They did?
Houston Texans
Round 1 (23): OT Tytus Howard, Alabama State
Round 2 (54): CB Lonnie Johnson, Kentucky
Round 2 (55): OT Max Scharping, Northern Illinois
Round 3 (86): TE Kahale Warring, San Diego State
Round 5 (161): Edge Charles Omenihu, Texas
Round 6 (195): CB Xavier Crawford, Central Michigan
Round 7 (220): FB Cullen Gillaspia, Texas A&M
Day 1:
Houston surprised many inside and outside of the PFF office when they selected former Alabama State offensive tackle Tytus Howard. He held up very well in his time against FBS competition, pitching a shutout on 38 pass-blocking snaps against Auburn this past season. He also had the highest win rate of any tackle in the 1-on-1s at the Senior Bowl. However, slotted as the No. 56 overall player on PFF’s board, he’s still a reach at pick No. 23.
“Now, I like Tytus Howard. I think he’s a good offensive tackle prospect. He is a bit of a reach, still.”
– Pro Football Focus’ Lead Draft Analyst Mike Renner
Day 2:
Weighing in at 6-foot-2, 213 pounds at the Combine, Kentucky cornerback Lonnie Johnson is another long cornerback with a ton of potential going onto the NFL. He earned a 72.0 coverage grade and allowed an 84.0 passer rating when targeted in 2018, ranking outside the top-50 draft-eligible FBS cornerbacks in both categories. However, he is only potential until proven otherwise, and he will need to get a lot better in the NFL to see the field and thrive as a starter.
Another small-school product now playing offensive line for the Texans, Northern Illinois standout Max Scharping earned 87.0 pass-blocking grades every year of his career as a four-year starter for the Huskies.
A combination of positional value and low-floor potential in the NFL left San Diego State tight end Kahale Warring on the outside looking in regards to our final top-250 list.
Day 3:
Houston’s first two picks of Day 3, Texas edge defender Charles Omenihu at No. 161 and Central Michigan cornerback Xavier Crawford at No. 195, were both great, great value picks. Omenihu was much more of a run-first player at Texas, but he flashed pass-rushing ability when he was given the green light to attack. Not many pass-rushers have his combination of size, length and athleticism. Crawford earned an impressive 82.4 coverage grade across his 331 coverage snaps in 2018, allowing just 15 receptions from 38 targets for 162 yards and one touchdown in the process.
DRAFT GRADE: BELOW AVERAGE