The Houston Texans have wrapped up their first three-day period of OTAs .
And while you can only learn so much about a team throughout three days of practice without full pads, there were a few standouts of note who seemed to shine in their early reps on the roster.
One of those players who stepped up to the occasion happened to be one of the Texans' newer additions to the roster: third-year edge rusher Ali Gaye, who was claimed off waivers from the Tennessee Titans, and would subsequently be signed to Houston to try and make next season's 53-man cut.
And so far, it seems he's already made a solid impression on the Texans' staff--making him a dark horse to land on next year's roster come time for Week 1.
It's not exactly Gaye's first time being a part of this Texans' defense.
Back when he was entering the league as a UDFA in 2023, Houston would bring him on as a part of their 90-man roster throughout camps and preseason before ultimately cutting him before the season started.
Aug 24, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Ali Gaye (90) talks with a coach on the sideline during the game against the Los Angeles Rams at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
However, now he's back for a second stint. And in just a couple of days of OTAs, he was able to get some work in with the Texans' first unit as the edge opposite of Will Anderson while Danielle Hunter was absent from practice .
Gaye performed well in that elevated opportunity. Jonathan M. Alexander of The Houston Chronicle notes that he was matched up with third-year Texans tackle Blake Fisher in those 1's reps, and was a noticeable standout in doing so.
Again, there's only so much you can learn at this point in offseason workouts. We haven't even hit training camp yet.
But to see Gaye possibly filling in as a primary depth piece behind Anderson and Hunter could be the hint that he's the leader in the clubhouse to secure that EDGE3 spot on the depth chart.
The Texans' edge rusher depth has been a question mark since coming out of the draft, considering Houston decided not to attack that need throughout any of their three days of action in Pittsburgh.
That could still be an area the Texans prioritize on their roster moving forward into the offseason. A few quality veterans are still lingering on the market who can still make an impact as a rotational piece for an NFL defense next season, and Houston could entertain adding one at the right price.
But what if Gaye continues to prove himself as the best edge rusher behind Anderson and Hunter moving forward into the offseason? That gives Houston a potential answer to that depth concern for this season, and could make for a steal of a contract as a waiver pickup if he is indeed that guy to lean on.
Jul 27, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Ali Gaye (90) and defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi (91) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
If that happens to be the case, it wouldn't be the first time the Texans could strike gold from a players off waivers for their defensive depth.
Just last season, Houston picked up defensive tackle Tommy Togiai after he was waived from the Atlanta Falcons before the 2025 season kicked off, and he's since turned into one of the Texans' most important pieces on the interior; and especially so last season before Kayden McDonald was drafted.
Perhaps Gaye could be the next example of the Texans finding a diamond in the rough defensively. But a whole lot of time remains between now and kickoff for next season. So the work is far from finished for the 27-year-old.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/texans/onsi as One Dark Horse Who Should Make the Texans Roster After OTAs .
