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NFL Draft results 2015: Houston Texans take Kevin Johnson with No. 16 pick

By Josh Criswell

Feb 23, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons defensive back Kevin Johnson catches a pass in a work out drill during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons defensive back Kevin Johnson catches a pass in a work out drill during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Houston Texans bring us back to another team that finds themselves on the cusp of the playoffs, despite owning the No. 1 pick in the draft just one year ago.

The player they took with that pick has not exactly panned out, as JaDeveon Clowney spent his rookie season facing the same work ethic and injury issues that plagued him while at South Carolina.

By no means are the Texans looking for his replacement yet, though, and with the organization parting ways with longtime Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Johnson this offseason, finding a receiving threat to pair with 2013 first round selection DeAndre Hopkins is an absolute must.

Even with instability at the quarterback position and an aging star in Johnson, whose impact was nowhere near what it was in the past, Houston still managed to remain right in the midst of the playoff hunt until late in the season.

Whoever takes the reigns at quarterback is going to need another weapon to flank Hopkins so that he is not faced with double teams on nearly every play. Unfortunately, top receiver prospects Amari Cooper, Kevin White and DeVante Parker were already taken by the time Houston was on the clock at pick No. 16.

Doral Green-Beckham was by far the most talented receiver left on the board, but would the Texans, an organization that prides itself on having a roster filled with high-character guys, bring in arguably the most troubled player in this year’s draft? What about the extremely talented Breshad Perriman?

They would not. In fact, the Texans would not select a wide receiver at all.

Houston picked Kevin Johnson a cornerback out of West Virginia with the No. 16 pick in the first round. While I understand that Jonathan Joseph’s contract is up after the year, I do not like the pick for the Texans.

Johnson is a wonderful prospect that can play both man and zone coverage, and is extremely adept as a ballhawk. Although I think wide receiver was more pressing, Johnson will be a nice asset to have when you consider that Andrew Luck is an elite quarterback that constantly gives Houston headaches.

He is a great pick for the long-term, but now the Texans will have to hope a solid receiving threat is available in the second round.

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