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Mock drafts. Folks love ‘em. You love them as a way to think of new players the Houston Texans can add. I love them because I learn about players I never watched before.
This offseason is setup to be a sad affair for mock drafts when it comes to the Houston Texans. They traded their first round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, along with other things, for Laremy Tunsil, and most mock drafts stop after the first round.
Take ESPN for example. Todd McShay published his latest mock. He has the Miami Dolphins taking an outside linebacker with the Texans’ first round pick:
26. Miami Dolphins (from HOU)
Zack Baun, OLB, Wisconsin
Miami is back for a third turn, and as promised, it checks another box here with a quick, versatile edge rusher in Baun. His game jumps off the tape, and his 12.5 sacks show what he can do when he’s turned loose on the quarterback. But Baun is no one-trick pony, displaying the ability to play in coverage, too. Find the ball and you’ll find Baun. The Dolphins sacked the quarterback a league-low 23 times in 2019, and Taco Charlton led the team with five. By taking Baun, they continue what they started in 2018 in rebuilding that defensive line (first-round pick of Christian Wilkins) while also taking one of the best players available.
Houston could trade back up into the first round in April. They do have the 57th overall pick. They could trade a compensatory pick along with No. 57 to move into the first round. Maybe they will. Maybe general manager Bill O’Brien doesn’t haven enough time to scout an entire draft class and can only focus on one round instead of seven. I hope the Texans don’t trade up; they need more picks, not less.
SB Nation has a two round mock draft. Praise be. Publish more of these, please. Dan Kadar of Mocking The Draft has the Texans selecting J.K. Dobbins. Kadar had the following to say about the pick:
57. Houston Texans: J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State
Huh. I guess that’s it.
What do you think of Dobbins? Would this be bold, shrewd, or stupid? Do you think the Houston Texans should trade up? Talk about it below. You have the entire afternoon.