3 NFL Draft prospects the Houston Texans need to stay away from

Payton Wilson, LB, NC State

Wilson has the athletic ability to be a playmaker in this league, and teams aren't taking that away from him. But he has a lengthy injury history in high school and college. Two ACL tears, a shoulder injury, and multiple hamstring injuries before he even makes it to the pros is cause for concern, and something he's going to get asked about in pre-draft interviews.

Like I said, the talent is there. He has enough talent to make him a first-round pick. 138 tackles, 17.5 TFLs, six sacks, three INTs, and six passes defended is pretty impressive. But Houston needs players who can remain healthy and play clean football throughout the season to maximize their window in CJ Stroud's rookie contract. With LBs who can produce and don't have injury concerns projected in round two, the red flags outweigh the potential reward that Wilson gives a team.

Wilson turns 24 before the draft, and three season-ending injuries at that young age usually shortens a player's career drastically. A good example is recently retired Dallas Cowboys LB Leighton Vander-Esch. Leighton only played six seasons in the league, and three of those seasons were 10 games or less. Wilson has a chance to be another Leighton Vander-Esch type of player, and the Texans are drafting for the long haul.