5 Houston Texans CBs they need to draft in April

Early round prospects

TJ Tampa, Iowa State

The tall 6'1 CB had a productive 2023 season, totaling 44 tackles, three TFLs, two INTs, and seven passes defended in 12 games. Tampa excels in zone coverage and would benefit early by having Derek Stingley and Demeco Ryans in his ear right away. Tampa is recovering from a hamstring injury, and didn't participate in any on-field drills at the combine. Tampa's long 32" arms make it tough for QBs to find their target, and easy for Tampa to come up with breakups.

Max Melton, Rutgers

Melton, being more of a man coverage CB can play some zone, but he still may not be Houston's first choice. But his talent shouldn't go unnoticed. Melton came away with three INTs and six pass breakups in coverage last year, while making 32 tackles. He played the beginning of last season with a broken hand, showing his toughness on the field every week. Melton should be a starter right away in the league, and his versatility in different schemes makes him a Swiss army knife for Houston.

Cam Hart, Notre Dame

Hart tested well at the combine, running a 4.5 40, 39.5" vertical jump, and measured in at 6'3. Hart isn't much of a ball hawk, despite his length advantage. He totaled only two INTs in his college career, and 4 pass breakups last season. He may not be ready to start right away in week one, but by year two he'll be playing good football as the CB2.

My pick: TJ Tampa. He's the most pro-ready CB here and fits the Texans defense perfectly.