The first round of the 2020 NFL Draft has come and gone. While fans were scared by the rumours of the Texans potentially moving up into the first round, BOB decided to stay put at #40. I think this was the right move; with the Texans already lacking draft capital, trading up would have just dug us a deeper hole.
Drafting near the top of the second round, the Texans have plenty of first round talent still available to them. Safety Grant Delpit, EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE A.J. Epenesa, and of course, LB/EDGE Zack Baun are my favourite options. There are also many other talents at positions of need for the Texans. Like:
Interior Defensive Line: Neville Gallimore, Marlon Davidson, and Ross Blacklock.
Safety: Xavier McKinney, Antoine Winfield and Ashtyn Davis.
Cornerback: Jaylon Johnson, Kristian Fulton and Trevon Diggs.
In front of the Texans in the second round are the Bengals, Colts, Lions, Giants, Patriots, Panthers, and Dolphins. The majority of these teams share the need for a high impact player on the defensive line. I would expect Gross-Matos and Epenesa to get scooped up before we go on the clock. These teams ahead of Houston also have needs at safety, so I would expect McKinney, Winfield, and possibly Delpit to be taken too.
No need to panic. The Texans are still in a good position. They don’t need to trade up. My hope is that Zack Baun, Neville Gallimore, and Marlon Davidson are still there at 40. Those guys should be at the top of Houston’s board.