The NFL Draft offers a great chance for young players to join a team and contribute, but building a team through the draft comes at the cost of veteran players. You only get so many roster spots, so older players have to be jettisoned for newer ones. The Houston Texans don't have a ton of tough decisions to make this offseason after a draft that was heavy on offensive players.
There are not really any big-money players who will be losing their jobs, though there might be a couple of surprises along the way.
Here are four Texans players who need to be looking over their shoulders this offseason after the team drafted players at their position.
Xavier Hutchinson - Wide Receiver
Houston drafted two Iowa State wide receivers this year, but that's likely going to come at the expense of another former Cyclone.
The Texans selected Xavier Hutchinson in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. At the time, many people thought Houston had a steal. Hutchinson didn't fit the build of an elite wide receiver, but he was someone who could potentially add key depth to the roster.
That hasn't happened. Last season, Hutchinson caught 12 passes for 117 yards in the regular season, though he came on strong in the playoffs with five catches for 86 yards in just two games.
But Houston added two rookies as well as veteran Christian Kirk this offseason. It's going to be a numbers game here and it's hard to see room for Hutchinson. Offseason signings Justin Watson and Braxton Berrios, as well as former second-round pick John Metchie III could be on the outs as well.
Irv Smith Jr. - Tight End
Adding Iowa's Luke Lachey in the seventh round shouldn't impact the team's top three tight ends. Dalton Schultz and Cade Stover should be locks and the Texans still seem interested in trying to make Brevin Jordan work.
But veteran Irv Smith, who Houston signed late last season and then re-signed this offseason, is likely going to be searching for a new home.
Smith, a former second-round pick, entered the NFL with a lot of hype, but injuries prevented him from ever reaching his potential. He hasn't made a regular-season catch since Week 15 of the 2023 season and had one reception for Houston in the playoffs last season.
Dameon Pierce - Running Back
As a rookie in 2022, Dameon Pierce looked set to be Houston's running back of the future, rushing for 939 yards and four touchdowns. But after a disappointing follow-up season in 2023, the team went out and added Joe Mixon last offseason.
The addition of Mixon pushed Pierce down in the rotation. He had 40 carries, the same number that Cam Akers had in just five games with the team and just 10 more than the team's primary receiving back, Dare Ogunbowale. And of Pierce's 293 yards, 92 of those came on one play.
Ogunbowale was already set to be the receiving back this season, relegating Pierce to a handcuff role behind Mixon. But even that role is in doubt now as the team spent a fourth-round pick on USC running back Woody Marks.
Pierce could make the final 53 still, but Houston could cut him and pay a negligible amount of dead cap from the move. At best, he'll play more special teams this season and will hit free agency next offseason, where he'll hope to latch on elsewhere.
Ronald Darby - Cornerback
After the Texans spent a third-round pick on corner Jaylin Smith, it's clear that Ronald Darby will be the odd man out in this defensive backfield.
Name recognition might make people think Darby's still a good NFL corner, but Houston will be his fourth team in four years and the only other real option to be moved is Tremon Smith, but his contract structure is tougher to move. Smith would count against the cap in 2025 and 2026 as well if he's traded and would cost more to release in 2025 than it would cost to keep him on the roster. Darby could be cut or traded without impacting the 2026 cap.
That alone makes the veteran the most likely Texans defensive back to lose his job after the Smith pick.