5 players the Houston Texans are looking at with the 12th pick
By Peter Manfre
Joey Porter Jr., DB Penn State
I'll admit, I do not love the value of a defensive back this early with how deep of a class this is at the position, but some of the guys are just too good to pass up. I predict Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon to be gone by this point but if either is available I have them ahead on my board. That being said, drafting a defender with Porter Jr.'s pedigree, work ethic, length and skill set would continue to transform a pass defense that ranked just outside the top-ten last season.
In an NFL that's dominated by the quarterback position and with the number of wide receivers at the disposal of most of these teams, every team could use more cornerbacks. Adding him to the Texans' defensive backs room with last year's number three overall pick Derek Stingley Jr. and second-round Jalen Pitre would be awesome.
Porter Jr. has the frame and play strength to decide where the receiver is going to go within the first five yards of the large scrimmage. He can play in either a zone or man scheme and has an alpha dog mentality like his father. As Ryans continues to build a defense in his image and likeness, I believe the value of the aforementioned versatility and leadership will go a long way for the first-year head coach and his new defense.