Houston Texans Draft: First 3 picks need to have strict focus

Houston Texans Draft: Look to Ohio State for a potential fourth-round pick

It is no secret the Houston Texans had one of the very worst rush defenses in all of the NFL in 2021.

In 2020, the Houston Texans defense was the third-worst overall in yards allowed per game in ’20 with only the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Detroit Lions below them. The 416.8 ypg allowed by the Texans defense last season included a total of 4,104 total yards allowed, where 2,564 of those yards were from the rushing game of their opponents, which made the Texans last place in the NFL in that category.

This season that needs to change, and though there have been changes on the defensive line, it would do the Houston Texans some good to use their 10th overall pick to add to the interior defensive line and add a player who can stop that rush. That player could be Ohio State defensive lineman Tommy Togiai.

Though he’s not the greatest pass rusher (yet), he is already solid against the rush, and he’s shown he’s very strong as his bench press at his pro day included 40 reps of 225 pounds. Being 6’1” and 296 pounds, Togiai is coming off a season with the Buckeyes where he collected 49 total tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss. He even had three sacks and forced a fumble, plus had three passes defensed. Togiai also ended the season as a second-team All-Big Ten selection.

When the fourth round arrives, and if Togiai is still on the board, the Houston Texans should be very interested in adding a player as talented as Togiai to their roster, as Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Togiai as a third-to-fourth-round grade in the 2021 NFL Draft.