The Houston Texans currently don’t have a selection in the 2021 NFL Draft until the 67th overall selection, but Marvin Wilson is a player who could be on the board by then, and he would help the interior defensive line improve in 2021.
Wilson is 6’5 and weighs in at 305 pounds, and has four years at FSU, recently finishing his senior season. Wilson played in 553 snaps in 2018, and in 2019 played in a total of 509 snaps. This past season Wilson had just 229 snaps played in six games, including making five starts in 2020.
In that time frame Wilson finished his season with two tackles for loss, and even had one sack as a defensive tackle. Wilson also collected a total of 17 tackles in his six-game season, and according to his official FSU profile, Wilson also had two QB hurries, and get this … three blocked kicks, which is a stat that goes unnoticed, but would be helpful for the Texans’ special teams.
Marvin Wilson is also scheduled to play in the 2021 Senior Bowl on Saturday (Jan. 30), and in a recent article by Bleacher Report, Wilson is described as a player who “could have gone pro last year,” and “can be explosive off the snap.”
In the Bleacher Report article by Tyler Brooke, the following is said about Wilson:
"“He did a better job using technique and active hands in 2020 rather than just relying on his size and quickness to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.”"
Everyone knows that the defense of the Houston Texans was maybe the worst overall in the NFL, especially at stopping the running game of the opponent. The Texans allowed 2,564 rushing yards this past season on 493 rushes against them. That equaled 5.2 yards per carry, and 24 rushing touchdowns allowed. The Texans also allowed 145 first downs via the rush.
Houston Texans Draft: Wilson would be factor in rebuild of defense
The Houston Texans need to rebuild most of their defense, and if things are as they seem, there will be some new players in a Texans uniform in 2021. The Texans didn’t find a replacement for D.J. Reader last offseason — who left via free agency in 2020 — and Ross Blacklock didn’t have the proper offseason in 2020 to prepare for the NFL as a rookie.
After being selected in the second round last year, it will be interesting to see how Blacklock responds to a real offseason entering his second season on the Houston Texans defensive line.
Blacklock still has much potential, but the Texans need to build a solid interior defensive line, and that’s where Wilson comes in to help, as it will take more than Blacklock to have a proper d-line rotation in Houston.
It is also being reported that Lovie Smith is the defensive coordinator for the Texans in 2021 as that is who new head coach David Culley has chosen to take over for Anthony Weaver, who is now with the Baltimore Ravens.
Changes are being made with the Texans, and if Wilson is available at 67th overall for the team in the 2021 NFL Draft — and with Smith as the new defensive coordinator — it would make sense to add a player with Wilson’s talent to work with a veteran coach like Smith.
The Houston Texans need to add a playmaker or difference maker up front in the middle of the defensive line. If Wilson can transition his game to the NFL level, he would be a very nice selection in the early stages of the third round, and help the defense be respectable again, starting in 2021.