Texans NFL Draft Big Board: Drake London, Ikem Ekwonu and other potential early-round fit
By
Aaron Reiss THE ATHLETIC
3h ago
Every team says it picks the best player available in the
NFL Draft, but the
Texans are one of the few in position to really follow that approach.
As general manager Nick Caserio prepares for the second season of a long rebuild, the Texans still have needs everywhere. The lone exception in the 2022 draft might be at quarterback, where the Texans appear prepared to start 2021 third-round pick
Davis Mills for at least this season.
So many needs and a lack of draft history under Caserio, who made five picks in his first draft as GM, make it hard to narrow the pool of potential targets. But with the help of
Dane Brugler’s draft guide, “The Beast,” we identified some possible Day 1 and Day 2 fits for the Texans.
Drake London, WR, USC: Standing almost 6-4 and weighing 219 pounds, London has the most prototypical size of the top tier of receivers in this draft. The former basketball player can win 50/50 balls, but he’s also a pretty fluid athlete for his size. He primarily played in the slot during his first two seasons at USC. He’d immediately be one of the Texans’ most well-rounded receivers.
Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama: With Brandin Cooks now under contract through 2024, speed is not necessarily the Texans’ greatest need at receiver, but Williams could be hard to pass up if he falls to No. 13, when the Texans make their second pick in the first round. If not for a torn ACL in the national championship game that could delay Williams’ pro debut, he’d maybe be WR1 in this draft. And if any team can afford to be patient while betting on upside, it’s the Texans.
Evan Neal, OT, Alabama: The Athletic’s Nate Tice
mocks Neal to Houston at No. 3 overall. He’s maybe the most polished all-around tackle in this class, and he played left guard, right tackle and left tackle at Alabama. That positional versatility could be handy for a Texans line that’s in flux pretty much everywhere other than at left tackle.
Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State: Brugler ranks him as the top offensive linemen in this class and has previously mocked him No. 1 overall. Ekwonu, who played left tackle and left guard in college, has movement traits to be an elite run blocker. That might be appealing to Caserio after the Texans finished last in
rushing DVOA for the second straight season.
North Carolina State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu could help the Houston Texans’ improve the league’s worst rushing offense. (David Rosenblum / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa: More of a project than Neal or Ekwonu, Penning could be an option for Texans at No. 13 overall, or perhaps even a bit later in the draft if Houston trades back. He’s raw after playing offensive line for just one season in high school, but he displayed impressive growth — both on the field and in the weight room — at Northern Iowa. At 6-foot-7, Penning is likely a tackle only. Drafting him would mean
Tytus Howard probably starts at guard for the Texans in 2022.
Zion Johnson, OG, Boston College: After transferring from FCS Davidson, Johnson became Brugler’s top-ranked guard in this class. If the Texans are able to trade back from No. 13 into the 20s to draft Johnson, they could make a major improvement to their line while picking up additional assets.
Kenyon Green, OG, Texas A&M: Green could go late in Round 1 or possibly be available to the Texans at No. 37 overall, in the second round. He struggled with penalties throughout his college career, but his versatility is attractive: He was the only college player to play 80-plus snaps at four different offensive line positions in 2021, lining up everywhere but center.
Kayvon Thibodeaux, edge, Oregon: There’s annually a prospect subject to odd criticisms about his personality and off-field interests. This year, it’s Thibodeaux. Once viewed as a potential No. 1 overall pick, Thibodeaux might fall behind Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson and Georgia’s Travon Walker to be available to the Texans at No. 3 overall. The Texans are in desperate need of a Pro Bowl-level edge rusher to complement 2020 third-round pick Jon Greenard, and Thibodeaux is arguably as good an option as any in this draft.
The Athletic’s Diante Lee considers him to have
a higher ceiling than Hutchinson and a higher floor than Walker.
Jermaine Johnson, edge, Florida State: An option at No. 13 or perhaps even a bit later in the first round, Johnson led the ACC in sacks (12), TFLs (18) and forced fumbles (2) while playing in a four-man front during his lone season at Florida State.
Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia: The Texans have greater needs than defensive tackle, but Lovie Smith has said his defense starts at the three-technique spot, and Wyatt is the best three-technique in the class. On a talented Georgia defense, he led all Bulldog defensive linemen in tackles the past two seasons. The 13th overall pick would probably be a little rich for a defensive tackle, though, so he makes more sense if Houston trades back.
Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia: The Texans’ linebacking corps is a collection of veterans on short-term deals and 2021 fifth-round pick
Garret Wallow, so Dean could make an impact right away. Dean is on the smaller end at 5-11, 231, but Caserio hasn’t stocked the position with more traditional run-thumpers, so that might not be an issue.
Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. could give the Texans an impact player at a premium position. (Derick E. Hingle / USA Today)
Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU: His best production came during LSU’s national championship season in 2019. That might be alarming to some, but Stingley offers
superstar potential at a premium position. Smith said he prioritizes ball skills when evaluating corners, and Stingley recorded a combined 32 pass breakups and interceptions in 25 collegiate games.
Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, CB, Cincinnati: At 6-foot-2, Gardner is a couple of inches taller than Stingley and a more physical corner. He thrives in bump-and-run coverage that allows him to stay in a receiver’s pocket. That might not be as ideal of a fit for Smith’s zone-heavy system, but Gardner is Brugler’s CB1.
Kyle Hamilton, Safety, Notre Dame: Safety is arguably the Texans’ thinnest position after losing
Justin Reid in free agency. Picking the ultra-versatile Hamilton, the draft’s top safety, would allow the Texans to fill the many different holes in their secondary.
Day 2
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State: Walker is Brugler’s No. 1 back in this class. He transferred from Wake Forest to Michigan State before running for more than 1,600 yards in his lone season as a full-time starter. With 263 carries in 2021, Walker proved he could be the workhorse the Texans’ backfield is missing. Like a lot of college backs, he’s unproven as a receiver. But according to Pro Football Focus, he led the nation last season in broken tackles, a stat that tends to be sticky from college to the
NFL.
Brain Robinson Jr., RB, Alabama: Robinson finally got his chance to be the Tide’s lead back during his fifth and final year in Tuscaloosa. He averaged five yards per carry in Bill O’Brien’s pro-style scheme and showed upside as a receiver (35 catches for 296 yards). Robinson is an option if the Texans choose to wait until the middle rounds to address one of the sport’s less-valued positions.
Khalil Shakir, WR, Boise State: Slot receiver was a rotating door for the Texans in 2021. Shakir, who averaged 121.5 all-purpose yards during his junior and senior seasons, could offer some stability. He’d be an option in the return game, too.
Jelani Woods is a TANK
pic.twitter.com/ZrGfCaN9B5
— Justin Penik (@JustinPenik)
April 19, 2022
Jelani Woods, TE, Virginia: The Texans are currently set to run it back with an underwhelming pair of inline tight ends in
Pharaoh Brown and
Antony Auclair. Woods is a mid-round option who could help the Texans right away as a blocker. He also has the potential to be an asset in high-leverage situations, as he used his 6-foot-7 frame to produce a first down or touchdown on 70.5% of his receptions in 2021.
Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota: An Australian native, Faalele
didn’t suit up for a football game until his senior year of high school, but his large frame — currently 6-8, 384 pounds — was enough to get the attention of college programs. However, his size also limits his range and speed. At the next level, he’s likely to stay at right tackle, the position he played in college.
Dylan Parham, OG/C, Memphis: At 6-2, 311 pounds, Parham is best suited to play center in the NFL, but he was a guard and tackle in college. Still,
The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner
loves his consistently savvy use of leverage in the run game. The Texans have center
Justin Britt on a two-year contract, so they can be patient while Parham adjusts to center.
Cameron Thomas, edge, San Diego State: He’s an average athlete but possesses a nose for the ball in the backfield, as evidenced by his 20.5 TFLs and 11.5 sacks in 2021. He likely won’t be as productive on a play-to-play basis in the NFL, but he has the prototypical size (6-4, 267) to be an every-down edge rusher in Smith’s four-man front.
Matthew Butler, DT, Tennessee: As mentioned when discussing Wyatt above, defensive tackle isn’t one of the Texans’ biggest needs, so it might make more sense to add to the position in the middle rounds with a player like Butler. He doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher, but he’s a scheme-versatile three-technique who got better every season at Tennessee.
DT | #7 – Matthew Butler, Tennessee
Isn't a pure one-gapper or two-gapper, but has enough play strength and athleticism to operate in either capacity.
6’4”, 297… Impressive games against tougher competition like Bama.
pic.twitter.com/Lxsv6fVeLb
— Judge Mathes (@JudgeMathes)
March 5, 2022
Joshua Williams, CB, Fayetteville State: Currently holding 11 picks in this draft, the Texans can afford to take a few big swings, especially after Day 1. Williams is just that, having played corner for one season in high school and just two at the Division II level. His background as a receiver gives him the ball skills Smith covets (24 pass breakups and five interceptions in his last 20 games), and the Texans can afford to be patient while refining his technique as an outside corner.
Alontae Taylor, DB, Tennessee: A college corner who could move to safety, Taylor profiles as a potential core special teams player, according to Brugler. Not exciting, but the Texans need to build that depth in the middle rounds.