One player to watch at each position in Texans' preseason opener vs. Vikings

It's almost time for the Houston Texans to take the field for the first time this preseason as they'll travel to U.S. Bank Stadium following a week at The Greenbrier in West Virginia to take on the Minnesota Vikings. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CT from Minneapolis, pitting two teams who could either take another jump forward or regress after an impressive 2024 season against each other once more.

The Texans and Vikings should both take a cautious approach when it comes to their starters, though Minnesota does plan on seeing first-team reps for J.J. McCarthy after watching the first-round pick miss his entire rookie season. That doesn't mean he'll play the entire game, but he'll need to feel comfortable inside the pocket is he plans on making the ideal jump toward frontline starter status.

As for Houston? Texans coach DeMeco Ryans mentioned that the younger starters would see action. That means that Earsery, the projected starting right tackle, Noel, who's fighting for first-team reps in the slot, and Higgins, the newest name on the outside, are expected to see action.

And for everyone else?

"Everybody's kind of on their own plan," Ryans said. "We'll have a handful of guys who won't see time at all. Then we'll have a certain group of guys who are limited. So, it's just a lot of different guys in different categories there."

Going position by position, we picked one player at each spot that we'll be watching closely on Saturday.

Quarterback: Graham Mertz

Davis Mills might see some action, but the battle for QB No. 3 is really why Texans fans are signing up for. Mertz might end up being the only quarterback who plays in the second half for the Texans, so of course, he’s the player to watch.

Even if Mills sees time or the Texans turn to Kedon Slovis for garbage reps, this is an incredibly important moment for the sixth-round pick out of Florida.

Coming off a torn ACL, the Texans hope Mertz can take over a QB No. 3 long-term as the new Case Keenum. Slovis spent the majority of last season on the practice squad, but he could hit the open market should Mertz prove to be a more steady option. But health is the biggest factor. An ACL injury can limit a player's progress and overall athleticism, thus leading potentiall setbacks in play.

Mertz is the long-term answer at the third-string role should he stay healthy, but can he stay on the field for longer than a drive behind this offensive line?

Running back: Woody Marks

What is Marks' role on the team? It's a mystery right now since Joe Mixon, Nick Chubb and Dameon Pierce all seem to be ahead of him on the chart. The good news? We could have answer since all three runners aren't expected to play.

As a receiver in college, few tailbacks were as potent as Marks. He totaled over 200 receptions between stops and Mississippi State and USC, while utilizing his brute strength to pick up a few extra yards. In practice, he's made some plays with the second-team unit on the ground, but perhaps Marks can be the new Dare Ogunbowale as a receiving threat on thrid downs that keep the sticks moving.

If anything, fans will at least get to see the running back Houston gave up a future third-round pick for in April's draft actually play meaningful reps.

Wide receiver: Jayden Higgins

It's Houston's first pick. Higgins, known for his size, speed and massive catch radius, has flashed at times in training camp, but his counterpart from Ames, Jaylin Noel, has been the more consistent target at camp, so this is an opportunity to ensure he's the better option.

With Nico Collins expected to be out, Higgins will have the chance to show off that natural X receiver mentality as a vertical threat with the ability to win contested battles in coverage. He's going to be open, but will the quarterback he's working with connect for an easy gain? That's a mystery, but at least it's a step in the right direction for a player who simply needs NFL reps to get acclimated to the speed of the game.

Tight End: Irv Smith Jr.

Is there a home for Smith on the active roster? A strong preseason showing could determine that. He's competing with Luke Lachey for reps as the No. 4 option, and anything that makes him stand out should be promising toward his role long-term.

Is he a better blocker in run support? How does he fare in the passing game? Can he be effective on special teams? All of the little things that don't bother starters are essential for backups to shore up their chances of making the active roster.

Offensive line: Tay Ersery

The Texans can't afford to have Ersery play the entire first half since he's already one of their top-five lineman, but he needs reps. Keep in mind that the second-round pick is seeing action on both sides of the line with the first-team offense now that Cam Robinson is out.

That means if he's not facing off against Will Anderson Jr., the former Minnesota product is going toe-to-toe with All-Pro Danielle Hunter. That's a top 3 duo in the league and potentially two top 10 defensive ends heading into the regular season, so just because Ersery is struggling against them doesn't mean he's going to be a liability in pass protection.

Every rep could benefit Ersery beyond just the repetition factor. It's the confidence meter. Losing against two All-Pro talents can derail a young player's confidence, but having better reps against weaker competition only boosts the ego. That's what fans should want to see out of Ersery during his brief stay.

Should he struggle against the backups in Minnesota, that might be a major telling sign of where he is entering live reps at next week's practice.

Defensive line: Solomon Byrd

Four defensive end spots are locked up with Hunter, Anderson, Darrell Taylor and Derek Barnett. Denio Autry could play either defensive end or shift inside on some plays to defensive tackle, so the position flexibility makes him hard to ignore.

The last spot will likely come down to either Dylan Horton or Byrd. As a former practice squad player, Bryd has the tougher challenge to make the active roster, but he has made several plays in one-on-one drills at training camp. Last week, he won't get multiple reps against former second-round pick Blake Fisher, thus setting up what would have been sacks against Graham Mertz.

We’ll be taking a look at which positions he plays up front and how he does as a pass rusher compared to Horton. The deeper the Texans are on the D-line, perhaps it shows how much more promising the team can be in the front seven.

Linebacker: Jamal Hill

Hills was another 2024 rookie who had high expectations to compete for more than special team reps, but never sw immediate action on the field. Neville Hewitt is no longer around, so the race of the sub-package linebacker is on, and given Hill's former time as a defensive back, he could have a slight edge since his coverage skills are better than adverstised.

Christian Harris would be the better answer, but he's likely sitting this week after only practicing once during the team's trip to The Greenbrier.

Defensive Back: Jaylin Smith

With C.J. Gardner-Johnson's injury, the Texans could be making a switch to the personnel. Who is on the move? Well, Jalen Pitre does have experience at safety, and while it wasn't ideal, having a player like Smith as a solid option in the slot could end up helping out all sides.

Throughout camp, Smith has bounced around from both the slot and outside corner roles as the new No. 3 option. Could he see reps at strong safety just in case Gardner-Johnson is done for over two months? This is one of those times to see the Swiss-Army knife players step on up and prove that versatility in the preseason so they can be used in live reps.

Smith doesn't look overwhelmed going up against the second-team receivers. That will be the same type of talent he sees on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium, so he could fit in while seeing reps at a position he's barely played since college.

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans' preseason: One player to watch at each position vs. Vikings