2019 NFL Draft: Houston Texans: 7-round mock

Round 4 – No Pick

Round 5 – Pick 162

Ugo Amadi, S, Oregon

Houston was able to find a potential starter in safety Justin Reid last year. Reid fell in the draft, for still unexplained reasons, and the Texans snatched him up. With Tyrann Mathieu likely out the door via free agency, and Andre Hal a potential cap casualty, Houston would be wise to spend a pick on a safety.

Oregon’s Ugo Amadi could be a Mathieu replacement. Obviously he is not the level of the honey badger but he could play a similar role. Amadi spent most of his time with the ducks in a slot role around the line of scrimmage. He’s a good athlete who is not afraid to run players up the seam and stick on their hips. Amadi is tailor-suited for the Mathieu role in the NFL. He’s not the biggest player but he has the skills in the slot that NFL teams will crave. With a defined role Amadi would be a great pick for a young defense.

Round 6 – Pick 197

Alize Mack, TE, Notre Dame

Tight end may not pop off the page as Houston’s biggest need but the depth of this class could lead them to dip their toe in the water. It would not be smart to cannonball in with a top-100 pick but at the back end of day 3, it’s a good idea. There are tons of players with potential here, including Utah State’s Dax Raymond and Boston College’s Tommy Sweeney. At the end of the day Notre Dame’s Alize Mack was the pick.

Mack is a potential starter given his traits. He’s a big athlete at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds. Mack struggled to get on the field his sophomore and junior year for various reasons but has a strong senior campaign last year. He’s not a strong blocker yet but has the frame and footwork to at least get in front of people. Where he will make his mark early in his career is down the seam and in the red zone. Those are two players where his good ball skills and hands can excel. Mack would push the incumbents immediately for playing time and help an already talented passing game.

Next: Best NFL player from each state

Round 7 – Pick 222

Martez Ivey, G, Florida

Late in the draft, a good strategy is to grab former high recruits who has lackluster college careers. That is a strategy that limits risks and could lead to steals. A candidate for Houston to do that with is Florida’s Martez Ivey. The former five star recruit really never grew to much for the Gators other than a solid college starter. He’s got experience at both tackle and guard. His best spot in the pros is at guard where he can use his big frame to bully some people.

Ivey is also a good athlete that can pull and push some people. He lacks the mean streak needed to be a consistent starter. There is a ton of work to do with Ivey in his technique. For a team with huge needs up front like Houston this is the low-risk, high-reward pick that could pay huge dividends.