12 Houston Texans players who would be at risk if the NFL decided to have another expansion draft

The Houston Texans enter this season, looking to extend their AFC South championship reign from two to three. They have the talent to do so, and have the rest of OTA's and training camp to prepare. 

While they worry about that,  staff decided to perform a hypothetical NFL expansion draft. The last time the NFL had an expansion draft was when they introduced the Texans in 2002. But what would happen if the 33rd team in the NFL were introduced, and how would it affect the Colts directly?

Early next week, A to Z Sports' Wendell Ferreira will be sharing the results of our hypothetical expansion draft, including the team's name and their roster. Before that could happen, though, each team had to make players available to be drafted.

Hypothetical NFL Expansion Draft Rules

1. Each current NFL team has to leave 12 players unprotected.
   
   
2. ⁠Players with 0 or 1 accrued seasons are automatically protected and can't be on the list. Players with no-trade clauses also aren't eligible.
   
   
3. ⁠If the player is selected, the expansion team will absorb both his future salaries and signing bonus prorations.
   
   
4. ⁠The list is final, meaning that teams can't withdraw a player after another one has been selected.
   
   
5. ⁠The expansion team can get a maximum of two players from each NFL team, and a maximum of 40 players.

12 unprotected Texans' players

Offensive unprotected players

• Dare Ogunbowale, RB
• J.J. Taylor, RB
• Justin Watson, WR
• Braxton Berrios, WR
• Brevin Jordan, TE
• Austin Deculus, OT
• Zachary Thomas, G
• Jake Andrews, C

The Texans were forced to list a few notable players unprotected on the offensive side of the ball for this hypothetical expansion draft. The two names that pop off the screen the most are TE Brevin Jordan and WR Braxton Berrios. Due to injury, Jordan only appeared in two games last season, but was someone fans thought could take a leap in 2024. The team signed Berrios this offseason but also ended up drafting two WRs in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Berrios' spot on the Texans' 53-man roster now seems in doubt, but his experience on special teams could entice a potential expansion team from selecting him. 

Defensive unprotected players

• Dylan Horton, DE
• Kingsley Jonathan, DE
• Russ Yeast, S
• Myles Bryant, CB

 The final four unprotected players for the Texans come on the defensive side of the ball. All four find themselves at best third on the team's depth chart. The player that I think has the best chance at making the Texans' 53-man roster, though, is CB Myles Bryant. Bryant will compete for a roster spot, and his ability to play in the slot gives him a decent shot at doing so. But the team did select Jaylin Smith in the 2025 NFL Draft, which makes his situation with the team a bit more hazy than previously expected.