Is cornerback really the top priority for the Houston Texans?

Cornerback has become one of the most sought-after positions in the NFL in the modern era. Ever since NFL executives have made playing defense nearly illegal with all the rule changes, making sure receivers don't catch the ball has become as important as ever. After all, if you can't tackle a ball carrier or sack the quarterback without incurring a penalty flag for playing the game it seems, what's the next best alternative?

Deflecting passes. Until the NFL makes that illegal, which we all know is possible at this point, making sure you have guys who can do that is important. That's why cornerbacks have become so valuable. With more offenses running three or four wide receiver sets for a majority of the game, teams have cut down on the number of other positions they carry and now focus more on cornerbacks and safeties over anyone else, aside from guys who can rush the passer.

So it's not surprising to hear that people want the Texans to have the best collection of cornerbacks possible, that way they can best defend the pass, but are the Texans so needy at cornerback that they need to spend draft capital on the position early in the draft?

According to websites like Battle Red Blog, the Texans should prioritize cornerbacks, namely Kamari Lassiter and T.J. Tampa out of Georgia and Iowa State respectively. Now, both guys have upside and could be huge for the Texans but cornerback isn't so in need that you have to spend a second-round pick on the position.

While the Texans didn't hit any home runs at the position in the offseason, they did a decent job improving the group by acquiring Myles Bryant, re-signing Desmond King II, and taking a flyer on Jeff Okudah.

It's not the Legion of Boom but it's a solid group of corners, save for Okudah. Add those other two to Derek Stingley Jr. and you have a trio of corners who can hang with most of the receivers in the NFL. You still want to add another corner but you can wait until you address the offensive line and safety positions first.