Round 5: (No. 161) Trayveon Williams, RB, Texas A&M
Houston’s running back group is perhaps the biggest question mark going into the 2019 NFL Draft. The Texans have a decent starter in veteran Lamar Miller and promising depth behind him with D’onta Forman, but they failed to show much flash during the 2018 season. That being said, Foreman was used sparingly in his second season with Houston as he ruptured his Achilles in his rookie season and was still on the mend. Miller underwhelmed as the starter, failing to reach 1,000 yards on the ground and struggling at times.
With Alfred Blue, Houston’s longtime change of pace and goal line back expected not to re-sign in free agency, the Texans are in the market for a new running back and this draft is a nice spot to entertain selecting a running back.
At the combine, reports indicated that Houston was very impressed with the pool of running backs entering the upcoming draft. One such player that Houston looked at was Texas A&M running back, Trayveon Williams. The Texans even hosted the Houston native — Williams attended C.E. King High School located in east Houston — for an interview while at the NFL Combine.
Williams provides great versatility at the running back position. He is a dangerous downhill runner and a great pass catcher out of the backfield. During his final season with the Aggies, Williams amassed over 2,000 scrimmage yards. He also ran for over 1,750 yards and caught just under 300 through the air.
One of his most impressive skills is his ability to break tackles and make defenders miss. Last season, Williams forced 47 missed tackles per Pro Football Focus. This is in part to his core center of gravity and small size. Williams is only 5-8, but weighs in at 206 pounds, so when he gets rolling downfield he’s nearly impossible to bring down. Also with Williams, he plays similar to how Maurice Jones-Drew for the Jacksonville Jaguars, a player longtime Texans fans should remember.