Akins is slotted in as the Texans' second-string tight end behind Jordan Thomas, Aaron Reiss of The Athletic reports.
The release of Ryan Griffin positioned Akins to battle for a starting job in 2019, but it appears Thomas has pulled ahead of Akins early in the pecking order. On a positive note, Reiss suggests there is a significant gap between Akins and the others below him on the depth chart. A strong showing in the preseason could also boost Akins' standing and offensive reps this season.