Houston Texans: Five First Round Draft Options
By Josh Wilson
The Houston Texans have the 16th overall pick in the NFL draft this year. The middle of the first round obviously isn’t as good as the top pick, like they had last year, but the Texans still have a lot of options available to them.
Houston is on the verge of making the playoffs, so this pick could be the difference between getting in, and being left out…again.
There’s quite a few upgrades the Texans could look to make in this draft. For one, they lack depth in the running game.
Running back Arian Foster had a decent year, recording 1,246 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games for Houston. It was good enough to earn the 28-year old his fourth Pro Bowl invitation.
But his rookie back-up, Alfred Blue, who gained 528 yards on the ground in 2014, only hit pay-dirt twice. That’s the exact same number as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Clearly, Houston needs some help in their backfield.
Another area that the Texans could use an upgrade is their quarterback position. The aforementioned Fitzpatrick did a decent job last season, but he could be nearing the end of his career.
Houston could also look to re-sign free agent quarterback Ryan Mallett, whom they traded for last season. But a rookie quarterback could end up being just as good as Mallett.
Unfortunately, quarterbacks are scarce in this year’s draft class. So I think the Texans are better off going after someone who has already played in the NFL via free agency or a trade.
Which, for many Houston fans, points directly back to Mallett. But the Texans have shown interest in Eagles quarterback Nick Foles as well.
Finally, on offense, Houston could benefit from adding a quality wide receiver to their depth chart. This position doesn’t need to be filled as desperately as others, but it’s something their front office should consider.
Veteran recevier Andre Johnson has implied he would like to play another three seasons in Houston, and he’s even willing to take a pay cut to do so.
But even if Johnson plays out his current contract until 2017, this Texans’ roster could benefit from having another offensive weapon in it’s recevier corps.
There’s speculation that unless the Texans trade up in the upcoming draft, that they’ll have a tough time getting any good offensive players. I don’t think that’s a major concern as there are several defensive needs the Texans could look to fill as well.
While Houston should have a decent defensive line in 2015, their secondary is a bit shabby. They closed the season ranked 21st in opposing passing yards allowed.
That’s something that leaves a lot of room for improvement. A safety or cornerback could help sharpen up the secondary.
So, who are my top five picks that the Texans should pull the trigger on in the first round based on their current team needs? Let’s start at the top…
Next: The Top Runner In The Draft?