2022 NFL Draft: Week Twelve Updated Draft Order

Last week your Houston Texans were just a half game out of the #1 overall pick race, behind the Detroit Lions, who have to win a game sooner or later, right? Well, all that changed when the pride of H-Town football went into eastern Tennessee and utterly embarrassed the Not-The-Oilers this past Sunday. And, by “pride of H-Town football” we’re not talking about the Houston Roughnecks.

That’s right, the stripped down, no star player, faceless franchise went into the house of the “best team in the AFC” and beat them like a rented mule. For those keeping track at home, the Not-The-Oilers get to cement this loss in modern era NFL history as the first time a franchise has been so utterly shamed since 1970.

Dear Tennessee fans: You’re welcome for the honor the Texans bestowed on you.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand—the 2022 NFL Draft.

Bleacher Report

Houston looks like it is in a three-team fight for the No. 2 overall pick. The Texans, New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars all sit at 2-8 after Sunday’s Week 11 games.

1. Detroit 0-9-1

2. New York Jets 2-8

3. Jacksonville 2-8

4. Houston 2-8

5. New York Jets (via Seattle 3-7)

6. New York Giants (via Chicago 3-7)

7. New York Giants 3-6

8. Philadelphia (via Miami 4-7)

9. Atlanta 4-6

10. Washington 4-6

NFL.com

#4 Houston Texans

2-8 · .561

Biggest needs: QB, OL, WR

Week 12 opponent: vs. Jets

CG: Whether to re-sign Tyrod Taylor or draft a face-of-franchise quarterback shouldn’t be considered mutually exclusive choices for the Texans. Given the scope of the rebuild necessary, there’s a good argument for doing both.

While there’s still no consensus #1 draft pick in place, there are a set batch of names that seem to come up each and every week as NCAA players who will hear their names called early in April’s NFL Draft.

Sporting News

While there’s no surefire top quarterback prospect entering the 2022 NFL Draft, there is a franchise-altering player; Oregon defensive end Kavon Thibodeaux, who’s spoken of in the same vein as another No. 1 overall pass-rusher, Myles Garrett.

There’s an intriguing crop of quarterbacks who could wind up as first-round selections, including Liberty’s Malik Willis, Mississippi’s Matt Corral and Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett. While anything can happen between now and next April, Spencer Rattler and Sam Howell have seen their draft stock take a hit in 2021.

In addition to Thibodeaux, Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson and Purdue’s George Karlaftis could be solid consolation prizes for teams looking for a solid pass-rushing presence in the immediate term.

LSU cornerback Derek Stingley could be the first defensive back off the board in a draft that could be a little lighter on playmaking DBs.

Willis, Hutchinson, and Stingley have all been mocked to the Texans of late. While Willis might require some coaching up to be a franchise QB, he has the potential. Hutchinson is most likely a plug-and-play starter for the next decade. Stingley is the wild card in the bunch, with a lot of negative press out there questioning his work ethic and durability despite the fact that he’s clearly the most talented DB in the current draft pool.

None of that matters right now since the Not-The-Oilers fans are busy hiding in the box of shame after your Houston Texans embarrassed them in front of the world last weekend. Sure, it dropped our draft stock, but it was worth it.

Not-The-Oilers