Since the arrival of head coach DeMeco Ryans in 2023, the Houston Texans have commanded some of the top offenses across the league. With the 2026 NFL draft less than a month away, Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio will look to add to one of the top defenses in the league. One player they have marked as a potential draft target is South Carolina defensive back Jalon Kilgore, who the Texans have brought in on a visit.
Houston's defense finished the 2025 season tied for the fourth fewest yards per play given up. To add to last year's success, the team added Super Bowl champion defensive back Reed Blankenship. Finding a player in this year's draft who will make an immediate impact in the secondary is unlikely, and Caserio will need to use his earlier picks to address other needs.
Jalon Kilgore, despite not being a projected first-round pick, has decided to declare for the draft as a true junior. Since the introduction of NIL, it has become less common to see players who are projected outside declare for the draft if they still have eligibility. This makes Kilgore an ideal later-round development project.
Kilgore Can Bring Versatility and Physical Play to Houston
The Measruables
Height | 6'1" |
|---|---|
Weight | 210 lbs |
Arm Length | 32 7/8" |
Hand Size | 9 3/8" |
40-Yard Dash | 4.4 seconds |
10-Yard Split | 1.56 seconds |
Vertical Jump | 37" |
Broad Jump | 10' 10" |
Data via NFL.com
Kilgore is the versatile player coaches love to get their hands on. While he primarily played in the slot, he also has the ability to play safety. In his freshman season, PFF credited him with 198 snaps at free safety. After, South Carolina elected to play him primarily in the slot, which brought out the best in Kilgore as a run defender. Over the past few seasons, NFL teams have become more open to having a player take snaps at both safety and in the slot. Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch has played safety and slot corner for the team depending on the position.
Consistently, Kilgore uses all 32 7/8" of his arms to shed blocks and make plays in the run game. For a defensive back, he plays exceptionally physically, which is hard to find. According to PFF, Kilgore had 34 tackles in the run game, the most among Gamecocks defensive backs. Poor play in the run game from corners often gets overshadowed but could be the difference between a few-yard run or a run over 10 yards. Ryan already has shown an interest in physical corners, having drafted and developed Kamari Lassiter, who is one of the more physical corners in the game.
Kilgore also has a knack for football, with eight interceptions and 18 pass breakups over his three seasons at South Carolina via PFF. Turnovers can completely flip the script of a game, and having a player who can routinely make them is huge. The Texans' defense ranked third in the NFL with 28 takeaways, and adding another defenseman who can come away with the ball will help them remain one of the most dominant defenses in the league.
Kilgore's Weakness Come in the Form of Coverage
For a player who has taken as many snaps as he has at corner, Kilgore has his struggles in man coverage. Kilgore has a hard time following wide receivers, especially once they break on their route. If he is having this issue at the college level, he is going to have a challenging time adjusting to the speed and fluidity of NFL slot receivers. Many attribute this struggle to tight hips, which fortunately for Kilgore and the team that drafts him, this issue can be fixed over time.
Kilgore will also need to improve his tackling form. As mentioned earlier, he shows great effort in the run game and gets involved, but on many of his tackles, he ankle picks the ball carrier. This may be something he can get away with in college, but it will be much harder to pull off at the next level. Once again, this is another issue that can be corrected with the right system in place, but if not, it could be a lingering issue that costs teams in the ground game.
The Verdict: Solid Player but Bad Timing
Kilgore has many desirable traits for a defensive back, and in a world where the value of the slot corner position has grown, his unique ability to play it only drives up his value. However, Kilgore would have a hard time cracking the Texans' starting secondary, and it is hard to justify using a day two pick, especially a second-round pick, on a player who will not have a clear role right away. In their secondary, the Texans have multiple high-end players and have already invested significantly at that position.
The Texans have plenty of other needs they must fill if they hope to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in franchise history. I do not think it makes sense to draft Kilgore before day three for Houston unless they believe he is by far the best player available. For a team that needs to have a successful year, they cannot afford to pick another defensive back that early in the draft.
However, if Kilgore were to fall to pick 106, the sixth pick in the fourth round, that may be the perfect time for Houston to draft him. It would be hard to identify another player of that talent level on day three, and it is an ideal time to draft a player who will make an impact on special teams, something Kilgore is very capable of. That then sets up Kilgore to become a potential starter if the Texans elect not to extend one of their current defensive backs.