Houston Texans: Which Rookie Will Have the Biggest Impact in 2011?

Few would argue that the Texans are a team right on the precipice of being a contender. They boast one of the best offenses in the NFL and for all their struggles on the defensive side of the ball, they actually have quite a stockpile of talent.

Generally, when that is the case, you wouldn't expect them to have all that many impact rookies, but that is the case with this team.

There are several players who will step into big roles on defense and as many as half a dozen guys will have contributed in one way or another this season.

Let's take a look at the rookies who will have the biggest impacts in 2011.

J.J. Watt

J.J. Watt, a defensive end out of Wisconsin, is the most obvious candidate to have a big impact right away. He will start at defensive end from Day 1 in Wade Phillips' remade defense.

He is a relentless pass-rusher who plays the run well and does a great job of knocking balls down at the line of scrimmage. He is the type of versatile defensive end who can be on the field on all three downs.

Watt also gives Phillips some flexibility as he can slide inside to defensive tackle in a pinch if the Texans use some 4-3 sets.

Watt will put up the best numbers of any rookie if for no other reason than he will be given the most time on the field from the start.

Brooks Reed

J.J. Watt will have the biggest impact out of the gates, but it's Brooks Reed who has the highest ceiling among all rookies.

He is the prototypical player for what Wade Phillips is trying to accomplish. Reed will see most of his time as an outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense, but he can also move up and put his hand on the ground as a defensive end.

Expect Phillips to spend a lot of time moving Reed around trying to find the best ways to hide him. The emphasis for Phillips has been to find new and creative ways to get the pass-rush going and Reed is going to be a big part of that.

Brandon Harris

Unlike last season when rookie cornerback Kareem Jackson was thrown in the fire from the start, Brandon Harris will be allowed to come along at his own pace and earn his time on the field.

That's not to say that Harris won't be given early chances to prove himself. New acquisition Johnathan Joseph and the aforementioned Jackson will be the starters at corner, but Harris should see plenty of time in nickel-and-dime packages.

Harris has had a good training camp so far and there's no reason to believe that the production that he brought to the University of Miami will stop here at the next level.

Shiloh Keo

The rookie safety out of Idaho came out of the lockout thinking that he might have a shot to start for the Texans. The incumbent safeties, Bernard Pollard and Eugene Wilson, were gone and there was little depth on the roster at the position.

That changed when the Texans went out and signed free-agent strong safety Danieal Manning, but Keo will still have a shot to get on the field. The lack of depth behind Manning dictates that.

Keo is a smart, hard hitting safety who was among the most productive players at his position in all of college football. His playing time might be slow to come at first, but once he gets on the field, I don't think the defensive coaches will be able to pull him off.

Roc Carmichael

One of the more interesting position battles to watch as training camp progresses is the competition between rookie cornerbacks Brandon Harris and Roc Carmichael for first crack at defensive reps in nickel-and-dime packages.

Carmichael, like Harris, was extremely productive in college. As a Virginia Tech Hokie, Carmichael totaled 10 interceptions and 16 pass break-ups in his career. He was a key part of defensive coordinator Bud Foster's stout defenses there.

It sounds simple, but the winner of the competition will be the one who shows the ability to defend receivers one on one. That was a huge problem last season and is the biggest thing the Texans secondary needs to do to improve.

T.J. Yates

T.J. Yates, a rookie quarterback out of North Carolina, was one of the two offensive players the Texans took in this most recent draft.

With Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart firmly entrenched as the starter and the backup, Yates won't have a huge impact on the field necessarily, but his impact will be felt.

Having Yates develop into a viable backup quarterback will make Matt Leinart expendable. Outside of a brief opportunity he received with the Arizona Cardinals, Leinart has not had a fair shot to prove that he can be a starter in the league.

As important as having a good backup quarterback is to any NFL team, there will certainly be a market for Leinart's services. It will be up to the Texans to find the team willing to offer the most and work something out with them.