Houston Texans Predictions: Jadeveon Clowney will reach 12-plus sacks in 2018

The 2018 season will be the year Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney finally breaks the double-digit mark for sacks in a season.

Each year since the 2014 season, Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney — a former No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick — has improved his numbers on the field as he continues to gain valuable experience. With the 2018 season being his fifth NFL season on the field, this will be the season he finally reaches the double-digit mark in sacks.

Mark it down, Texans fans: Clowney will not only have career-high numbers in tackles in 2018, but with his health being at a high level entering the season for Houston, that will result in his overall numbers being better as well. That means after a 9.5-sack season in 2017, Clowney is finally ready to get to the next level of his game and really start taking down the opposing quarterbacks, as he’ll gain no less than 12 sacks.

As a linebacker and defensive end throughout his first four seasons with the Texans, Clowney has played in 47 games, starting 41 of those. Within those numbers, he started all 16 games in a season in ’17 for the first time in his career.

Clowney had injury issues throughout part of his career, slowing down his initial progression in pro football as he played in just four games in ’14 and 13 games in ’15 (starting nine of them). Since those two seasons, Clowney’s game has begun to add to the stat sheet with a ’16 season consisting of 52 tackles, six sacks, 12 tackles for a loss and two passes defensed.

In ’17, Clowney finished with 59 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, two passes defensed and a career-high 9.5 sacks. Clowney was fifth in tackles on the Texans last season, plus he forced two fumbles and recovered two fumbles.

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle quoted Clowney about his health and how he felt after playing in his first game of the preseason on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams:

"“I think it went pretty well. I moved around pretty good. It was very important for me to get back out there with my teammates and let them know I’m ready to go and I know what’s going on with the defense. I’m ready to go.”"

Having Clowney say those words and seeing him on the field for the first time since last season is a great moment of this preseason. Now, with one preseason game left on the schedule — which is most likely doubtful Clowney sees extended, if any, playing time in — next for the defensive end is a a meeting with Tom Brady and the AFC Champion New England Patriots in Week 1 of the regular season. In that game, we’ll get to see the continued progression of Clowney from his improved season of last year, and he;ll have a tough test against possibly the best team in the AFC or even the NFL.

Looking at the progression of Clowney’s pass rush in recent seasons, he’s gone from 4.5 sacks to 6.0 (+2.5) and then to 9.5 sacks (+3). If he can keep that pace up and improve by three more sacks again this season — which is possible with a healthy J.J. Watt taking off some of the pressure off him — Clowney could and should reach double-digit sacks this season. That said, the prediction of Clowney having 12-plus sacks in ’18 doesn’t feel like a stretch to predict and would make a world of difference for the Texans’ defensive outlook in ’18 as well.

To make it simple, the ’18 season should be the best yet for Clowney if he’s able to stay on the field. In Week 17 last year, Clowney gained seven tackles, which was a season-best, and a half sack, and twice in ’17 he had two sacks in a game.

If Clowney keeps that momentum, the rest of the AFC South needs to be put on notice because the Texans defensive end would have his best season yet, and for Texans fans, that is something to be excited for.