The Houston Texans mortgaged their future for the 2019 season, which means that they’ll need their 2019 rookie class to play well in order to achieve sustained success moving forward. Unfortunately for Houston, their rookie class was one of the worst in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, the unit ranked 30th in overall value, ahead of just the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. While this doesn’t mean that Houston’s rookies are doomed for NFL failure, it’s certainly not an encouraging sign for the future.
PFF: Houston Texans Rookie Class Ranked 30th in NFL
Pro Football Focus cites Lonnie Johnson as the biggest reason for this low ranking. According to the advanced analytics site, Johnson’s 36.0 grade “ranked last among qualifying cornerbacks, and his 128.9 passer rating allowed was second-worst among cornerbacks with 50 or more targets”. Cornerbacks typically need a year or two to adjust to the NFL, but Johnson will need to take a dramatic step forward in 2019 in order to avoid the “bust” tag.
Despite the low ranking, it wasn’t all bad for Houston’s rookie. First-round pick Tytus Howard made eight starts as a rookie, recording a 63.4 overall grade at right tackle. While nobody is confusing him with Lane Johnson, the Alabama State product looked like a capable starter. If he continues to develop, he and Laremy Tunsil should keep Deshaun Watson upright for the foreseeable future.
Drafting is more luck than skill, and teams are typically able to overcome one or two bad drafts. However, the Texans needed this one to be special. Thanks to a wide assortment of offseason trades, Houston basically doesn’t have any draft capital for the next two seasons. Deshaun Watson is capable of hiding a lot of roster flaws, but this top-heavy roster construction typically doesn’t lead to sustained success. Unless this draft class improves dramatically, Bill O’Brien is going to have to find some diamonds in the rough over the next few seasons to keep this team competitive.
The Rest of the Picks
Max Scharping appeared in all 16 regular season games and started the final 14. The second-round pick finished the year as PFF’s 51st-best guard, but there is reason to believe he can improve moving forward. Scharping primarily played tackle in college, so he had to learn a new position on the fly. He should improve with a full season at guard under his belt and could be a league-average starter as soon as 2020.
Kahale Warring spent his rookie season on the injured reserve after suffering offseason concussion and hamstring injuries. The severity of these injuries are obviously worrisome, but he should be back on the field for the start of 2020 OTA’s. Charles Omenihu carved out a role in Houston’s defensive end rotation but didn’t do anything to set the world on fire. If he continues to develop he could be a solid role player.
Xavier Crawford made the initial 53-man roster, but he didn’t make it to the end of the season. The Texans parted ways with the Central Michigan product in October, but Crawford managed to land on his feet. The cornerback made a brief cameo with the Miami Dolphins before landing on the Chicago Bears practice squad. Cullen Gillaspia hardly saw the field on offense but managed to carve out a role on special teams.
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