2018 NFL Draft: Houston Texans 7-round mock
By Joe Romano
Round 4 – Pick 105
Sam Jones, G, Arizona State
Sometimes a team needs to double-dip at a position of need. An extreme example would be what the Washington Redskins did with Kirk Cousins and Robert Griffin III. A less extreme example would be a year ago when Dallas drafted a corner in rounds two and three. This is the case for the Houston Texans and the interior of their offensive line.
After drafting developmental tackle Julian Davenport a year ago, the need at tackle is a little less entering his second season. Where the team really needs to address is the guard spots. Earlier in the draft the team grabbed Iowa’s James Daniels. This time they go get Arizona States’ Sam Jones.
There is a chance both rookies could make an impact if this is how the draft plays out. It would enable the Texans to let Xavier Su’a-filo walk in free agency and have young cost controlled players manning the middle.
Jones is an intriguing prospect. When the guard position is mentioned, most people think big bulky bruisers who dominate the run games. Jones is a big man but he is more adept at pass blocking from the guard position. That is good news for Deshaun Watson.
He has a big frame that an NFL team could add some bulk to. His excellent feet and reactions to inside stunts show that he has the technique and mental processing to excel at the next level. For Houston, grabbing two interior offensive lineman in one of the better classes, would be a wise decision.