Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans emphasizes on team's defense from Day 2 of training camp

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- High-profile free agents want to play for DeMeco Ryans, and it hasn't taken long for them to feel the impact he can make on the way they play football.

That's what stands out on the second day of Texans training camp.

Four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter sounds almost amazed at the way Ryans and the Texans coaching staff want him to attack opposing quarterbacks.

"That's what you want. Playing defensive end, just go," Hunter said. "No reading. None of that. You just go."

Hunter racked up a combined 27 sacks his last two seasons in Minnesota, where the Vikings defense called for him to read the opposing offense before he made any moves up field.

That's not the way Ryans wants his defense to play. "Run and hit" are the words that Texans players hear every day on the practice field, and it starts with their head coach. Ryans wants his team to play fast and attack their opponents, which paid off last season as the Texans defense jumped from the bottom of the NFL rankings into the top 15.

The goals of the Texans are much higher this season. What they built last year is only the beginning of what fans will see this fall.

"We're learning a lot, too. He's putting a lot more on our plates. We're all excited and ready to learn," safety Jalent Pitre told ABC13.

Pitre said the word "attack" a few times when ABC13 spoke to him after practice.

The days of the Texans sitting back and allowing other teams to dictate what they do are over.

The Texans worked out for about an hour on the second day of training camp.

Running back Joe Mixon stood out with his ability to make plays in the passing game in addition to his skill at running between the tackles.

It's early in a long process, but the Texans are off to a good start.

For more on this story, follow Greg Bailey on Facebook, X and Instagram.