The Houston Texans have a spot to fill on the edge at defensive end, and a player who could be worked into that position through the 2021 NFL Draft is Ronnie Perkins of Oklahoma.
Perkins should be available by the time the third round rolls around, and currently the Houston Texans have the third pick of the third round, which is the 67th overall selection. The Texans need to rebuild their defensive line with the departure of Watt, so the draft makes perfect sense to work on that process.
Last year, the Houston Texans selected defensive tackle Ross Blacklock in the second round, and though there is still learning to be done, the defensive tackle gained valuable experience in his rookie season to use toward year two with the Texans and in the NFL.
The Texans also have a new defensive coordinator with veteran coach Lovie Smith taking over the position, and Smith has seen it all in the NFL and more recently at the collegiate level as head coach at Illinois, so who better to learn from for younger players than a coach with the knowledge of Smith? The new defensive line coach for the Texans is Bobby King, who was the linebackers coach for Houston last season.
The Houston Texans have built their coaching staff the way they believe will work best for the franchise. Now it is time to add players that will be the rebuild of the defense, a unit that was one of the very worst in the entire league last season.
Highest pressure % against power five OLs last season:
— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 13, 2021
1. Nik Bonitto - 26%
2. Tyreke Smith - 22%
3. Azeez Ojulari - 21%
4. Ronnie Perkins - 19% pic.twitter.com/C8ZEhH44m2
Houston Texans Draft: Learning more about Ronnie Perkins
Gaining Ronnie Perkins in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft would be a nice addition, but one that would have to come with patience from those in charge and hard work for improvement from Perkins himself.
Pro Football Focus on their Draft Board has Perkins as the 61st overall rated player in the 2021 NFL Draft, and that is saying something because there are many talented players in this draft. Perkins had some solid stats in his final season with the Oklahoma Sooners in 2020, including 16 solo tackles and 5.5 sacks in six games played. In the Cotton Bowl against Florida, Perkins had three solo tackles.
In the Big 12 Championship Game against Iowa State, Perkins had 1.5 sacks. One of his best games was against Oklahoma State in late November, as he had three solo tackles, and two sacks.
There are questions on the off-the-field issues of Ronnie Perkins, so with who seems to be calling some of the shots within the Texans organization, that could be an issue with the prospect Perkins joining the Texans, as he was suspended for the first five games of the 2020 season.
In an article over at NFL Mocks, John Blair wrote the following about Perkins’ draft status:
"“When it comes down to where Perkins goes in the 2021 NFL Draft, he is going to have to go to a team that is willing to take a risk on a player’s background.”"
It will be an interesting draft for the Houston Texans, but if the Texans aren’t willing to take a chance on Perkins if he’s still available in Round 3, then they’ll be making a big mistake.
Some mocks have Perkins going into the first round, so it is no exact science where Perkins will land. That said, the Houston Texans need help on the edge, and Perkins’ pass rush ability would help in the rebuild process and would improve the defense at the 2021 NFL Draft.