Texans like undrafted rookie DE Joel Heath's upside

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When the Texans signed undrafted rookie defensive end Joel Heath after the draft, they were banking on his combination of size, long arms and athleticism.

They gave the former Michigan State defensive lineman an $11,000 signing bonus, the most among their undrafted rookie free agent class.

Heath is regarded as a young player with good potential.

He has the long arms and big hands teams want from a 3-4 defensive end, measuring in at 34 1/2-inch arms and 10 1/2-inch hands.

At 6-6 293 pounds, Heath has run the 40-yard dash in 5.02 seconds. He bench pressed 225 pounds 26 times at the NFL scouting combine where he had a 33-inch vertical leap and a 9-5 broad jump.

Heath is known for his height, ability to handle double-team blocking, work ethic and character.

Heath started 24 career games, playing defensive end and defensive tackle for the Spartans, registering 60 tackles, 10 1/2 for losses, and 4 1/2 sacks for his career.

As a senior, he started every game at defensive tackle and had 31 tackles, 5 1/2 for losses and two sacks.

Houston Texans defensive end Joel Heath (93) and Dan Pettinato (96) stretch during rookie mini camp at The Methodist Training Center on Friday, May 6, 2016, in Houston. Houston Texans defensive end Joel Heath (93) and Dan Pettinato (96) stretch during rookie mini camp at The Methodist Training Center on Friday, May 6, 2016, in Houston. Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Texans like undrafted rookie DE Joel Heath's upside 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

He was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten Conference selection last season.

As a junior, he had 29 tackles, five for losses and 2 1/2 sacks as he started all but one game.