TheHouston Texans have 90 players fighting for 53 spots on the active roster. Each position differs in the amount of talent needed to be successful.

At linebacker, the Texans often carry five or depending on how they factor in on special teams. Azeez Al-Shaair, Christian Harris and Henry To’oTo’o seem like locks to make the roster. Special teams tackling guru Neville Hewitt probably has an inside track given his previous experience.

As for the last spot or two, BYU standout Max Tooley has gained ground over the past two weeks during the early stages of training camp. During Thursday’s 21-17 loss in the Hall of Fame game, the undrafted free agent recorded two tackles and one pressure against Bears quarterback Brett Rypien.

Usually, one undrafted free agent makes the roster since they shine in the preseason. According to Bleacher Report, Tooley has the best chance among those in Houston entering August.

“Being a bottom-of-the-depth-chart linebacker in the league usually entails playing just about everywhere on special teams,” BR’s Alex Ballentine writes. “At 6’2″ and 225 pounds with a reasonable 4.58-second 40-yard dash, Tooley should be able to contribute in that department. Tooley also had solid ball production for a linebacker at BYU with seven career interceptions and eight pass breakups. He’s already earned a shoutout from veteran safety Jimmie Ward for the skills he’s shown in camp. It doesn’t hurt that his primary competition for a roster spot might come from fellow rookie Jamal Hill, who was only a sixth-round pick.”

Should Tooley only improve throughout the rest of training camp, he could build a solid case to be included on the final 53-man squad. He’ll have competition with Jacob Phillips and Hill, plus fellow UDFA Tarique Barnes.

Ryans praised Phillips on Friday for his attentiveness in practice after coming off back-to-back season-ending injuries. The former third-round pick by Cleveland was expected to be a star before a pectoral injury sidelined him for all of the 2023 season.

“Jacob has continued to improve, continued to show and compete,” Ryans said. “It’s a competition, right, so we have a lot of guys in that linebacker room. Jacob has continued to show the improvement, continued to show playing our style of play, playing fast, playing physical, playing relentless so just want to continue to see those improvements from him.”