Stephen Anderson arrived with the Texans as an unheralded and undrafted rookie free agent.

The former Cal tight end is starting to build a reputation, though, for his football skills and his ability to absorb knowledge about the Texans playbook.

A former walk-on who earned a scholarship is making the Texans happy they convinced him to sign with them as an undrafted free agent following the draft.

"He's been one of those guys that comes in here and is mature." Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "He's a hardworking kid. A very, very smart kid. He's able to lineup in a lot of different positions. He's got good hands. He's got good route-running ability.

"Now is the true test. When the full pads go on for a young guy like that, how does he perform when he's pressed or when he has to block somebody? Things like that. So far, we've been pleased with his progress."

During the spring, Anderson capitalized on the absence of veteran tight ends C.J. Fiedorowicz and Ryan Griffin due to hamstring and Achilles injuries as he took on a heavy workload during offseason practices.

Although undersized at 6-2, 230 pounds, the former wide receiver has 4.58 speed in the 40-yard dash and a 38-inch vertical leap. Anderson ran sharp routes during drills and caught the football cleanly.

"He's come out and really put in a great effort every day," Texans tight ends coach John Perry said. "He's held true to the Cal mantra of being a smart kid. He's picked up things very quickly and, on top of that, he's got great athleticism. He's got good hands.

"His best trait is he continues to work at it. Here's a kid who's just climbed the ladder. He walked on at Cal. Now he comes in here as a free agent. He's taken advantage of opportunities that have been presented to him. So, he's fun to work with and I can see him continuing to get better."

The Texans beat out several NFL teams to sign Anderson after the draft. He visited the Miami Dolphins and worked out privately for the New England Patriots Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons prior to the draft.

Anderson was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention selection who caught 87 passes for 1,135 yards and seven touchdowns over the past two seasons.

"The goal is to put it all together," Anderson said. "I feel like I bring a lot of versatility and speed to the table."