The Houston Texans news from the 2020 NFL Draft was they selected five players, but what can be expected of the rookies selected to the team?
Despite the Houston Texans news being the franchise was strapped for draft capital due to various trades, the Texans organization and fans should be somewhat pleased with their overall haul from the 2020 NFL Draft. The Texans news was they only selected five, players and did not have a pick after the fifth round, but the team brass decided to aim for impact over depth in this case.
The Texans were left without a first round pick in 2020 (as well as 2021) thanks to the Laremy Tunsil trade last offseason, but the left tackle was also extended on a three-year mega deal on Friday morning.
While trying to find a player that would both fill a major need and represent solid value at 40th overall, defensive tackle Ross Blacklock fell right into the laps of the Texans. The defensive tackle out of TCU — who is originally from Missouri City, Texas — should help to mitigate the loss of D.J. Reader and will find his specific role in due time.
As a whole, how much can we expect out of this entire draft class? We have seen a lot of high ranking players in the past come to Houston through the draft and lose their footing almost immediately.
Do the names Amobi Okoye, Sam Montgomery, Braxton Miller, Xavier Su’a Filo, or Louis Nix ring a bell? Each was selected in the third round or higher and ultimately flamed out in embarrassing fashion. Every year there will be a player or two who never seems to catch on with the franchise, but there are also numerous surprises in each draft class that ascertain hidden gems.
So for this group of five young men, who will be the major impact rookies and who will struggle to make the final 53-man roster? The Texans were fortunate enough to have pre-draft meetings with some of them before pro days were nixed, and that likely led to some familiarity with head coach/general manager Bill O’Brien.
The Houston Texans news moving forward includes the following realistic expectations for the 2020 Texans draft class.
With the 40th pick in the 2020 @NFLDraft, the #Texans select DT Ross Blacklock from @TCUFootball.#TexansDraft pic.twitter.com/LYwmNO1WWo
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) April 24, 2020
5. Ross Blacklock, Defensive Lineman- TCU (Round 2, 40th overall)
6’4, 305 lbs, Age: 21
One phrase commonly used to describe second round pick Ross Blacklock is high-motor, as you can see from his tape that he is tenacious in pursuit of quarterbacks and rushers. His relentless pressure helps him maximize his large frame and gives more opportunities to fellow defensive linemen. Playing next to future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt will be an incredible opportunity to learn from the best, and will absolutely help improve the run defense.
Blacklock’s spot on the depth chart is not guaranteed just yet, as he will face stiff competition in the form of Tim Jernigan, Brandon Dunn, Charles Omenihu, Carlos Watkins, and Angelo Blackson. He is primarily a defensive tackle and could take over the role that was played by D.J. Reader last season, but those are massive shoes to fill for a rookie.
In a best-case scenario and the best Houston Texans news would be Blacklock immediately impresses in the preseason and vies for the starting role over Jernigan. If he is able to replicate his 40 tackle/9 tackles for loss/3.5 sack season or come anywhere close to those numbers, he will have been a slam dunk pick.
Realistic Expectations: 28 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass defended
4. Jonathan Greenard, Edge- Florida (Round 3, 90th overall)
6’3, 263 lbs, Age: 22
The obvious need for improvement on defense was apparent early, and spending two picks on Day 2 solidifying a shaky front seven will hopefully pay dividends, with the third round pick being Jonathan Greenard.
The team clearly lacked an outside presence after J.J. Watt tore his pectoral, and the combo of Whitney Mercilus and Jacob Martin wasn’t enough to get after passers. Greenard produced a monster collection of stats during his senior season, including 15.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception, and a touchdown.
Greenard was dignified with an All-SEC first-team distinction and snagging him with the 90th selection was another value selection for the Texans. He now faces the challenge of competing for the starting lineup, but he is probably best suited to start out as a situational pass rusher. Using his athletic frame and impressive lateral agility helped him succeed in college, but Greenard needs to prove that he is 100-percent recovered from his 2018 wrist injury and capable of playing at the NFL level.
The best Houston Texans news that can be had early on is Greenard is likely to start the season behind Mercilus, Martin, and Brennan Scarlett, but realistically he can beat out Duke Ejiofor. The Texans news from this draft choice of Greenard is it may take a year or so to develop into the kind of player he eventually became in Gainesville, but at the very least he will help fortify a very weak front seven in Houston.
Realistic Expectations: 22 tackles, 4, tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble
3. Charlie Heck, Offensive Tackle- North Carolina (Round 4, 126th overall)
6’8, 311 lbs, Age: 23
Though there was probably a larger need at right guard, Bill O’Brien knew who the “heck” who Charlie Heck was by taking with this pick. Heck is notably the son of former NFL offensive lineman and current Kansas City Chiefs line coach Andy Heck. His massive frame inspires confidence as a behemoth on the line, but looking at his specific fit on the Texans might be tricky.
Heck is too large to kick inside at offensive guard and take over for Zach Fulton, so he is likely to play the role of a swing tackle. The only question there is the status of Roderick Johnson, who plays an identical role and was extended on a one-year deal this March.
This either signifies the fact that the Houston Texans news is they aren’t happy with Johnson’s production, or they are getting Heck ready for a larger role on the line after this season. Heck obviously isn’t competing for a starting job against Laremy Tunsil or 2019 first round pick Tytus Howard, so this seems like a depth move.
Though he has experience at both left and right tackle, Heck will probably only see playing time if a starter gets injured or on run plays that require extra blockers upfront. It’s hard to predict the status of a backup tackle, but the Texans news as this offseason continues is Heck should find a stable place on this roster in a year or two.
Realistic Expectations: 10 games, 0 starts
2. John Reid, Cornerback- Penn State (Round 4, 141st overall)
5’10, 187 lbs, Age: 23
After picking Justin Reid in 2018 and John Reid in 2020, it seems like the Texans want defenders who can “Reid” the offense well. The Texans chose to move on from the longtime starter Johnathan Joseph in free agency and were able to retain Bradley Roby for a hefty price. However, depth became a major issue and in a pass-happy league, you can’t beat the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens or even the Indianapolis Colts if you don’t have a strong secondary.
The Houston Texans news and rumors going into the draft was they needed improvement in the secondary, and Reid helped fix that need as one of the two fourth round selections.
Reid was a major playmaker at Penn State, as evidenced by his 37 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, one sack, two interceptions, and eight pass breakups as a senior. He was even recruited coming out of high school by then-coach Bill O’Brien, so his familiarity with management definitely helps his case.
The former PSU cornerback has extremely high football IQ and is as passionate as they come, but his physical limitations bring up legitimate questions about his ceiling in the NFL. He is a prototypical size for a nickel corner, but that may be as far as he goes without significant development in coverage.
Reid faces an uphill battle while slotting below Roby, Gareon Conley, and Lonnie Johnson, though he is likely to compete for time with Phillip Gaines and Vernon Hargreaves. The Texan secondary was decimated by injuries and saw bottom-of-the-barrel players receiving significant playing time this past season, so that might be Reid’s best hope to make an early impression.
Realistic Expectations: 15 tackles, 2 pass breakups, major role on special teams
1. Isaiah Coulter, Wide Receiver- Rhode Island (Round 5, 171st overall)
6’3, 198 lbs, Age: 21
With the team’s final selection in the draft, the Texans vied for another weapon on offense who was described as a major sleeper from draft pundits. Isaiah Coulter played at Division II Rhode Island, which almost assuredly will create a humongous learning curve for him to adjust to this year. The major upside with this selection is that there is no rush to put Coulter on the field, as the wide receiver room is already fairly crowded after this offseason’s moves.
Coulter would traditionally slide into the slot based on his existing skill set, though he might be a bit too tall to play inside. After running a blazing 4.45 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, he is surprisingly one of the slower members of the Texans pass catchers.
Will Fuller, Kenny Stills, and the newly-acquired Brandin Cooks all clocked in under 4.4, and their places among the starting lineup are set in stone. Randall Cobb was the major slot signing in free agency as he made Texans news when joining the team. Cobb’s veteran presence may be a bigger benefit for Coulter than immediate playing time, so that should be watch this offseason.
Complicating matters further, Houston also has Keke Coutee and DeAndre Carter on the roster, but neither figured to play a significant role barring injuries this season. Coulter played well against top-flight competition, topping 150 yards against Virginia Tech in 2019.
Coulter may not post another 1,000-yard, eight touchdown season like he did last year, but he is an interesting piece to the jumbled puzzle that is the Texans offense.