Daniel Jeremiah says Houston Texans draft secondary

Will the Houston Texans draft secondary with the third overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft?

In his most recent mock draft at NFL.com, Daniel Jeremiah has the Houston Texans making an interesting choice with the third overall pick but selecting a player who could help make the secondary better than it has been in recent memory.

That player is Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, and if the Houston Texans make this pick at No. 3 overall that means – at least according to Jeremiah’s mock draft 2.0 – the Texans will be passing on Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oregon and Travon Walker of Georgia. That would be the case if the Texans were ever interested in those two pass rushers, which is also a big need for the Texans entering the 2022 NFL Draft as their team sack total wasn’t the greatest in ’21.

In his Mock 2.0 draft, Jeremiah wrote the following about Hamilton and the Texans joining forces with the No. 3 overall pick:

"“I wouldn’t be shocked if the Texans tried to trade down from this spot. They have so many needs. If they stay here, Hamilton’s versatility and playmaking ability would make a lot of sense.”"

There is not much substance in his description as to why the Texans would select Hamilton or why the Jaguars or Lions would pass on him with the first two choices. What Jeremiah did write that made some sense is the Texans might move down in the first round and trade the third pick. That means the Texans either gain more draft capital by trading that pick or adding a player to their roster who is already in the NFL.

Houston Texans: Hamilton played in 7 games for Notre Dame in 2021

While with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2021, Hamilton played in just seven games and still had three interceptions and ’19 solo tackles.

If there was a guess here, it could be safe to assume the Houston Texans could easily trade down in the first round for a lower first-round choice and possibly gain another Top 100 choice in the draft, as they currently have four picks (No. 3, No. 37, No. 68 and No. 80) in the Top 100, which is the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Add that possible trade, added with the potential to gain at least one first-round pick in this draft for Deshaun Watson in a trade of the former franchise quarterback of the Texans, and there could be even more choices to be made in the Top 100 picks.

Don’t be confused if the Texans decide to draft Hamilton. It could be a great decision once the games start, but safeties really aren’t selected with the third pick of any draft. That trend could stop when the Texans make their decision, but if there is a high-level pass rusher available when the third pick takes the clock, the surprise would be if the Texans didn’t select either Thibodeaux or Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson when the pick is made.

If you were the Houston Texans, who would you select with the No. 3 pick of this draft?