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2019 NFL Draft: Houston Texans: 7-round mock

By Joe Romano

FOXBOROUGH, MA - SEPTEMBER 09: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans runs with the ball as Malcom Brown #90 of the New England Patriots attempts to tackle him during the second half at Gillette Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - SEPTEMBER 09: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans runs with the ball as Malcom Brown #90 of the New England Patriots attempts to tackle him during the second half at Gillette Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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OXFORD, MS – OCTOBER 21: Greg Little #74 of the Mississippi Rebels guards during a game against the LSU Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
OXFORD, MS – OCTOBER 21: Greg Little #74 of the Mississippi Rebels guards during a game against the LSU Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Round 1 – Pick 23

Greg Little, T, Ole Miss

Very few teams enter the draft with a positional focus if they are picking towards the bottom of the first round. Houston is the odd team that should only focus on a single spot. There is only one position that this pick can be, and that is an offensive lineman. The Texans allowed a league-high 62 sacks last season, a full six more than the second team on the list, the Dallas Cowboys.

Deshaun Watson may be one of the league’s most athletic quarterbacks in the league but he is still over a year removed from a knee tear that cost him a significant portion of time. Watson, the team’s franchise quarterback, needs to be put in a position to succeed and that starts up front.

Luckily the draft is rich with talented offensive tackles. Bad news for Houston is that the top three of the tackles were off the board in this round. For this pick it came down to Greg Little of Ole Miss versus Dalton Risner of Kansas State. While Risner may have been the better college player, Little has a potential I can’t see Houston passing up.

Little is an elite athlete playing the tackle position. The former 5-star recruit had an inconsistent career with the Rebels. However, it is easy to see why the NFL can and will fall in love with him. He is a mammoth 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds. He showcased great feet and strong pass sets despite that big frame. Two areas of his tape that show work as consistent effort and run blocking foot work. The latter of which can be fixed easier.

The effort concerns are real and is a big concern for such an an elite athlete. If and when he puts it all together he profiles as a long-time starter in the NFL at the left tackle position.

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