2014 Houston Texans Training Camp: Rising Star Poll

We find ourselves drifting through the quietest period of the NFL calendar, but we can at least look into the future a few weeks and attempt to project which players will rise to the occasion to seize their opportunity to be an NFL star.  There are quite a few new faces in this rebuild and some new assignments where players might reach their true potential.

With respect to the linebackers, I have great confidence that, with the brilliant Mike Vrabel taking over the coaching duties, we'll see dramatic improvement in this unit.  Brooks Reed is moving to inside linebacker, Whitney Mercilus is going to be unleashed from just anchoring the edge to actually going after the quarterback, Brian Cushing will be coming back with a vengeance after two back-to-back seasons of horrific and unforeseen assaults on his knee, Jadeveon Clowney will be looking to silence the doubters and begin his ascension to greatness, and Trevardo Williams is escaping from the Kubiak-era "red-shirt I/R" program.

I think we'll see quite a competitive battle between Clowney and Mercilus to be the leading and dominant edge-pass-rusher for the 2014 season.  One or both of these guys will emerge from camp with a lot of momentum going into the season.

We have several new faces on the team in many positions on offense and defense; some are rookies, while others are veterans in new roles and/or new scheme for 2014.  Which player do you think will rise through camp as the brightest star heading into this season? The floor is yours for debate and commenting.