The 2022 NFL Draft will be exciting for the Houston Texans, and here is an end-of-season mock draft to get the offseason rolling.
The 2021 Houston Texans season is in the rearview mirror, and now it is time to turn the page toward the ’22 offseason, which includes figuring out who can be added to make this team respectable, and not only that, but a team the rest of the league fears moving forward
This year’s draft is an important part of making the Texans better, and for at least this mock draft, the theme is adding to the defense, and no quarterbacks allowed. For this mock, one is assuming that Davis Mills is entering his second season as the starting quarterback of the Houston Texans.
He showed massive improvement from the start of the season to the final game played, and there seems to be a feeling he can be “the guy” for the Texans at quarterback, which helps general manager Nick Caserio in this draft by focusing a little more on the defense.
Next is a 7-round mock draft for the Houston Texans, as they currently have nine picks, and their first pick is the No. 3 overall selection with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions picking ahead of them.
Remember, no quarterback is being taken by the Texans in this mock draft, but there could be a surprise in Round 2 for the offense, even with the focus in this end-of-season mock draft being on the defense.
It is no secret the Houston Texans need a lot of help in their secondary, and why not add possibly the top defensive back in the entire 2022 NFL Draft, Derek Stingley Jr., with the third overall selection? The Texans must be better at cornerback in 2022, and with the franchise rebuilding the roster, it is time to finally get a young, game-changing cornerback who will be a difference maker from day one.
With LSU in 2021, the cornerback played in just three games before being injured, and in ’20 he played in seven games. But back in ’19, where he played in 15 games, that’s where he really showed what he’s capable of bringing to a team.
In ’19, the cornerback Stingley had six interceptions and 15 passes defensed, earning him All-American honors. He’s described as one of the very best defensive players in the draft, even with his foot injury that basically cost him this past season.
The Texans need the 6’1″ cornerback on their team because their current roster in the secondary isn’t that scary, but teams would eventually respect the Houston secondary once a player with the talent of Stingley Jr. joins the roster via the ’22 NFL Draft.
Here is where the fun begins because the Houston Texans really need help at running back, as the 2021 season was a bit of an embarrassment for the franchise when it came to running the football.
Other than Rex Burkhead, it would be best for the Texans to start completely over at the position, and a player like Kenneth Walker III of Michigan State is a very solid pick at 37th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, though the Texans might have to trade up a few spots to select Walker.
Houston’s leading rusher in ’21 was Burkhead with 427 yards and three touchdowns, all on 122 carries. The Texans need Walker III on their team as he is coming off a season playing in the Big Ten finishing with 1,636 yards with 18 touchdowns on 263 carries. He also caught 13 passes for 89 yards and one touchdown.
Having a player like Walker playing alongside Davis Mills and Rex Burkhead could be a nice way for the rushing game to help improve the offense. Add his athleticism and ability to break away from a defense with his speed, and the Texans could have a dangerous player here if still available at 37th overall.
The Houston Texans would be very smart to do what they have to do in order to get Walker on their roster in ’22. He would be a big difference maker for the offense, and his presence alone would make Davis Mills a better quarterback in year two.
For the 68th overall pick, the Houston Texans need to go back to the defense and back to the secondary as safety could be a concern in ’22. It seems that Justin Reid has played his final snaps with the Texans, and if Lewis Cine is still on the board in the third round, adding the safety would be a smart move.
Cine – who is a member of the Georgia Bulldogs’ national championship team – could be a productive player for the defense of the Texans, and a player who could add serious depth to a defense that needs it.
In ’21, Cine finished with 43 solo tackles, nine passes defensed and one interception. In the national championship game, he finished with six solo tackles against Alabama.
Bleacher Report has the following about Cine in a draft profile of the safety:
"“Cine is at his best when he has space between him and receivers, giving him time to see the play develop and react.”"
He might not be the very best safety in this draft, but he would be an addition fans of the Texans could rejoice in having on the roster in ’22.
Adding to the defense again in the third round, the Houston Texans need to look to the edge to add to their pass rush with their second third-round choice, this time with the 80th overall pick.
Houston could add the 6’3″ 256-pound Arnold Ebiketie to the roster as this mock draft keeps the focus on defense in the third round. Bleacher Report spoke highly of Ebiketie in their draft profile of the edge rusher, stating the following:
"“Ebiketie is a dangerous pass-rusher off the edge. His first step will not amaze anyone, but everything afterward is a marvel.”"
The Texans were average with their edge rush in their first season with Lovie Smith as their defensive coordinator. If they can add a “dangerous” pass rusher like Ebiketie, who proved he can improve as he was a much better player at Penn State in his final season than he was at Temple earlier in his career, then imagine how much better he can become with a coach like Lovie Smith guiding him in the early stages of his career.
With this pick, it is time to add to the running game once again, but this time with an interior offensive lineman, and here is where the Houston Texans need to welcome Tyrese Robinson of the Oklahoma Sooners.
Robinson does well with his run blocking, and though it could use some improvement, his pass blocking is above average, and protecting Davis Mills is a key component of this offseason too. The addition of Robinson would allow the Texans to make some changes to their offensive line, and the interior lineman could earn a starting role for Week 1 depending on the changes made to the current o-line.
The Texans need more depth at linebacker, so let’s go back to the Big Ten and take a closer look at Micah McFadden of Indiana. While at IU in ’21, he had 49 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks and one forced fumble. McFadden played four years for the Hoosiers, collecting 14 total sacks in his final three seasons.
Danny Gray could be a surprise at wide receiver in the sixth round. Gray had 82 receptions in two combined seasons at SMU, totaling 1,251 yards and 13 touchdowns in a total of 18 games. The wide receiver stands at 6’1″ and has very good speed, as he can play on the outside. Speed is important when it comes to scouting Gray.
This would be a pick for more depth at cornerback and the secondary, plus to stay on the roster his role in the special teams would be important. Special teams needs to keep improving for the Texans next season.
This is a long-shot pick as well, but it is fun to end the draft with a pick that could be the biggest surprise of all. The Texans need to look everywhere possible to add depth at cornerback, so why not look at D’Jordan Strong and give him a shot?
With this pick being around No. 245 (it was originally a Dallas Cowboys pick), taking a flier on the Coastal Carolina cornerback isn’t such a bad idea at this point of the 2022 NFL Draft for the Houston Texans.