Houston Texans Draft: D’Wayne Eskridge could be the 67th overall pick

There will be 66 players selected before the Houston Texans are currently scheduled to make their first pick during the 2021 NFL Draft, and though not ideal, it is where the Texans currently stand.

No team has sealed their fate by not having draft picks in the first or second round — this will be the third time in franchise history the Texans have tried this strategy, by the way — but the bright light at the end of the tunnel so to speak is there will be quality players available for the Texans to add to their roster.

The Houston Texans have some team needs that include improving as a unit on the interior defensive line, their pass rush at the edge, and the offense also needs to add depth at wide receiver as Will Fuller is no longer on the roster.

Looking at various draft guides, and researching players who have a late second- to early third-round grade, the Texans should feel comfortable they can draft a player who might not be a superstar coming out of college, but they have a chance to select a player who can help this franchise get back on track, starting with the upcoming 2021 season.

One such player the Houston Texans could be interested in is wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge, a wide receiver from Western Michigan. In a third-round mock draft by Chad Reuter, this offseason on NFL.com, the draft analyst has the Texans selecting Eskridge with the 67th overall pick.

This selection does make sense because the Houston Texans do need some help at wide receiver to go with Brandin Cooks, because right now besides him there are still a lot of questions surrounding the rest of the receiver depth chart.

The idea by Reuter for the Texans to select Eskridge is one many should come around to liking because though there is a big need for help at the edge or defensive line positions, the glaring need at wide receiver does stick out.

Houston Texans Draft: Learning more about D’Wayne Eskridge

Though stats and production from the collegiate level don’t always follow players to the NFL. Eskridge played parts of five seasons at WMU, as his two most productive seasons were in 2018 and 2020. In ’18, he caught 38 passes for 776 yards and three touchdowns. That was followed in ’20 — he played in just two games in ’19 — where Eskridge had 34 receptions for 784 yards and eight touchdowns, both career highs.

For his entire collegiate career, Eskridge totaled 2,260 yards receiving on 122 receptions. He also totaled 15 career touchdowns and 18.5 yards per reception. Also in ’20, Eskridge’s longest reception went for 85 yards in a game against Central Michigan University, a game where he finished with four receptions for 212 yards and three touchdowns.

After recovering from a broken collarbone suffered in ’19, Eskridge also returned kickoffs in ’20, where in 18 kickoff returns he totaled 467 yards with one touchdown, which went for a 100-yard return.

All of this said about D’Wayne Eskridge, there is still more from the 5’9″ wide receiver as his pro day 40-yard dash time was 4.35 seconds, meaning he could be excellent as a slot receiver for the Houston Texans. More than that, his potential as a kickoff returner could bring dividends as well.

If the Texans do decide on a wide receiver at 67th overall, Eskridge would be a nice pick here, though some mocks have him as a late second-rounder. If he’s still on the board, the addition of Eskridge would provide Houston a talented player who could provide some excitement to the roster in 2021.