Texans Draft: Michael Warren II would bring toughness on Day 3

With the Houston Texans draft nearing ever so close, the Texans’ news that could come out on Day 3 is they selected another running back to the roster.

Here is some Houston Texans draft news many hope to hear from Mel Kiper Jr., Adam Schefter or others on the final day of the 2020 NFL Draft, and that is the Texans have drafted a running back they need to add for depth purposes and to build for the future. That player could be Michael Warren II of Cincinnati.

Warren could be drafted anywhere from the fifth round all the way to the seventh round of the NFL Draft, and for the Texans, they really need to add more to their running backs as they currently have David Johnson and Duke Johnson leading the way. The Texans also have Buddy Howell, Karan Higdon and the fullback is Cullen Gillaspia.

Simply put … the Texans can use more depth and competition at running back. The Day 3 picks the Texans currently have are two fourth (111th, 131st), one fifth (171st) and three seventh-round selections (240th, 248th, 250th).

Texans Draft: Why draft Michael Warren II?

One of the reasons the Texans news could be great for the franchise is the fact that the running back they could be drafting is a “change of pace” back who could work his way into a strong role with the Texans in due time.

While a running back at Cincinnati — a member of the American Athletic Conference — Warren had an outstanding career, where in three seasons he played in 38 games, including 12 games as a freshman, 12 games as a sophomore and 14 games as a junior, totaling 2,918 yards rushing and 34 touchdowns on 559 carries.

In those three seasons, Warren averaged 5.2 yards per carry, and he also collected 51 career receptions for 442 yards and three touchdowns, all while averaging 8.7 yards per reception. Granted, the receiving numbers aren’t the best, but imagine Warren entering the game for either David and Duke Johnson and using his power to help offset the opposing defense. How great would that be?

Selecting Warren on Day 3 doesn’t mean there are expectations of him being a starter in the near future.

That said, having a player with his skill set as a reserve on the team, and a player who would most certainly help improve the special teams,  is an addition many should get on board with if it were to happen.

Texans Draft: Speaking of special teams

The Texans really need to make their special teams more exciting, and if Warren were to be added to that mix, well, that could bring the interest to a higher level, no doubt about it.

NFL.com graded Warren at 5.90 in their draft profile of him, meaning they believe Warren will be a backup and a special teams contributor for the team that drafts him. If the Texans were to draft him, he could go back to his past to help make the return team better.

As a freshman at Cincinnati, Warren had 19 returns for 439 yards on kick return, averaging 23.1 yards per return. Last season, the Texans saw DeAndre Carter in 16 games have 14 kickoff returns for 308 yards, averaging 22 yards per return.

It would be nice to see the Texans be a little better on the return team for kickoffs to help with starting field position for the offense, and Warren just might be the right player to help in that area of the team.

Texans Draft: Final Thoughts on Michael Warren II

As the days get closer for a Texans draft choice to be made, Warren wouldn’t be such a bad choice for this franchise to make on the third day of the 2020 NFL Draft. Warren would bring a nice skill set with his ability to run on the inside of the line.

Warren could be a very nice third choice behind both David Johnson and Duke Johnson. Warren would make the Texans offense tough, and to be honest, with as many of the three-and-outs the Texans had a year ago, some extra toughness would have been nice to see.

Houston has some big choices ahead of them, and if still available on the third day, the Texans’ draft board would be fortunate to have Warren’s name still available when they make one of their selections.