National mock draft has Houston Texans selecting a DE with third overall pick

In a mock draft on CBS Sports, the Houston Texans are going defense with the third pick.

Would it be a surprise if the Houston Texans select a pass rusher with the third overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft? In a national mock draft by Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports, he has the Texans going with a defensive end.

The defensive end he has falling to the third overall pick is Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson. If this were to happen, there should be zero complaints because the Michigan EDGE player will be a difference for any defense he joins in the NFL.

In his mock draft, this is what Trapasso wrote about the possibility of the Texans selecting Hutchinson and how he’d work with their defense:

"“Hutchinson and Jonathan Greenard formulate a dangerous young edge-rushing duo in Houston.”"

What is unique about this mock draft on CBS Sports is the fact that the other top-ranked defensive end in the ’22 draft class — Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oregon — isn’t selected until the 8th overall selection to the New York Giants.

So this means, according to the mock draft by Trapasso, the Texans are more favorable to select Hutchinson rather than Thibodeaux, which is interesting. Also, this has the Detroit Lions passing on Hutchinson which is tough to fathom too, but it could happen.

Texans: For the first time in a few years the NFL Draft brings early excitement

This is what makes the ’22 NFL Draft so exciting for fans of the Houston Texans. It isn’t the fact the team actually still is in possession of their first-round pick in two years — the last time the team made a first-round pick was 2019 — but at this moment in time in late February, nobody knows exactly who the Texans are selecting with the third overall pick.

It could be Hutchinson, but who is to say the Jacksonville Jaguars or Lions don’t put a wrench into those proposed plans as they could take him with the first or second overall pick, or one of those teams could trade their pick and move back in the first round. The same could be said about the Texans, because who knows what general manager Nick Caserio and head coach Lovie Smith want to make this roster into?

Do the Texans want to focus more on defense, or do they want to make their offense better? Would they really surprise a lot of folks and draft a quarterback with the first-round pick? Another question is will the Houston Texans have more picks in their possession if they are able to trade Deshaun Watson before the draft takes place?

It is tough to remember where there has been so much excitement and a little bit of drama mixed in for a Texans draft. In recent years, the first-round pick was involved in the deal for Laremy Tunsil — which is another player who is rumored to be involved in trade discussions — so actually having the third overall pick this year beings some much-needed excitement this April.

Excitement and hope are exactly what the Houston Texans need with this draft, and if drafting Hutchinson is the reason for the excitement, then the defense could be bringing many more cheers than they brought a season ago

If that happens, it could mean more wins for a team that is rebuilding the roster one player at a time in 2022.