Houston Texans: Is Offense or Defense the Pick at #3?

As the NFL Combine wraps up today, the Houston Texans are in the thick of the 2022 NFL Draft season.

That said, fans are currently in research mode, wondering which prospects will be joining their favorite team come April. This is no different for Houston Texans fans. Coming off a 4-13 season, all eyes are on the future for Houston.

Equipped with the number three overall selection in the upcoming draft, the Texans have an excellent opportunity to grab a difference-maker.

Perhaps the biggest question surrounding Houston, though, is will they go offense or defense with the third overall pick? Below, the case will be made for one player on each side of the ball, starting with one of the most polarizing offensive linemen in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Houston Texans offense has to protect Davis Mills- but will they do so?

The Houston Texans certainly don’t have a lack of holes to fill this offseason. After all, they do have the third overall pick for a reason. That, however, doesn’t mean Houston is utterly devoid of talent. Enter second-year quarterback Davis Mills.

Mills showed enough flashes as a rookie to likely lead to him getting another chance at being the guy for Houston this upcoming season. This time with a little more help, hopefully. That’s where this potential draft selection comes into place.

NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu is one of the top offensive tackles in this upcoming class and would be a perfect addition for the Houston Texans.

Ekwonu excels in two key areas. The first is his run blocking ability. In 2020, Ekwonu led NC State with 50 pancake blocks and 22 knockdowns. If Ekwonu gets his hands on you in the run game, you’re going down.

Then comes the second area, and perhaps the selling point for Houston. Ikem Ekwonu’s versatility is off the charts. In 2020, he earned All ACC honors at both the tackle and the guard spot.

After ending the season as the 29th ranked offensive line (PFF), the Texans could undoubtedly use all the help they can get. This, along with reports of a potential Laremy Tunsil trade, makes Ekwonu a preferred target for Houston.

Now the NC State tackle isn’t the perfect prospect. His pass protection could still use some cleaning up. It, however, is improving, as Ekwonu’s sacks allowed dropped from seven in 2020 to three in 2021. With a little more coaching, Ekwonu could develop into an elite pass protector.

But what about the other side of the ball? Moving on to the potential defensive selection.

Houston Texans have at least one prospect that wants to play in H-Town

There are not many other ways to put it; the Houston Texans’ defense was bad in 2021. They finished near the bottom of the league in all the major statistical categories (total yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, points per game allowed, etc.). But help could soon be on the way.

Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux should have Houston’s full attention. After being regarded as a potential number one overall pick for most of his career, Thibodeaux’s stock has slipped ever so slightly to the point where the Texans may have a chance at selecting him with the third pick. Thibodeaux has also expressed his desire to play for Lovie Smith in his defensive lineman-friendly system.

This could be a blessing for Houston. After finishing tied for the fifth-fewest sacks as a team, Thibodeaux would make an impact right away. The Oregon All-American ended his career with the seventh-most sacks in school history (19) and had 34.5 tackles for loss.

While Thibodeaux has clearly shown the ability to be a dominant pass rusher, one potential concern has started to gain steam surrounding the defensive end. Apparently, questions have surfaced regarding his work ethic and passion for football. Thibodeaux has denied these claims by saying, “If you knew the adversity I’ve gone through, you wouldn’t question my drive.”

Even still, these reports may be enough to shy the Texans away from Thibodeaux in the top three.

The offense wins out in the first round for the Houston Texans

Ultimately it comes down to the general manager, Nick Caserio, and head coach Lovie Smith’s philosophy on team building. If they want to truly see what they have in Mills, then Ekwonu should be the pick. What happens in the NFL nowadays is that teams seem to be able to float around .500 if the offense can be decent.

Those defenses on that team might not be that good, but offenses are the main point scorers anyways. Houston also lacked any ground game last year, and it sank the offense every week besides the Chargers game.

If both of them are simply set on team building as a whole, Kayvon Thibodeaux is the move. Thibodeaux would bring an attitude (in a good way) to the defense that would finally have a vocal leader after it wasn’t entirely clear who it was last season.

Either way, the Houston Texans will be leaving the draft with a difference-maker, and we will see what happens on draft night.