2022 NFL Draft: Houston Texans: 7-round mock

The Houston Texans have a ton of draft capital to get better as a football team this spring.

After not having a first-round pick a year ago, the Houston Texans have a top-three selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.

No doubt about it, Houston earned the right to be picking third because the 2021 Texans stunk. While they were competitive and played hard for their former head coach David Culley, he was shamefully one-and-done. Though promoting former defensive coordinator Lovie Smith from within makes some sense, how the Texans handle their nine draft picks will shape their season.

Here is the latest 2022 NFL mock draft for the Texans. Who do they end up taking in this one?

Houston Texans Mock Draft – First Round

If Evan Neal does not go to the Jacksonville Jaguars No. 1 overall, it would serve the Texans to take the star offensive tackle out of Alabama with the No. 3 overall pick. There are only a handful of players worth using the top overall selection on, and Neal would be one of them. He played an instrumental role in helping Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young win the Heisman Trophy.

Prior to that Neal, played along the same offensive line that saw Mac Jones win the Davey O’Brien and a national championship in 2020, as well as the tail-end of the Tua Tagovailoa era under center in Tuscaloosa. Though Houston may be reluctant to take a player who was coached up by former head coach Bill O’Brien, now is not the time for the Texans to be painfully stupid again.

There are only a handful of players they should take at No. 3. If they want help out on the edge, they can pursue pass-rushers like Aidan Hutchinson out of Michigan or Kayvon Thibodeaux out of Oregon. If they are looking for a stud in the defensive backfield, Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton would make a great deal of sense. However, Neal getting past the Texans at No. 3 is madness.

The Texans need to get a can’t-miss, blue-chip prospect at No. 3, and Neal would suffice that.