The 2020 Houston Texans draft that has Bill O’Brien at the helm is of great importance starting on Thursday as many things can happen in the three-day event.
Nobody truly knows what the Houston Texans draft decision makers are thinking going into the 2020 NFL Draft, especially with many of them all away from each other due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has changed the layout of the three-day event.
The Texans or any team will no longer have representatives in Las Vegas as the draft is no longer being held there due to the current pandemic. Rather, those making the decisions for the Texans draft will be at their respective homes or individual rooms away from others, as everything is being done by digital video, including the broadcast itself.
The final decisions made by general manager/head coach Bill O’Brien will either bring great praise or negative tones in his direction. Currently, the Texans will enter Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft without a first-round pick because they already used that pick last year in the trade with the Miami Dolphins for left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
That pick is now the 26th overall selection, and there is a possibility the Dolphins draft a left tackle in that spot. Houston isn’t scheduled to make a pick until Friday night — unless they trade up in the draft. The first pick the Texans have is the 40th overall pick, which is the eighth pick in the second round.
There are rumors the Texans could select the best player available that can help their team, or they might trade back in the round to gain more draft picks to be used later during the event. Who knows? Maybe O’Brien will try to trade up into the first round if there is a player he covets.
Next are “4 Bold Predictions” for the Texans draft process and what could happen in the event.
4. Texans Draft: Select DT in the second round
No matter what happens with the 40th overall pick, as in if the Texans decide to trade down and gain more draft capital, the one prediction for the 2020 NFL Draft is the Texans won’t leave the second round without a defensive tackle selected.
There are some talented defensive tackles available who were given a second-round grade from Dane Brugler of The Athletic, with those players being: Marlon Davidson (Auburn), Ross Blacklock (TCU), Justin Madubuike (Texas A&M), Jordan Elliott (Missouri), Bevelle Gallimore (Oklahoma) and Raekwon Davis (Alabama).
Davidson and Blacklock each have a first- to second-round grade, and the rest have second- to third-round grades. It is an honest prediction here, but the Texans could look another way and select an edge rusher. Just don’t be surprised though if the Texans come out of the second round with a defensive tackle for their 3-4 defense to replace D.J. Reader, because he was the biggest free agent loss of this offseason for Houston.
3. Texans Draft: Trade with their 40th overall pick
This is another way the Houston Texans draft can become very interesting in the second round, and that is to trade down with a team that wants to jump ahead of them for more draft capital. The Texans could easily move down a few spots, add an extra pick and still get a player they might have wanted at 40th overall.
We all know that the Texans like to make trades of draft choices and such. Remember a few seasons ago, the Texans didn’t make a draft selection until the third round. Though the belief here is they don’t take the selection when the 40th overall selection happens, they will make a later second-round pick, plus possibly gain a fourth-round pick as well, which would help add to their depth chart.
Remember, Bill O’Brien said in a recent media conference that he believes this season with all of the pandemic cautions will be a league basically built around veteran players. Simply put, the Texans will trade out of the 40th overall pick, get some more mid-round draft capital and add to the depth of the roster, all while focusing — at least early in the season — on veteran players.
2. Texans Draft: Texans trade all 3 seventh-round picks
This Houston Texans draft doesn’t seem like it will be their best, but not their worst either, but don’t be surprised if the Texans don’t keep any of their seventh-round picks this year, and they could even trade their fifth-round pick, too.
The reason is simple. As started earlier, Bill O’Brien it seems really believes in the roster he has at the moment, and he believes in the veterans on his team as he said this month that the league in 2020 could be geared more toward the veterans.
With a mindset like that it could easily be seen that either O’Brien makes trades for a higher pick with some of the lower picks added into a trade, or he gains draft capital for next year’s draft. It wouldn’t be a big surprise if the Texans do most of their work in this draft in rounds two through four because they are looking to win right now, and know this team has to be ready to win with the head coach/general manager making all of the final decisions.
1. Texans Draft: Only offensive position drafted will be o-line
This Houston Texans draft has to have a main priority of making the defense better, and to do that, and if the previous prediction happens (trading all seventh-round picks), the Texans will only draft one offensive player in the 2020 NFL Draft.
No matter what Bill O’Brien is saying now, the Texans will draft players that can fill in holes where they are currently struggling, at least that makes the most sense. Most of those holes are on defense at edge rusher, secondary and the defensive line. That leaves very little room to add to the offense, and when they do make their one offensive selection, it will be for the offensive line, though drafting one of the many talented wide receivers is tempting.
The Texans could use an interior lineman with some potential, like John Simpson of Clemson, and Damien Lewis of LSU as both should be available in the third round. In the fourth round, players such as Jonah Jackson (Ohio State) or Ben Bredeson (Michigan) should be on the board.
The Texans depth at guard is so-so, and they could use some much-needed competition at right guard. This draft won’t have a lot of bells and whistles from the Texans draft decision makers, as the belief here is they will get better with players drafted for the defensive line, pass rush and offensive line.
Building up those areas of the team is how championships are won, and that will be the focal point if the Texans want to win a third straight AFC South championship this upcoming season.