2017 NFL Draft: Houston Texans final grade
By John Buhler
Fourth Round
Julie'n Davenport
Offensive Tackle, Bucknell Bison
Bucknell Bison offensive tackle Julie’n Davenport is one of the many FCS players of great intrigue in this draft. He came to the 2017 Reese’s Senior Bowl with a ton of promise. Davenport showed in Mobile that he can at least temporarily hang with the Power 5 big boys in competitive drills.
However, he may only be a rotational right tackle in the NFL. Davenport can set the edge with the best of them, but can be exploited on the inside with a bull rush. Taking Davenport at No. 130 in the fourth round was a decent call by the Texans. It is debatable how much NFL upside this kid’s got.
Carlos Watkins
Defensive Tackle, Clemson Tigers
Houston is probably looking for a guy that can help recreate Vince Wilfork in the aggregate up front. The one-of-a-kind defensive tackle has probably played his last bit of football. Taking Clemson Tigers defensive tackle Carlos Watkins at No. 142 in the fourth round could be a high-value pick for the Texans.
Watkins was the wrecking ball on the defensive line of the national champions last fall. He can rush the passer decently on the interior. However, Watkins can lose his footing if he doesn’t get the right leverage off the snap.
Fifth Round
Treston Decoud
Safety, Oregon State Beavers
Houston may have needed to draft a defensive back to offset the loss of A.J. Bouye in 2017 NFL free agency. Going with a safety may help, but wasn’t third cornerback the primary issue of need in the Texans secondary?
Oregon State safety Treston Decoud may not play a ton right away in Vrabel’s defense. However, Houston does tend to lose key players on the defensive side of the ball to injury early in the season for whatever reason. He is a prime candidate for the Texans to coach up this fall. Keep in mind that Bouye was a former undrafted player out of UCF.
Seventh Round
Kyle Fuller
Center, Baylor Bears
Losing center Ben Jones to the Tennessee Titans two offseasons ago wasn’t great for the Texans. Jones helped make Houston’s AFC South rival Tennessee have one of the best offensive lines in football. Improved play at center will go a long way in getting the Texans offense back on track.
Houston opted to stay in-state and use its No. 243 pick in the seventh round on Baylor Bears center Kyle Fuller. Baylor may have played in an Air Raid offense, but Fuller seems to have some of the necessary traits that can withstand playing in that simplified collegiate offense. This could be another good value pick for the Texans.
Next: 2017 NFL Draft instant grades
Overall, Houston should be very satisfied with the seven players it drafted in 2017. Perhaps as many as five of these players could vie for serious playing time right away. Cunningham, Foreman and Watkins should have meaningful rotational roles as rookies. Davenport could see some action as well. Even Decoud and Fuller could be interesting building blocks going forward. Let’s be real, though. This draft was all about getting a franchise quarterback. Houston looks to have landed a great one in Watson.