Houston Texans: Projected starting lineup before the NFL Draft

Who do you think will crack the Houston Texans starting lineup as we approach the NFL Draft?

The Houston Texans have a lot of decisions to make between now and the start of the regular season, but in early April, before the 2020 NFL Draft arrives, here is the projected starting lineup and backups for the 2020 roster.

QB: Deshaun Watson

Barring any more ludicrous moves by general manager/head coach Bill O’Brien — or a potential holdout for a new contract — which should absolutely not be expected, Deshaun Watson will play out his fourth year in the NFL on his rookie contract.

Rumors swirling about Watson’s lack of faith in the franchise due to liking Instagram posts and cryptic tweets featuring Drake lyrics should not be taken seriously. Watson is the franchise leader and will be retained in all likelihood with a record-setting contract.

The only real question is whether or not he will become the highest-paid player in the league before-or-after Patrick Mahomes, who was also drafted in 2017 and is eligible for a new deal.

RB: David Johnson

How must David Johnson feel after now being sent over in the much-maligned DeAndre Hopkins trade with the Cardinals? Everyone in the national media, Houston fanbase and the Texans organization has berated the move.

Johnson quickly shared “When the grass is cut the snakes will show” on his Twitter. Yes, he is obviously injury-prone and not exactly the same player that earned a three-year, $39 million contract, but he was also successful enough for a short stretch to warrant that contract in the first place.

David Johnson  will likely get the bulk of carries as opposed to Duke Johnson, much like Carlos Hyde’s role last year. However, it will be interesting to see how new offensive coordinator Tim Kelly is able to work his strength as a pass-catcher into the game plan.

WR: Will Fuller, Kenny Stills, Randall Cobb

Many pundits have been quick to label the Houston Texans receivers corps as a “liability” due to their lack of a true No. 1 superstar. However, it is entirely possible for this group to find success due to their wide variety of skill sets and the ability to spread the field.

First off, this is the definition of a make or break year for fifth-year speedster Will Fuller. He is playing on a fifth-year option and has yet to play an entire season without succumbing to injury, which has always been his Achilles heel.

More accurately, it has been his ACL tear, hamstring sprain, clavicle fracture, broken ribs and knee strain. Fuller is a touchdown machine on the field but has never operated as the lead dog on offense, so keeping both him and Kenny Stills is imperative to success in the passing game.

Newcomer to the roster, Randall Cobb, figures to operate mostly out of the slot, and he has only one career season with more than 955 yards receiving in 2014. The Texans will likely look to draft a wide receiver with one of their second-round picks in a historically loaded draft at that position.

TE: Darren Fells

After bringing back their entire tight end group from 2019, the Houston Texans appear comfortable with Darren Fells as their primary option. His savvy play on the goal line helps his case over Jordan Thomas and Jordan Akins, though a wild-card to consider is Kahale Warring.

The third-round draft pick out of San Diego State spent all of last season on IR, but figures to play a larger role on a team that can use as many targets as possible.

OL: Laremy Tunsil (LT), Max Scharping (LG), Nick Martin (C), Zach Fulton (RG), Tytus Howard (RT)

Does the offensive line seems somewhat …stable? By far the biggest weakness for the team entering the last season saw an increase in pass protection, allowing Deshaun Watson to have a career year.

Extension talks with Laremy Tunsil have ramped up and will either fall into place this offseason or next. He will absolutely be retained, but apparently the $18.5 million per year he was offered was not a satisfactory salary.

Max Scharping played sharp all of last year and will retain his starting role, and fellow second-year player Tytus Howard will be welcomed back warmly after missing the second half of the season. The only potential player up in the air here is Zach Fulton, who is significantly overpaid for his production and may not keep his job going into the season.

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DL: JJ Watt (DE), Angelo Blackson (DE), Timmy Jernigan (DT)

Houston icon and superhuman J.J. Watt looks to come back fully healthy this year after having an entire offseason to recover from his torn pectoral. Watt’s miraculous return for the playoff games was inspirational, but honestly quite ill-advised.

Entering this season Watt will be 31 years old, and he is approaching the final two years of his contract as questions loom about his production relative to his overall worth. As for now, Watt is the heart-and-soul of the Houston Texans defense and the primary pass-rushing threat.

On the opposite side, Angelo Blackson presents a solid run-stuffing option, but never accrues monster stats (20 total tackles in 2019). The intriguing addition here is newcomer Timmy Jernigan, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles. Jernigan has never been a major pass-rushing threat, but has 17.5 career sacks and even one interception to his name.

Jernigan is not guaranteed a starting job, but his second round draft status and lack of competition after D.J. Reader’s departure in free agency both help his case. Expect the Houston Texans to select a defensive lineman in the latter half of the 2020 NFL Draft as well.

LB: Whitney Mercilus (OLB), Brennan Scarlett (OLB), Bernardrick McKinney (ILB), Zach Cunningham (ILB)

Three of these Houston Texans players are set in stone without much competition. In J.J. Watt’s absence, Whitney Mercilus became the top threat out of the front seven to get after opposing quarterbacks so his spot is entrenched in the lineup.

Similarly, B-Mac and Zach Cunningham have been as consistent as possible on the inside and provide one of the most underrated position groups a major spark on defense. The real fun here is the expected competition between Brennan Scarlett and Jacob Martin due to the latter’s breakout towards the second half of the season.

Martin was acquired in the Jadeveon Clowney trade and may have proved enough to overtake the incumbent starter on the edge. This group may not have league-wide name recognition but is one of the best overall groups that the Texans feature on the roster.

Safeties: Justin Reid (SS), Tashaun Gipson (FS)

These two starters are holding down the back end but the lack of depth is slightly concerning. The city of Houston let out a collective “Who?” when the announcement was made of the Eric Murray signing for $18 million.

Justin Reid has vouched for his brother Eric to be signed by the team, which honestly doesn’t seem like a bad idea after watching the McCourty brothers dominate together in New England. Reid is the leader of this secondary, and Gipson was a solid free-agent acquisition last season.

The secondary as a whole was ranked 24th in the NFL in terms of team coverage, but 32 touchdown passes allowed definitely needs improvement.

CB: Bradley Roby and Lonnie Johnson

This part of the secondary will be a major camp decision in order to determine who becomes the second starting cornerback after the departure of Jonathan Joseph.

Joseph held down his spot for nine seasons and admirably led the secondary throughout the 2010s, but now it’s Bradley Roby’s turn to show why he was a first-round pick in 2014. His new contract is worth $36 million over three years. Some considered that to be overpaid, but the stage is set for him to continue his hot streak this year.

The No. 2 spot is up for grabs between second-year second round pick Lonnie Johnson and Gareon Conley, who came over via trade from the Oakland Raiders. Neither is particularly adept at holding down their respective side of the field, but a major breakout is necessary to keep the secondary intact.

Johnson is currently listed as the starter despite his 36.0 rating by Pro Football Focus, which is a full 32.1 points lower than the more experienced Conley. Cornerback is a major position of need going into the draft, and a second-round pick should be used here.

Specialists: Ka’imi Fairbairn (K), Trevor Daniel (P), DeAndre Carter (KR/PR)

Both DeAndre Carter and Ka’imi Fairbairn were brought back this offseason, and the lack of punting competition indicates Trevor Daniel will retain his starting role as well.