With the 2015 NFL Draft less than a week away in Chicago, the Last Word On Sports NFL department has been busy analyzing the top three draft needs for all 32 teams. We turn our attention to the Houston Texans, who despite missing the playoffs, finished 9-7 in Bill O’Brien’s first year as head coach.
There is certainly cause for guarded optimism about the team’s postseason chances for 2015 given the returning pieces and recent offseason free agent acquisitions. The quarterback position will be sporting a new look as the team said goodbye to Ryan Fitzpatrick, who departed for the Jets, and signed Brian Hoyer to a two-year deal.
Hoyer is entering his seventh season in the league and has shown flashes of brilliance but really has lacked the consistency required of a playoff-caliber quarterback. If he can find it, this team can take positive steps going forward. O’Brien has had a knack for getting the most out of his signal callers, both at Penn State and now in Houston.
The team also signed veteran defensive tackle Vince Wilfork to a two-year contract. The 33-year-old had spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Patriots, winning two Super Bowls in the process. If he has a few good years left in him, the Texans defensive front could, in theory, be among the most formidable in the league. J.J. Watt is looking to replicate his stellar 2014 campaign while Jadeveon Clowney will be looking to put an injury-plagued season behind him.
Houston has ten picks in 2015, including three compensatory selections. That certainly gives them some flexibility in terms of being able to put together a deal should they want to move up in the draft. Here’s a look at where they select during each round:
First round (16th overall)
Second round (51st overall)
Third round (82nd overall)
Fourth round (116th overall)
Fifth round (152nd overall)
Fifth round (175th overall) – compensatory selection awarded as a result of defensive end Antonio Smith signing with Oakland during 2014 free agency.
Sixth round (195th overall)
Sixth round (211th overall) – compensatory selection awarded as a result of defensive tackle Earl Mitchell signing with Miami during 2014 free agency.
Sixth round (216th overall) – compensatory selection awarded as a result of running back Ben Tate signing with Cleveland during 2014 free agency.
Seventh round (235th overall)
Houston Texans 2015 NFL Draft: Top 3 Needs
Wide Receiver
Andre Johnson, who had been an integral part of the Texans’ receiving corps for 12 seasons, joined AFC South rival Indianapolis. Nevertheless, they appear to have found his successor as a number one receiver in DeAndre Hopkins. The soon-to-be third-year man out of Clemson had a standout sophomore campaign, finishing 12th in the league in receiving yards (1,210) and third in yards per catch (15.9). Those numbers seem all the more impressive considering he had Ryan Fitzpatrick, not exactly a future Hall of Famer, passing the ball to him.
The Texans could complement Hopkins with a speedy, elusive slot receiver that has the ability to get yards after the catch on screens and slants. Players such as Miami’s Phillip Dorsett or Kansas State’s Kevin Lockett come to mind with respect to this skill set. They could also look to give Hoyer (or Ryan Mallett) another imposing target to line up on the other side of the field from Hopkins.
The best of both worlds might be UCF’s Breshad Perriman. The 6’3″, 215 pound wideout recently wowed scouts at his pro day by running a blistering 4.24 40-yard dash. Though the speed is definitely there, he has had issues with drops during his college career, which is a bit concerning. His stock has steadily been climbing but it may be a bit of a reach to take him with their first pick and he’ll likely be gone by the time they pick in the second round.
Inside Linebacker
Brian Cushing rebounded from two injury-plagued seasons to finish fifth on the team in total tackles in 2014 while appearing in 14 games. The only other player at this position to contribute meaningfully last season was Mike Mohamed, who was particularly effective dropping back into pass coverage. With Clowney moving to outside linebacker from the defensive end position he was used to playing in college, the Texans linebacking corps and defensive front seven as a whole could turn into quite the formidable unit with an instant impact rookie.
Vic Beasley isn’t much of an option since he plays on the outside and is likely to be a top ten selection, but his Clemson teammate Stephone Anthony could be a steal in the second round if they decide to address this need there. Anthony led the Tigers in total tackles his senior season with 75 and also had 10.5 tackles for loss. During the Combine, he ran the third quickest 40 time (4.56 seconds) and 2nd fastest 20-yard shuttle run (4.03 seconds) among the other participants at his position.
Running Back
The Texans have a series of value needs, meaning they should probably let the draft come to them and take the best available player as opposed to reaching. I considered the possible addition of another body to the defensive front in this regard. Let’s be honest, J.J. Watt accounted for nearly 54 percent of Houston’s total sacks (38) from last season. If his production was half of his eventual 20.5 sacks from 2014, the Texans would rank near the bottom of the league in that category.
In the end, I’m subscribing to the notion that Houston’s backfield isn’t as stable as we may be led to believe. Arian Foster, though an explosive runner who has rushed for over 6,300 yards and 53 touchdowns while making four Pro Bowls in his six-year NFL career, has struggled to stay healthy recently. The running back position, as we all know, is limited in its shelf-life in this league. The past two drafts have not seen a player at this position get taken in the first round, but that is expected to change.
Since both Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon are looked at as middle to late first-round picks, Houston could be getting some value while at the same time finding a way to take the load off of Foster as he begins to enter that tricky time in a workhorse running back’s career. It would make for an interesting competition come preseason camp between Foster, second-year back Alfred Blue and a hypothetical addition to the backfield, be it these two previously mentioned players or a later round selection like a Tevin Coleman, Ameer Abdullah or Jay Ajayi.
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