Houston Texans NFL Draft grades 2019: Xavier Crawford

The Houston Texans added more defense to their roster in the sixth round by selecting a defensive back.

The Houston Texans welcomed Xavier Crawford with the 196th overall pick when they drafted the cornerback from Central Michigan with the Texans showing they want to add to their secondary, which was a big need entering the draft.

The 5-11, 187-pound cornerback ran a 4.48 40-yard dash, while also entering the draft with a fifth- to sixth-round draft projection, so this was the part of the draft where Crawford was expected to be selected.

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Lance Zierlein of NFL.com says Crawford has a chance to make a NFL roster as a backup, writing the following for the NFL.com website:

"“Crawford’s athleticism and ability to stay connected to routes gives him a shot as a backup cornerback either outside or from the slot.”"

The Texans here made a choice to try to build some solid roster depth for their secondary because it was a big need and something the Texans had to do in this draft. Houston also needed to bring some competition within their secondary because this upcoming season, the entire unit must be on top of their game because they’ll be facing some strong quarterbacks, and one of the best in the entire NFL, Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts, twice a season.

While at Central Michigan, Crawford played his first three seasons at Oregon State and then transferred to Central Michigan in 2018, where he played his final collegiate season. In his 11 games with Central Michigan, Crawford totaled 24 tackles (18 solo) with three tackles for loss and one interception. He also collected 12 passes defensed and two fumble recoveries.

This selection isn’t the most exciting selection, as Crawford does need to add to his game. CBSSports.com described Crawford with the following on their draft tracker when he was selected:

"“He has experience and decent production in press man, but his change of direction skills are limited.”"

This is a wait-and-see type of selection, but there are many players in the NFL who have had surprise success when drafted in the later rounds of the draft. The Texans don’t need the next Deion Sanders with this choice (though that would be excellent), but they are working on building a solid, all-around strong roster.

The Texans are working to have players in reserve roles who can have success in the right situation, as they’ll help them take the next step in their progression as a franchise.