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We had a great 713 Day show and I wanted to make sure you heard from DE Dylan Horton, who sat down with John Harris and me during our recent media day at the facility. Dylan is heading into his fourth year with the Texans, and for the first time since he was drafted out of TCU in 2023, he's had a full, healthy offseason to prepare. No rookie adjustment period, no fighting Stage IV lymphoma, no working his way back to the active roster midseason. Just a full offseason of work, and you can tell it's paying off.
"I feel like we just had this time to get closer together as a team, have that opportunity to work out together," Horton told us.
What stands out about Dylan is his consistency and his willingness to lean into his own process. He's not trying to be anyone else in that D-line room, and that room is stacked. He's learning from Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter every single day, watching how two of the best in the league approach their craft.
"I can't even emphasize how much they are great people before I even get into what they do on the field," Horton said of Anderson Jr. and Hunter. "Just kind of how they approach the day, how you can see the professionalism — nutrition, recovery, workouts. Having them in the room, having them to just learn off of, conversate with, is special."
Dylan also talked about his lymphoma advocacy and the blessing of being able to share his story. He welcomes every opportunity to spread awareness and positivity about his experience.
"If I have any opportunity to spread my story, to spread any kind of positivity or just awareness itself to lymphoma, to blood cancer, I will gladly," Horton said. "It's a blessing to be able to be in this position."
And then there's the on-field Dylan, which is a completely different person than the soft-spoken, warm-hearted guy you meet off it. His dad taught him early to flip the switch, and when game time hits, that switch is all the way on.
"Whenever the ball snaps, the game time is here, it's time to go play," Horton said. When asked if he has to consciously come back down after a game, he laughed. "The game's over, you go ahead and relax, take a deep breath, do some recovery."
Dylan Horton is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet around this building, and one of the most physical defenders you'll see once the pads come on. His length, his size and his motor have been problems for offensive tackles, and this year, with a full offseason behind him and a contract year ahead, there's every reason to believe his best football is in front of him.
Make sure you catch the full conversation and our breakdown of ESPN's 2026 top 10 QB rankings on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Training camp starts July 29 and we'll be live every morning from 8 to 10 a.m. Can't wait.
