The Texans have made some correct decisions for the defense
Finally, the Houston Texans are getting some respect this offseason, at least when it comes to the defensive rookies added during the 2022 NFL Draft.
The list by Chad Reuter of NFL.com has two rookies from the Texans defense in his projections for the NFL All-Rookie Defensive Team for 2022. That’s saying something because the team has only 14 total players for defense and special teams combined.
Houston’s defensive representatives are linebacker Christian Harris and safety Jalen Pitre, both who could either be starters or at least players mixed into some sort of rotation during their first year in the NFL.
Not on the list though is third overall pick Derek Stingley Jr., as the projections had Kaiir Elam of the Buffalo Bills and Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets make the list over Stingley Jr.
Other than that omission, Houston fans must be thrilled to see two of their rookies on this list, because if the Texans want any sort of success on defense in the coming years Harris and Pitre will be a huge part of improving over last season.
Texans: Defense will actually be fun to watch grow and improve in 2022
General manager Nick Caserio and head coach Lovie Smith had to see big things in both players as Pitre was selected in the second round (37th overall) and Harris was a third round pick (75th overall).
Houston could have a gold mine in the near future with some of the young defensive talent currently on the roster, and remember the old saying goes: “Offense wins games, but defense wins championships.”
If that is the case for Houston, the addition of Harris and Pitre (plus Stingley Jr.) is an excellent start to achieving championship success, with patience being the key in the restructuring and rebuild of the defense.
As for Ruter’s NFL.com article, when mentioning Harris at linebacker he wrote this of the rookie from Alabama:
"“Harris’ ability to cover, rush the passer and attack running lanes should put him in position to win a starting job early in the year.”"
As for the safety Pitre here is some of what was written on NFL.com:
"“Pitre seems to regularly find the ball whether blitzing, avoiding linemen to get to running backs or staying with slot receivers and tight ends in coverage.”"
When thinking about the upcoming season, the Texans can surprise many if the rookies get off to a solid start.
More than that, if those players can help and make the Houston defense consistent, and make the opponents respect them when it comes to both the pass and rush defense, then things can start improving when it concerns wins and losses.
Harris and Pitre are two important pieces of the rebuilding process, and the Texans should be tankful they have both players on their roster. Eventually when the offense and defense is completely built the way the GM wants it — and both units gel together — it will be a time for excitement for Houston fans.