The second fifth-round pick for the Houston Texans on Saturday afternoon saw them draft for defense, and that player was Garret Wallow, a linebacker from Texas Christian University.
Before this selection, the Houston Texans drafted a quarterback, wide receiver and tight end all in the third and fifth rounds, and with Wallow being the second fifth-round pick in the draft, this was an interesting pick to say the least.
Houston made some trades in the fifth round, and with this 170th overall selection, they drafted a linebacker who some are saying, as B/R NFL Scout Justis Mosqueda wrote, that Wallow will contribute to special teams early in his career.
The Texans do need to build for the future, and it is the franchise’s own fault they had to draft a linebacker in the fifth round of this draft, but there was a need of a pass rusher off the edge that they should have looked at earlier in this draft.
In his ’20 season at TCU, Wallow had just three sacks (according to ESPN.com), as he played 47 snaps on pass rush last season in 10 games. Pro Football Focus projected Wallow as a sixth-round pick, and they described him as a “solid linebacker you can trust in the middle of your defense.”
That moment when you get the call.
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Houston Texans Draft: Wallow was a solid player at TCU
That is the good news for the Texans, and apparently new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith has to be a fan of Wallow’s as well or the Texans wouldn’t have traded up from No. 174 to No. 170 to make the pick.
Other stats for Wallow for the ’20 season at TCU included 50 solo tackles, one pass defensed and three forced fumbles. This is a nice depth pick for the Texans, and a pick that has potential for future seasons, but most likely not the 2021 campaign, which is OK because it is obvious the Houston Texans will have their struggles this upcoming season.
Time will tell how Wallow will contribute to the Houston Texans in ’21, but if he can be used in a way to the best of his skill-set, that means he’ll most likely play on special teams, and that’s an area where the Texans need improvement.
Defensively, Wallow is known for his tackling ability, but he won’t have time on the defense because right now the middle of the Texans defense at linebacker is Zach Cunningham and Christian Kirkley, so those will be two players that will be tough to jump on the depth chart.
Overall, this is a pick with potential, but for now, look for Wallow to be on the special teams as he works on his craft under Lovie Smith and the Houston Texans.
Draft Grade: C