In the midst of a full-on knock-down-the-walls rebuild the Houston Texans are looking for every single player they have under contract to justify roster spot ahead of the 2023 season. Especially for those who were acquired by the previous regime, the new prove-it culture in Houston under DeMeco Ryans is palpable, and with just a month left to prepare for training camp and the preseason, nothing is certain for any Texan.
One player facing a sink-or-swim season is Christian Harris, who came on strong for Houston after missing the first part of his rookie season in 2023 with a lingering hamstring injury. Ryans told reporters June 14 about the potential he saw in Harris after practice last week, but made it clear that the linebacker’s development ahead of the regular season will decide what kind of role he plays in the Texans’ defense.
“What excites me about Christian is just his God-given ability,” Ryans explained. “Not many linebackers that are [as] fast or explosive as Christian Harris is. What he’s capable of becoming in this league, he’s capable of becoming a really, really great linebacker.
“He just has to continue to improve. I saw it today at practice, it was fun to watch, right, seeing him take another step today. So, it was fun to watch. It’s a progress. It doesn’t happen overnight, but he’s definitely having the right mindset to put the work in to become really good at his craft. I’m excited to see where he is when we start training camp.”
There is no doubt that Harris’ status as a third-round pick will buy him more time to prove himself than others on the roster, and he seems to have made a favorable impression on Ryans during Houston’s offseason program.
Now it seems that the final piece to his long-term success with the Texans will be consistency, which Harris may be able to find in training camp and the preseason without the nagging injury holding him back.
