The Houston Texans are working to improve their pass defense, and M.J. Stewart is here to help that.
When a team has the 22nd-ranked passing defense in terms of yards allowed, they need a bunch of help. That help resides in the name of former Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback M.J. Stewart. According to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, it is a two-year deal.
Stewart is coming to Houston after two seasons in Cleveland where had 69 combined tackles, 52 of them solo. Stewart also had two interceptions and one sack. In terms of his advanced stats that talk about how effective he was as a corner, they are as follows:
- 64 percent completion rate when targeted (36/56)
- 358 yards allowed
- Three touchdowns allowed
So while Stewart may not be the top-of-the-line free-agent cornerback to sign, he does bring the experience of covering some of the toughest receivers in the league that reside in the AFC North.
New #Texans from Houston Chronicle — Texans signing safety M.J. Stewart from Cleveland https://t.co/9V8tbOdlKT
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) March 15, 2022
Will the Houston Texans draft more cornerbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft?
The Texans should consider it in the second round, as the trenches remain the most important area of need for the team. If someone like Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner slides to the second round, then the Texans will have just nabbed themselves one heck of a steal.
Add in the return of Maliek Collins and the possibility of taking Kayvon Thibodeaux at the third overall pick, and this defense could have a night and day difference this year when compared to 2021.
Regardless, it’s better to have many players who combine to provide a good floor instead of having just one excellent player that makes the height between the floor and ceiling that much bigger.