2018 NFL Draft: Biggest need for each team
By Conor Dorney
Houston Texans: Offensive tackle
The Texans spent much of their top-tier draft capital to move up for Deshaun Watson last season and now find themselves in a tough spot to address some of their most critical needs. Most importantly, the Texans will need to strengthen their line at tackle in order to protect the aforementioned Watson.
Houston was rumored to be fond of former Patriot Nate Solder in free agency, but after Solder signed with the Giants, they find themselves with very few options on the open market. The trade of Duane Brown to the Seahawks last season left perhaps a more difficult hole to fill than the team originally anticipated.
Thankfully for the Texans, the team has three picks in the third round (one of which came from Seattle in the Brown trade), and figures to be able to package perhaps two of them to move up into the second round. There, Houston could potentially pounce on an ultra-athletic tackle with upside like Pitt’s Brian O’Neill, Texas’ Conor Williams or former TCU Horned Frog, Joseph Noteboom.
The team may trust in last year’s fourth-rounder Julie’n Davenport, but Davenport likely isn’t quite ready to be flung in to the fires of being a starting left tackle in the NFL. Davenport’s 47.6 grade from Pro Football Focus on 2017 certainly doesn’t bode well for Deshaun Watson if he does in fact end up as the starter in Week 1.
With their franchise quarterback already in place, the Texans now must work to protect him at all costs in order to avoid Deshaun Watson becoming David Carr 2.0.