The Texans did not draft a running back (Sorry Bijan Robinson fans), but they did add one soon after the draft. 

Xazavian Valladay was brought in as an undrafted free agent. The former Wyoming and Arizona State back reportedly received $175,000 guaranteed, with $30,000 being a signing bonus and $145,000 being guaranteed base salary. 

This is a nice guarantee for an undrafted player, as some seventh-round selections do not even receive this much guaranteed money. 

Arizona State running back Xazavian Valladay joins #Texans on undrafted deal with $175,000 guaranteed, per a league source

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 30, 2023

Valladay could potentially force the Texans to keep him around. Through three seasons at Wyoming, Valladay racked up 3,274 rushing yards, 19 touchdowns, and 584 receiving yards. 

Valladay transferred to the Arizona State Sun Devils for the 2022 season, and proceeded to have his best season yet. The jump from the Mountain West to the Pac-12 was not too much to handle for Valladay, as he set career-highs in receptions and rushing TDs. 

The back does not do anything particularly well, but he is solid at everything. Valladay can catch passes, but the Texans have Devin Singletary for that. The team also has Mike Boone who fills that bruiser role.

It's safe to say that Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary are locks to make the roster. Dare Ogunbowale is probably a lock as well due to his special teams prowess and veteran leadership. Mike Boone signed a two-year deal this offseason, but only received $300K guaranteed, so it is not outside of the realm of possibility that Valladay could beat him out for the final spot. 

At Wyoming and Arizona State, the back proved he could handle a large workload, handling 200+ carries in three seasons. If the former Cowboy and Sun Devil can prove his worth on special teams and have an impressive pre-season, do not be surprised to see him on the initial 53-man roster.