Well here we sit in early April and things have changed in a big way for the Houston Texans. Bill O'Brien has made a lot of moves during the free agency period that have people scratching their heads. In my opinion it has changed the outlook of the NFL Draft for the Texans completely.
If you missed my pre-free agency mock draft for the Texans, check it out here and you can see how things have changed for the team. https://sportstalk790.iheart.com/featured/sean-salisbury/content/2020-03-04-sagers-7-round-texans-mock-draft-prior-to-free-agency/
The move that is most puzzling by O'Brien is trading superstar wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and a 2020 4th round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for 28 year old running back David Johnson, a 2020 2nd round pick and a 2021 4th round pick. This was just an absolutely awful trade by the Texans' front office. The move was made because Hopkins, who had three years remaining on his contract, wanted a raise from about the $13 million average he was going to make over the next three seasons. The fact that O'Brien was only able to get a 2nd round pick and an overpriced, oft-injured running back was ALMOST as bad as the fact that the Texans' traded away Deshaun Watson's favorite target.
Some other moves made by the team have been bringing back cornerback Bradley Roby to a reasonable three-year $36 million deal. They at one point cut cornerback Vernon Hargreaves to get out of his 5th year option, but then opted to bring him back on a cheaper one year deal. Also to help out the secondary, they signed safety Eric Murray to a three-year, $18 million contract and signed safety Jaylen Watkins to a two-year, $3 million contract. Then to help the front 7, the team just recently signed defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The team also helped the depth on the offensive line with the signings of Roderick Johnson and Brent Qvale to one-year deals. To also help out the offense, they signed former Dallas Cowboys' wide receiver Randall Cobb to a three-year, $27 million contract.
But while DeAndre Hopkins was a major loss with the terrible trade that Bill O'Brien made, he wasn't the only major piece that walked away from Houston this offseason. Young, standout nose tackle D.J. Reader left for a lucrative contract with the Cincinnati Bengals leaving a massive hole (literally) in the middle of that defensive line.
So now that we know what has happened so far this offseason, lets start getting into the draft and what the Texans need. Here is a list of needs for the Texans heading into the draft which will be held April 23-25.
- Wide Receiver- With DHop gone and Randall Cobb added, the team has a clear need as they now will depend on Will Fuller to be a #1 type WR while Kenny Stills and Cobb will have to step into major roles in the passing game. KeKe Coutee will have to get himself out of the doghouse if he wants a chance to crack the main rotation.
- Nose Tackle- While they have guys like Angelo Blackson and Carlos Watkins, neither are a true NT. Reader was 340 plus pounds and just took on multiple offensive lineman while being a great run stuffer and surprisingly pretty good at getting after the passer. It's a clear need here.
- Edge rusher- Whitney Mercilus, Jordan Scarlett and Jacob Martin are the three guys that got a lot of run at the pass rusher spots on the edge. Now JJ Watt can line up outside when the Texans do go with 4 down lineman if they want, but he's better off sliding inside. I believe this will be a position that is filled early on in the draft.
- Cornerback- This was my #1 need heading into the draft in my first mock draft. But they have brought back Roby and Hargreaves to go with Conley and 2019 2nd round pick Lonnie Johnson. While I hate the fact that they brought back the entire cornerback group from last year because they weren't a good unit to begin with.
- Offensive guard- This is a position that will be needed in 2021 for sure. Zach Fulton has two years remaining at $7 million cap hits each year and $0 in dead money. They can take that hit this year, but will need that cap space next season as they try to lock up Deshaun Watson. They should want a rookie to fill that RG spot as soon as possible because with Laremy Tunsil's massive extension coming soon, they can't afford to keep paying veterans to fill out that RG spot. Nick Martin is locked up and Max Scharping and Tytus Howard seem to have a solid grip on the LG and RT spots on the offensive line.
So without further ado, here is my Texans' mock draft 2.0
Round 2 Pick 40 (via ARZ) - Terrell Lewis, EDGE, Alabama
Lewis is a big man at 6'5" 262 pounds. He showed off his athleticism with a 37 inch vertical and a broad jump of 124 inches at the NFL Combine. The one knock on him is durability, but he does have tremendous ability that should only get better as he continues to learn at the NFL level. I do think he can come in and split some time with Brennan Scarlett and Jacob Martin at some point this season. I think the upside here is tremendous if he can stay healthy.
Round 2 Pick 57 - Michael Pittman Jr., WR, USC
With the loss of #1 wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, the Texans must add another weapon on the outside for Deshaun Watson. Well in walks Pittman at 6'4" 223 pounds. He's a very physical, tough WR that can make tough, contested catches look easy. While Will Fuller has decent size, he's more of a speed guy. Cobb, Stills and Coutee are all small framed receivers who aren't physical players. So Pittman gives Watson a go to big target on the outside. Remember that Fuller and Stills are entering the final year of their contracts.
Round 3 Pick 90 - Leki Fotu, NT, Utah
Well the Texans did lose nose tackle D.J. Reader to the Bengals in free agency, so they have to find the next run stuffing monster in the middle. They did exactly that with the 6'5" 335 pound Fotu. He's a monster of a man and could help fill the 0 technique in the newly named Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver's defense. Reader will be very tough to replace in terms of the pass rush he was also able to give the Texans and Fotu won't be able to help to much with that, but he can be a run stuffing machine that Reader also was. Fotu could be an early down two gap nose tackle that could help free up guys like JJ Watt and Charles Omenihu. Angelo Blackson can help Fotu in this spot while he gets acclimated to the NFL in the beginning, but this is the type of player that can make the sting of losing Reader felt less.
Round 4 Pick 111 - Amik Robertson, CB, Louisiana Tech
The Texans brought back Hargreaves as a the primary nickel back for the 2020 season. Well I think Robertson with some seasoning could start pushing Hargreaves for playing time in the second half of the season. If you want a guy who isn't afraid of mixing it up with anyone in the slot, this is your guy. He doesn't have great size at 5'8" 187 pounds, but his mentality is what's going to drive him into the starting nickel role for the Texans at the latest heading into the 2021 season. With the way the NFL has become such a passing league, the nickel CB spot has become even more important and teams are looking at these guys as starters on the defense.
Round 5 Pick 171 - Michael Onwenu, OG, Michigan
The Texans go out and get another behemoth of a man, but this time it's for the offensive line and more specifically, for right guard. Onwenu was a 3rd team All Big Ten at Michigan. He measured in at the combine at 6'3" 344 pounds. The Texans have Zach Fulton locked in at right guard for 2020, but may need the $7 million in cap space after this season that he could save them. Giving Onwenu a full year to get acclimated to the NFL would be a good thing for him and he could step in as the 2021 right guard and give them another powerful, young guard to go with Max Scharping.
Round 7 Pick 240 - Robert Landers, DL, Ohio State
Landers is more of a 5 technique in the 3-4 defense at just 6'1" 290 pounds, but shows some traits that could at least make a him a rotational piece on the defensive line. He didn't quit fit the Ohio State defense after they made some changes. The Texans maybe could hide him on the practice squad for a year.
Round 7 Pick 248 - James Proche, WR, SMU
This guy has elite hands, but lacks the quickness and route running skills that could make him a 4th or 5th round pick. Sometimes though guys just produce on the field and that is exactly what Proche has done at SMU. The kid from Dallas has 209 catches and 27 touchdowns over the past two seasons. May spend some time on the practice squad, but could turn some heads in 2021 if there is some turnover at the position.
Round 7 Pick 250 - Carter Coughlin, EDGE, Minnesota
Coughlin is a guy that can play on the edge and get after the quarterback. But his main role early on in his time with the Texans would be as a special teamer who can play on all phases. Showed good speed at the combine running a 4.57 in the 40 at 6'3" 236 pounds. These are the type of players that every team is looking for in the later rounds that contribute on special teams at a high level.
So in the 2.0 mock draft, the Texans have to make up for some of the decisions made by Bill O'Brien and the front office in free agency and on the trade market. I think the first five rounds here could lead to five starters by the 2021 season and that's exactly what all GMs should be looking for. They all fill a different need on this roster that is full of just average football players and a few great players.