With the 2026 draft in the rearview, DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans are still adding to their already strong pass rush. The Texans are bringing in veteran edge defender Ali Gaye in free agency ahead of rookie minicamp.
The Texans boast two of the NFL’s top EDGEs in Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., who signed an extension this offseason. However, the rotation behind them could get interesting depending on how the offseason program and training camp play out.
That is where Gaye could make his mark.
Texans Claim Former Titans DE Ali Gaye Off Waivers
Ail Gaye spent two seasons with the Tennessee Titans.
“The Texans claimed DE Ali Gaye from the Titans after he got released,” ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime reported in a post on X on May 1.
“He was with the Texans in 2023 as a UDFA.”
The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander corroborated the report with one of his own, as the 6-foot-6, 265-pound EDGE returns to the Texans following a two-year stint with their AFC South rivals down in Tennessee.
Gaye was one of six players the Titans released on Thursday. He has appeared in 18 regular-season games as a pro.
He has 9 total tackles and 1.0 sacks in his career, seeing snaps on defense and special teams.
Gaye went undrafted out of LSU in 2023. While there, he was a teammate of Texans cornerback Derek Stingley and right guard Ed Ingram, in 2023. One of three stops, he finished his Tigers tenure with 87 combined stops and 7.0 sacks.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein characterized Gaye as a “Traits-based edge prospect who will need to improve his core strength and overall body control” for that to matter.
“Gaye’s length and effort provide advantages at times, but tackles with power tend to give him an inordinate amount of trouble,” Zierlein wrote in 2023. “He’s much more effective aligned wide of the tackle as a rusher and playing upfield or in gaps as a run defender. His tape shows flashes of rush potential, but finding the control and balance needed is a must.”
Zierlein projected Gaye would be a fifth or sixth-round pick.
The Texans initially got him at a bargain, losing him to the Titans in the same fashion as they have reacquired him–via a waiver claim–before they could add him to their practice squad. He clearly made a positive impression on the Texans’ coaching staff, though.
Texans DE Group Deep
GettyDanielle Hunter #55 leads a fearsome Houston Texans pass rush.
In addition to Anderson, Gaye, and Hunter, the Texans also have recent draft picks Dylan Horton and Solomon Byrd. They also signed veterans Dominique Robinson and Logan Hall–who can also play inside on pass-rushing downs–in free agency.
The Texans ranked seventh in sacks last season, but they were 13th in pressure rate, per Pro Football Reference.
Being able to send waves of pass rushers at opposing QBs is a goal of every defense.
The Texans finished the 2025 regular season ranked first in overall defense and second in scoring on that side of the ball. They should be able to achieve something similar in 2026. That is with or without Gaye being added to the mix for a spot on the Texans’ 53-man roster.
If not, perhaps the Texans will be able to get him onto their practice squad after this upcoming preseason ends.
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