Draft season is slowly creeping upon us; first up is the Senior Bowl set to take place this Saturday, February 5th.
The NFL playoffs are well underway while we are under two weeks away from the Super Bowl, and most teams have already begun preparing for the offseason. The Senior Bowl will take place the weekend before the Super Bowl this year and will feature one of College Football’s deepest senior classes in quite some time.
From top QB prospect Kenny Pickett from Pittsburgh to North Dakota State’s rising star Christian Watson who has been flying up teams draft boards in a very deep WR class. Let’s take a look at five prospects competing in this year’s Senior Bowl game.
Houston Texans should keep their eyes on Jeremy Ruckert of TE Ohio State
Jeremy Ruckert is a 6’5 250 pound tight end out of Ohio State; Ruckert is currently projected to be a 3rd round draft pick. Although he only had 26 catches for 309 yards and three touchdowns, Ruckert set career highs in both catches and yards.
It didn’t help that Ruckert had to share targets with Chris Olave and Garret Wilson, who are both expected to hear their names called in the 1st round this upcoming spring.
Ruckert is a big-body tight end that would add another red-zone weapon for the Houston Texans’ offense next season. Although Houston fans may not be thrilled to use yet another draft pick on a tight end, it would give them two young tight ends to build around in Brevin Jordan.
Brian Robinson Jr. from Alabama is another runner that could help the Houston Texans
Brian Robinson Jr. is an electrifying force at RB, with a wrecking ball frame (and we’re not talking about Miley Cyrus here) that comes in at 6’1 226 pound workhorse for the Crimson Tide this past season.
He had 271 carries for 1,343 yards and scored 16 total touchdowns this past season alone; furthermore, he never fumbled the ball in 545 total carries. His frame is similar to former Alabama RB Najee Harris, who stands at 6’1 and is 229 pounds.
Now physically, he has the tools to become a force in the NFL like many former Alabama running backs have. However, it’s always tough to grade RB’s who come from Alabama as they constantly have 1st round talent on the offensive line coming in and out.
Would Robinson Jr be successful behind an offensive line like the Texans? Although Brian Robinson Jr may not be Isaiah Spiller or Kenneth Walker III, he would be a great addition later in the draft that allows the Texans to focus on other needs early on as he is currently projected to be a 4th-5th round pick.
Third on the Houston Texans Senior Bowl watch list: Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor
In what is a very deep defensive draft, Texas native Jalen Pitre is a six-foot-tall, 191-pound safety who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and makes all the right plays. However, with the potential loss of Justin Reid in free agency, it might be time to start looking at some potential replacements in the draft.
Whether the Texans select Kyle Hamilton with the 3rd pick or look at other options, Pitre is projected as a late 2nd-mid 3rd round pick and is someone who should absolutely be on their radar this upcoming draft.
Pitre lined up in multiple positions on defense, flashing his versatility this past season, securing 75 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. The Houston Texans need a swiss army knife on defense, and Pitre would prosper in that role.
Pitre could even become the new leader of the defense, as it wasn’t really clear who that was on defense last year. That will be sorely needed to make progress for Houston in 2022.
Houston Texans can bolster their weapons with NDSU’s Christian Watson
Christian Watson is an absolute beast on the field, standing at a whopping 6’5 208 pounds, he is easily one of the biggest receivers in the draft this year.
The Texans have many needs this offseason, and retooling the offense with a big body threat like Watson would go a long way in improving their receiving corps.
Watson would give fellow wide receiver Brandin Cooks another young receiver to mentor. Watson has all the tools to become an elite WR at the next level; the only question is if he can continue that success against tougher competition.
The Houston Texans will get a good look at that this Saturday when he faces some of his toughest matchups yet; including Auburn’s Roger McCreary.
It will be exciting to watch Watson get some playing time. This game could make or break his draft stock, as Watson is currently projected to be a mid to late 3rd-round pick.
Could the Houston Texans swoon over Liberty’s Malik Willis?
Now it might sound crazy to think the Houston Texans would draft a quarterback in consecutive years (assuming the Texans trade away Deshaun Watson). Still, it is the Texans we’re talking about- so you can never rule anything out.
In what isn’t a very deep quarterback class compared to recent years, it would be shocking to see more than three quarterbacks taken in the first round.
Kenny Pickett and Matt Corral are likely the only two signal callers that should be taken early on; however, a team usually gets desperate to select someone they think is their guy.
Willis started the season strong getting considerations for being a top ten pick at one point, but as the season went on, his play began to slowly decline, making it tough to determine when he will be drafted.
Willis can go anywhere from the late 1st to the early 3rd round of the draft. Willis also easily has the highest ceiling of any quarterback prospect this year, but he also has the lowest floor.
It would be interesting to see who the Texans hire as head coach and if they’ll have an impact on selecting a QB like Willis, who is a big-risk, big-reward kind of player.