Previewing the Houston Texans defensive line depth before the start of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Houston Texans have had a busy offseason making a lot of moves to assimilate the roster to how head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien wants the team to function moving forward.
The defensive line has undergone its changes and will look different than how it has looked in previous seasons with D.J. Readers’ departure in free agency. Reader signed a four-year deal worth up to $53 million to bolster the Cincinnati Bengals defensive line for the upcoming season.
Houston is faced with the task of replacing Reader’s production in the middle of their defensive line after being spoiled with two solid players at the position in the past with Vince Wilfork and Reader.
Nose Tackles
Texans had a contingency plan in place at nose tackle by extending Brandon Dunn to a three-year deal worth $12 million before free agency started. The deal favors Dunn as the projected starter ahead of next season, but there is an underlying question if he can anchor the middle of the defense in a more prominent role.
Dunn has taken strides in the defense since arriving in the league undrafted from Louisville in 2014; He spent a short stint with the Chicago Bears before being picked up by the Texans. He was an unsung contributor in the past as one of better run stoppers on the defense as Reader’s backup. However, Houston should look to make it a competition and draft another defender with Eddie Vanderdoes as the only other nose tackle currently on the depth chart.
Vanderdoes is a young, intriguing player promoted from the Texans’ practice squad late last season after the Oakland Raiders waived him. Drafted in the third round by the Raiders in 2017, injuries have been the main issue preventing him from seeing the field early in his career.
It’s no secret that health and overall knowledge of the defense will be factors to take into consideration as the Texans determine who their next starter will be at nose tackle.
Defensive ends
Defensive end is one of the deepest positions on the roster heading into next season. The Houston Texans have J.J. Watt, Tim Jernigan, Angelo Blackson, Carlos Watkins, Charles Omenihu, and Ira Savage-Lewis. However, Watt and Omenihu are more interchangeable across the defensive line as they can line up on the outside as edge rushers as well.
Meanwhile, Jernigan, Blackson, Watkins, Savage-Lewis are stouter than their counterparts and are tasked with occupying blockers as 3-4 defensive ends. They could see playing time as defensive tackles in 4-3 fronts. It will be interesting to see how the competition unfolds between Jernigan, Watkins, Blackson, and Omenihu for the other 3-4 defensive end spot across from Watt.
Blackson was the favored starter last season over Watkins and a young Omenihu in his rookie season, but Jernigan brings an interesting variable to the mix this year as a former starter in his past two teams. Injuries have been the biggest obstacle for Jernigan, but he is a talented player that has produced when healthy. Watkins and Jernigan both have a lot to prove in a contract year as they are projected to hit free agency next offseason.
On the other hand, Omenihu is an intriguing pass rusher moving forward after the Texans found him in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He showed glimpses of being a long term fix in the rotation, but there were also moments he disappeared on the field as a rookie, which led to diminishing snaps at certain times as the season went on.
Final Takeaways
The Houston Texans aren’t necessarily hurting for another 3-4 defensive end heading into this year’s draft, but it could be a position they address once they are on the clock. Especially considering the uncertainty facing Jernigan and Watkins beyond this season.
Texans can’t have enough young talented defensive lineman that are under contract on their reasonable rookie deals with their cap space being reduced with upcoming contract extensions.
They could utilize a powerful interior three-down defensive lineman that could disrupt the passer and clog up the running game like Ross Blacklock from TCU.
On a similar note, Texans could really use a defensive lineman with the capabilities of being an edge rusher like Watt. Those don’t grow on trees, but there are players that could serve both roles in A.J. Epenesa from Iowa or James Lynch from Baylor. Lynch seems more attainable in the second round, but the Texans do have the means to move up if they find a coveted player they want to add to the defense near the range of their first pick.
It will be interesting to see what direction the Texans want to go with their 40th overall pick in the draft after having a busy offseason.