Houston Texans: Varying Mock Draft Selections

The Houston Texans are holders of the 23rd overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, and many have their thoughts on who the franchise will select in the first round.

The 2019 NFL Draft is just a few short months away, and for the Houston Texans, who have a pick at 23rd overall in the first round, there are many paths for the team as they decide who they want to take with that selection.

Many believe the Texans need to draft a cornerback in the first round, while others think the Texans should select an offensive tackle with the 23rd overall selection as quarterback Deshaun Watson was sacked 62 times this past season.

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Those are just a couple ways the Texans can go with that selection, but here is what some various mock drafts are saying about the Texans as to who they will select with their first-round choice:

• Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports has the Texans selecting Cody Ford, an offensive tackle from Oklahoma. Wilson wrote the following on Ford in a recent mock draft:

"“Ford excelled at tackle this season after moving over from guard and he could play either position at the next level.”"

This is a very solid selection for the Texans if Ford falls to 23rd overall, which is a possibility. Even in the 1.0 version of the Toro Times mock draft posted this past Sunday, we had the Texans selecting the big Oklahoma offensive tackle.

• Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com has the Texans selecting cornerback Byron Murphy of Washington. Kiper wrote this of the Huskies cornerback:

"“Murphy is still raw, but he’s a ball hawk on the outside. He also has the versatility to play in the slot. “"

Again, I’m more in favor of the Texans going offensive line here, but a cornerback is a need too. Playing against the likes of Andrew Luck twice a season, Murphy would go a long way in making things tougher on the Colts’ passing game for years to come.

• Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com has the Texans selecting a cornerback as well, but he went with Deandre Baker of Georgia, giving one sentence about the standout from the Bulldogs:

"“Baker is a competitive cornerback with the versatility to fit in any scheme.”"

That’s not really much to go off of, but once again, the Texans will need to select a cornerback early in the 2019 NFL Draft. If it isn’t in the opening round, than it should happen in Round 2 when the Texans have two second-round picks at their disposal.

• Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News also has the Texans selecting Deandre Baker in the first round, as he wrote this of the Georgia cornerback:

"“Baker, who plays bigger than his size (5-11, 185 pounds), can give them the smart, physical press coverage presence they like for Romeo Crennel.”"

In looking at Baker’s stats from his senior season, he had the following numbers: 31 solo tackles, one forced fumble and two interceptions, and just as impressive, he had nine passes defensed. This is a player to keep watching throughout the draft process to see if the Texans show interest in rebuilding cornerback early on.

• Randy Gruzi of NFL Spin Zone has the Texans taking Cody Ford with their first-round pick, writing this last week about the Oklahoma tackle:

"“He was a one-year starter but turned plenty of heads with his play.”"

Ford had an excellent season and would be an improvement on any of the current offensive tackles on the Texans that played this past season. The Texans need to be serious about protecting Watson in 2019, and if they don’t draft the best tackle they can at 23rd overall, they will be doing a disservice to their team and their quarterback.

• Nick Klopsis of NewsDay.com has the Texans picking Jawaan Taylor, an offensive tackle from Florida. The following was written by Klopsis in why he saw the Texans taking Taylor:

"“He has good size at 6-5, 328 pounds and is quick enough to handle speed rushers and powerful enough to pancake defenders.”"

Having the Texans selecting an offensive tackle at 23rd overall is the way to go in my opinion. In Klopsis’ mock draft, he has Taylor as the fourth OT selected in the first round and doesn’t have Ford being selected in the first round, which is interesting, too.

The mock draft process isn’t an exact science, but it is still informative and just fun to take part in, both as a reader and writer. Many of these players won’t be selected to the teams they are being mocked to, but the idea of gaining new players each offseason via the draft is one of the best parts of being an NFL fan.

Which player do you want the Texans to select in the first round? Which player will provide the most production for the Texans in 2019? Let the Toro Times know your thoughts as the NFL Draft gets closer each day.