year ago, when we’re watching the Rams tape from Jake Hummel, he shows up, and it’s hard for our guys to go against him.

“So, when we’re game planning for that specific player a year ago and he comes up in free agency and then he gets in your building. So, fired up to have him. He gets in your building, and he’s everything I could ask for: Super hard worker, cares about the kicking game, wants to get better on defense, going to contribute to the Texans’ recipe on football Sundays to get a win. Sign me up. Just proud and happy to have him here. He’s done a great job this spring. Fired up for Hummel.”

The Texans added rookie linebackers Wade Woodaz and Aiden Fisher in the fourth round and seventh round, respectively. Both are slated for special teams duties.

“Just watch the tape and watch the tenacity and ferocity those two play with,” Ross said. “Those two guys have done an outstanding job of setting their own table up for success by building good habits. Man, they’re meeting with the special teams coach extra. They’re staying after.

“I’m sweating and getting in the rain because I’m staying after doing work on the field with one of those rookie linebackers. That, to me, is how you build your team. Those guys have done it at the highest level of college football. Excited to see where they can go. Sign me up for those guys.”

Versatile role set for Logan Hall: 'Load his plate'

The Texans and Logan Hall share a vision for how he’ll fit into their top-ranked defense.

A versatile role awaits the former University of Houston standout and Tampa Bay Buccaneers second-round draft pick.

Beyond operating primarily as a three-technique defensive tackle, the 6-foot-6, 283-pound Belton, Texas native is capable of shifting over to defensive end. It’s a similar role to how the Texans deployed former defensive lineman Denico Autry, a veteran free agent who is expected to retire.

“This can probably go for a lot of people but, we're not going to limit his role," Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. "Whatever he can handle, we'll let him handle. He's working his way back into things as you guys have seen. I'm excited for him. I was excited when we signed him. 

"I was really high on him in the draft when he came out four years ago and I was in Arizona. There's a lot of potential and a lot of hope. I think we're going to load his plate."

The Texans can’t wait to get Hall going. He was sidelined during spring practices with a groin injury and knee tendinitis, per a league source. He is active, but still working his way back to full strength.

“Logan Hall, some three-tech, things like that, and I think a different body type, but even bigger than Autry,” Texans assistant defensive line coach Frank Okam said. “But he can swing out and go out and tackle.He’s a guy that you look at as a versatile piece that you can move inside and outside and you can kind of create matchups based on what each offensive line we have for that week, where he can be best used.

“So, a guy with his kind of experience, his skill set, excited to get a chance to work with him in a training camp, I think the sky’s the limit for him. I think he has a chance to have some of the best years of his career.”

His versatility and positional flexibility should provide a boost to work in tandem with star defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter along with defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins and Tommy Togiai.

“I think I can do whatever is asked of me,” Hall said. “I have that versatility, that size. I’m big enough to play inside. I think I’m explosive enough and long enough to play outside. Ideally, for me, I think three-technique is home. I love that position. But, ultimately, whatever is asked of me to do, I think I can do it at a high level.”

Of the backup defensive ends, Solomon Byrd has shown flashes. It's been a quiet training camp early on for Dylan Horton and Domonique Robinson. Derek Barnett remains a free agent, but there is no movement toward bringing him back at this time, per a league source. There is mutual interest between the Texans and former top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowl selection.

“We play a deep group in the defensive line," Burke said. "We rotate a lot of guys through and we focus on our two starters that are very good players. We have brought in a lot of guys between ‘D-Rob’ and Dylan Horton has played some football for us and some of the younger guys we've rolled in here. 

"We’re working through it in terms of just who's going to take some of those spots. We lost some guys from last year's team and we’re trying to replace that depth. It’s something that we're focusing on for sure.”

Obviously, playing with two All-Pro types in Anderson and Hunter makes Hall’s job simpler.

“I’m excited,” he said. “They got some fire rushers in that pair. It’s going to make my life a lot easier, certainly. It’s really exciting.”

The Texans have invested heavily in Hall, a former 33rd overall selection of the Buccaneers.

Hall signed a two-year, $13.75 million deal with $9 million guaranteed, including a $5.75 million signing bonus and salaries of $1.4 million (fully guaranteed) and $5.9 million ($1.85 million guaranteed) and $14,706 per game active roster bonuses annually and $100,000 workout bonuses each year.

Hall recorded 101 career tackles and 10 sacks with 15 tackles for losses for the Buccaneers, including three sacks and six tackles for losses last season.

Hall operated in more of a stay-home defense in Tampa Bay. With the Texans, he’s looking forward to more of an opportunity to be a playmaker in coach DeMeco Ryans’ scheme.

“It’s not going to be boring, you’re not going to get stuck into the monotony,” Hall said. “The blitzes and stunts and just being dialed in that way is really rewarding and really fun to play for. So, I think DeMeco is going to have a lot of good stuff like he has shown in the past. I’m just really excited to be a part of that. What I was asked to do in Tampa, I think was kind of stand and bang, fight the good fight.

“I think here I’d have more of an opportunity to pin my ears back and go, which is outstanding. I think cultivating that and continuing to soak up and absorb everything I’m learning from coach Wright and everybody else around me. I think that’s going to definitely add to my game.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and Sports Talk 790.