The Houston Texans have made some very good draft picks in recent seasons, but not every pick can be a hit like the C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson Jr. and Kamari Lassiter picks were.
Especially on the offensive side of the ball, Houston has a handful of players who have to show something in 2025 if they want to stick with the franchise going forward.
Here are five Texans players facing make-or-break years in 2025.
5. C/G Juice Scruggs
Houston's 2023 second-round pick, Scruggs has struggled through the first two years of his NFL career.
Originally drafted as a center, Scruggs was moved around the interior of the Texans offensive line last season and never really found his footing. He was part of the reason why Houston's interior pass protection was a huge concern.
Houston added Laken Tomlinson in free agency, who should get the first shot at the left guard job. Scruggs won't unseat Tytus Howard on the right side of the line. Maybe Houston can move him back to center, but he'd be in a three-person battle there with Jake Andrews and Jarrett Patterson.
And speaking of Patterson ...
4. C Jarrett Patterson
Patterson moved to center last year, replacing Scruggs, who the team shifted to guard. That movement suggests that Patterson is probably ahead of Scruggs in the pecking order at the pivot and is more likely to retain it than Scruggs is to wrest it back.
The issue, though, is that Patterson wasn't very good at center in 2024, and in OTAs, Jake Andrews looked like he might be the answer for the team. The former Patriots fourth-round pick was an under-the-radar pickup for Houston, but he was getting first-team reps. Considering that we have significant evidence that Patterson isn't the answer for Houston, the team seems likely to give Andrews the first shot at the starting gig when the season begins, relegating Patterson to a reserve role.
3. WR John Metchie III
I feel bad mentioning Metchie here after his NFL career was derailed immediately due to leukemia.
There comes a point, though, where a player has to produce if he wants to stick in the NFL, and Metchie has struggled to produce. Last season, he caught just 24 passes for 254 yards and one touchdown.
The former second-round pick's spot on this roster became even more endangered in this year's NFL Draft, as Houston spent Day 2 picks on a pair of Iowa State receivers, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Add in the trade for Christian Kirk, and Metchie's path to snaps in this offense looks fairly tough. He'll have to impress in training camp and the preseason to even make the team.
2. RB Dameon Pierce
Pierce's time in Houston might be over after the team signed Nick Chubb.
Provided Chubb is healthy and earns a roster spot, the Texans will have three guys competing for two spots behind Chubb and starter Joe Mixon: Pierce, Woody Marks and Dare Ogunbowale. Ogunbowale has proven to be a reliable third-down option for Houston, while Marks is a rookie fourth-round pick who it'd be surprising to see the team move on from.
That likely leaves Pierce as the odd man out. After rushing for almost 1,000 yards as a rookie, Pierce's production has dropped each subsequent season. It's unclear what kind of role he would even have on the 2025 Texans at this point.
Last season, Pierce ran the ball 40 times for 293 yards and two touchdowns, but 92 of those came on one run. A stat line of 39 carries for 201 yards would look even worse.
1. CB Damon Arnette
The Texans signed Arnette earlier in June. A 2020 first-round pick for the Raiders, Arnette's off-field issues — many involving drugs and firearms — have been a hindrance to his football career, and he hasn't played in the league since 2021.
But after a solid UFL campaign in 2025 with the Houston Roughnecks, the city's NFL team is giving him one more chance. Arnette will have to keep clean off the field, but even then, there's no guarantee he makes the roster. Houston has a good, young trio of corners in Derek Stingley Jr., Lassiter and Jalen Pitre, plus rookie Jaylen Reed and offseason signee Tremon Smith. It'll be an uphill battle for Arnette to get on the field in Houston.