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It's going to be a long season for the Houston Texans, as the franchise is facing its toughest year in its short history.
Star quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is embroiled in a sexual assault scandal, earlier this year said he would never play for the Texans again. Even though Watson won´t go to court till 2022, he's likely to be suspended by the league under its conduct policy.
New head coach Dave Culley has his work cut out for him, with Watson´s likely absence and a squad lacking star power. On that note, let´s take a look at the Houston Texans' likely starting lineup for the season.
Houston Texans Depth Chart 2021
Offense
Quarterback: Deshaun Watson, Tyrod Taylor, Davis Mills, Ryan Finley, Jeff Driskel.
Running Back: David Johnson, Phillip Lindsay, Mark Ingram.
Wide Receiver: Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb, Keke Coutee, Chris Conley, Isaiah Coulter.
Tight End: Jordan Akins, Kahale Warring, Brevin Jordan.
Offensive Tackle: Laremy Tunsil, Tytus Howard, Roderick Johnson.
Offensive Guard: Max Scharping, Marcus Cannon, Justin McCray.
Center: Justin Britt.
Defense
Interior Defensive Line: Maliek Collins, Jaleel Johnson.
Edge: Shaq Lawson, Whitney Mercilus, Vincent Taylor, DeMarcus Walker, Charles Omenihu, Roy Lopez.
Linebacker: Christian Kirksey, Jake Martin, Zach Cunningham, Neville Hewitt.
Cornerback: Terrance Mitchell, Desmond King, Bradley Roby, Vernon Hargreaves III.
Safety: Lonnie Johnson, Justin Reid, Terrence Brooks.
Special Teams
Kicker: Ka'imi Fairbairn.
Punter: Cameron Johnston.
Long Snapper: Jon Weeks.
Houston Texans Depth Chart Analysis
Offense
Quarterbacks
The Houston Texans quarterback situation is up in the air till the franchise or the league makes a decision on Deshaun Watson. NFL veteran Tyrod Taylor will likely be their week-one starter.
Taylor could be backed up by rookie Davis Mills, who the Texans drafted in the third round. They also added Jeff Driskell to provide some depth at the play-calling position.
Running backs
David Johnson will return as the starter but could face a heavy load due to the Houston Texans' quarterback situation. Johnson has not lived up to his potential since the DeAndre Hopkins trade, so he could face a tall task this year.
He will be backed up by NFL veterans Philip Lindsey and Mark Ingram, who could be used often to give Johnson a spell on the sidelines.
Wide receivers
DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller are both gone. So Brandin Cooks will lead the Houston Texans' wide receiving group this season. Who will throwing him the ball still remains a question, though.
Veteran Randall Cobb could help out whoever is the QB, thanks to his experience. The versatile receiver may seek a trade once the season gets underway, though.
Tight end
Jordan Akins could be the starting tight end for the Houston Texans this season. Last year, he had 403 yards and one touchdown. He will be backed up by Kahale Warring and Brevin Jordan in 2021.
Offensive line
Left tackle Laremy Tunsil will likely lead the offensive line for the Houston Texans this year. Tunsil and NFL veteran Marcus Cannon will have their hands full this season, though. Justin Britt looks like the starter at center with Max Scharping at left guard.
Houston Texans Depth Chart Analysis
Defense
Interior Defensive Line
DT Maliek Collins and DT Charles Omenihu will likely clog up the middle of defense for the Houston Texans. Last season, with the Raiders, Collins had 14 tackles but registered no sacks.
Edge
Former Dolphins pass rusher Shaq Lawson will want to show the NFL he still has a lot to offer after being traded this off-season. Lawson had four sacks and 32 tackles in 2020 with Miami.
Veteran Whitney Mercilus could be on the opposite side of Lawson. The Houston Texans will hope the two pass rushers can find some of their previous good form in 2021.
Linebacker
The Houston Texans' linebacker group will be headed by Christian Kirksey and Zach Cunningham alongside him.
A former Packers defender, Kirksey had 73 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions last season. Things could be very different from his Green Bay days this year, though.
Cornerback
Vernon Hargreaves III and Terrance Mitchell look set to start at cornerback for the Houston Texans this season. Bradley Roby could also be in contention once he serves his suspension for PEDS.
It will be a busy season for the Texans' secondary.
Safety
The safety pairing of Justin Reid and Lonnie Johnson Jr will likely be kept on their toes in the NFL this season. As the last line of defense for the Houston Texans, they are likely to be involved a lot this NFL campaign.
