Houston Texans mock draft: Complete 7-round edition

For the first time since 2011 and just the second time his rookie season, inside linebacker Brian Cushing started all 16 games in the regular season.

This comes as a considerable improvement, given that the former Defensive Rookie of the Year has missed 22 games due to injuries during the previous three seasons. He also recorded a respectable 110 total tackles on the year.

But with Cushing entering the season at 29 years old, and with a lengthy history of injury troubles for the Texans’ longtime anchor in the middle of the defense, inside linebacker is an area where the team would be wise to build depth. And they could potentially target another former Pac-12 standout to become his eventual replacement.

Stanford’s Blake Martinez experienced a breakout season during his first year as a starter in 2014 and built upon that momentum as a senior this past season. The 6-foot-2, 237-pound Tucson, Ariz. native led the conference with 141 total tackles en route to earning second team All-American and first team All-Pac-12 honors.

Martinez needs to improve his ability to fend off offensive linemen at the point of attack, but his solid athleticism gives him the potential to grow into a full-time starter down the road.

Benardrick McKinney was easily the team’s top rookie performer last season, and with another strong addition at inside linebacker, Houston’s outlook at the position would become quite promising.

Next: Round 6