Houston Texans: Jadeveon Clowney drops 33 spots in NFL Top 100 list
The Houston Texans gained their first player on the 2019 NFL Top 100 when Jadeveon Clowney‘s name was announced this week.
Evey year, NFL Network releases the NFL Top 100 as voted on by the players of the league, and on Thursday the Houston Texans had their first player named, as edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney was selected at No. 63 for the 2019 season.
Houston’s pass rusher — who is listed at outside linebacker by the franchise, but as a defensive end on the NFL Top 100 list — dropped 33 spots from a season ago as in 2018 he was listed at 32nd overall by the players of the NFL. Clowney is currently in a contract situation with the Texans and hasn’t reported to training camp, not signing his franchise tag tender offer.
In the NFL Top 100 video at NFL.com, Denver Broncos offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James said, “He’s never seen nothing like him” when speaking of Clowney. Another Broncos offensive tackle, Garett Bolles, also said Clowney “is a guy you always have to watch out for.”
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The video also spotlighted his Week 4 game against the Indianapolis Colts this past season in Indianapolis. That game, Clowney totaled four solo tackles and two sacks of Andrew Luck in what was a 37-34 win by the Texans, the first of 11 wins last season.
In that Week 4 game, Pro Football Focus graded Clowney with a 90.2 run defensive grade as he also had four defensive stops, which are plays listed as failures for the offense by PFF. Overall in 2018, Clowney had a PFF grade of 88.0 and a rush defense grade of 91.2.
This season, the story for Clowney is his contract situation as he’s been given the franchise tag, which as of right now will earn him nearly $16 million as he is listed as an outside linebacker by the Texans.
Other linebaackers already listed in the Top 100 are T.J. Watt (93rd), Bradley Chubb (82nd), Leighton Vander Esch (74th), C.J. Mosley (71st), Dee Ford (67th) and Jaylon Smith (61st). Defensive ends on the list as of 100-61 are Jason Pierre-Paul (65th) and Frank Clark (85th).
Clowney did see his overall totals dip on the stat sheet in 2018, finishing with 47 tackles (59 in ’17), nine sacks (9.5 in ’17) and one pass defensed (two in ’17) as that might have led to his sudden drop on the list.
This season is a season of proving many people wrong for Clowney, especially the Texans for not already locking him up with a long-term contract, and now the NFL Top 100 list. His 32-spot drop has to serve as some motivation for this upcoming season, but that could be tough if he misses a majority of training camp.
Next. Texans: 4 players on roster bubble for training camp 2019. dark
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