HOUSTON — It's time for NFL teams to make their rosters better through the draft and let's face it -- the Houston Texans have a lot of room for improvement! The draft kicks off Thursday and runs through the weekend. If you want to be among the first to know who the Texans pick in the first round, download the KHOU 11 app and we'll send you an alert.
Leading up to the draft, we are detailing the Texans' biggest needs. Below are what Jason Bristol and Daniel Gotera have identified and how the Texans should address them.
Daniel Gotera
Three needs for the Texans entering the 2022 NFL Draft?
- Everything. No seriously…everything.
- Defensive Line
- Offensive Line
The Texans need everything…which, in my opinion, puts them in a great spot heading into this draft. They are a team that has no depth, no real foundational pieces as the organization continues its rebuild under General Manager Nick Caserio. The cloud of Deshaun Watson’s hold out is no longer looming over the team and the Texans can now lock in on building the team into a winner.
Caserio did a nice job in 2021 with his limited selections. Davis Mills will be the new starting quarterback, Nico Collins and Brevin Jordan showed flashes of what could be, Roy Lopez was solid in a developmental first year and Garrett Wallow seems to have gained the trust of the coaching staff to likely get more playing time in 2022. This draft, the Texans need to focus on foundational pieces, more specifically, strengthening the offensive and defensive lines. With their first pick at #3, I believe Kayvon Thibodeaux out of Oregon should be where the Texans go.
The Texans need a marketable, big time play maker. Sadly, with the offense still trying to find it’s way. That player is going to have to come from a defense that under Lovie Smith’s scheme has the potential to create big play opportunities from its players. Thibodeaux is an electric playmaker, a guy that I think the fan base can rally around and can be a foundational member of a unit Lovie hopes to turn into a dominant group in the league. Sacks are sexier than pass breakups. So if the Texans decide to go defense…then d-line pass rusher is the way to go.
From there, Caserio can pretty much go wherever he wants. If they do pick at #13, offensive lineman can be a way to go. However, you don’t want to reach. Evan Neal and Ickey Ekwonu will likely be off the board, other top rated lineman like Trevor Penning and Charles Cross are projected to go later. Devin Lloyd is a popular name, the linebacker out of Alabama. I wouldn’t mind them going all defense in the first round and then get an offensive lineman with that first pick in the 2nd round.
It’s weird to say this, but Caserio has the luxury of having a team that has lots of places that need upgraded which gives him the flexibility to go anywhere. This is a foundational draft for the Texans. There are good pieces for that to happen.
Jason Bristol
Three needs for the Texans entering the 2022 NFL Draft?
- Edge rusher
- Cornerback
- Running Back
How the Texans should address the needs
The NFL is now a quarterback’s game. How do you combat that? Make the other quarterback uncomfortable. Too often the Texans have failed to do that and the results speak for themselves. A edge rusher to pressure the quarterback is a definite need and it helps your defensive backfield in coverage, as well.
Texans head coach Lovie Smith said this on April 11: “Our play at the cornerback position last year was not good enough, it’s as simple as that.”
What else is there to say?
I know the Texans’ offensive line has been a mixed bag – at best. I’d have no problems solidifying that. But the run game has been atrocious. Some kind of sparkplug is needed and I think the Texans’ veterans are good enough to create holes for a capable back with burst. That kind of running threat will make the line look better, as well.