Houston Texans general manager Brian Gaine drafted linebacker Peter Kalambayi with the 214th pick and cornerback Jermaine Kelly Jr. with the 222nd pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Both players were expected to bolster the depth in defense and earn playing time on special teams.
Kelly Jr. was unable to participate in the majority of training camp and preseason due to injury. He was placed on the injured reserve list at the start of the regular season and was sidelined his rookie season. Kalambayi was drafted as an outside linebacker, but due to the strong depth at that position, he was moved to inside linebacker to be one of the reserves moving forward.