No matter the scheme, Jacob Martin will find a way.
The 27-year-old is on his second tour of duty with the Houston Texans. After spending 2019-21 as an outside linebacker the first two years and then a defensive end for the final season, Martin left Houston in 2022 for the New York Jets and Denver Broncos.
With Denver revamping its coaching staff following the signing of Sean Payton, the former Seattle Seahawks 2018 sixth-round pick was out of a job for a couple of weeks in May until the Texans re-signed Martin.
Call it familiarity with the player or the player’s familiarity with DeMeco Ryans’ system via the Jets and Robert Saleh, but Houston believed they had a capable veteran in Martin.
Through two preseason games, the sixth-year pro has tallied 29 defensive snaps and four special teams reps, and is catching Ryans’ eye as a model of consistency.
“Jacob has done a good job in practice,” Ryans told reporters Monday. “He’s been consistent in practice, and he’s shown that ability to set the edge, to rush the passers, so I’m encouraged with some of the things that Jacob has done in practice and he went out there first in the game.”
While Martin was among the first 11 on the field for the Texans in their 28-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins Aug. 19, Ryans still clings to the notion “there are no starters” in preseason.
“It’s about us seeing what our team can actually look like, in giving guys multiple looks, multiple opportunities,” said Ryans.
What Martin has shown thus far is dependability, which is what the staff needs as they work to complete the rebuild.
