Texans' Jake Hansen: Nabs spot over veteran

Hansen made the Texans' 53-man roster Tuesday, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports.

In a notable decision, Hansen, an undrafted free agent out of Illinois, beat out veteran Kevin Pierre-Louis. Hansen's interception in the preseason finale against the 49ers could have been the tipping point for head coach Lovie Smith, who places a high priority on turnovers. Both Hansen and Pierre-Louis spent time on the first-team defense while third-round rookie Christian Harris has been sidelined the past three-plus weeks with a soft-tissue injury. Harris is expected to push for a starting outside linebacker spot when he returns, but the one unofficial depth chart published during preseason showed Hansen behind Pierre-Louis and Harris, which suggests Hansen could line up with the starters Week 1 against the Colts.