2022 NFL Draft: Texans Trade Up Again To Select Alabama Linebacker Christian Harris At No. 75

With their third selection on day 2 of the draft, the Texans selected Alabama inside linebacker Christian Harris at No. 75 overall after trading up with the Denver Broncos.

The trade marked the second time of the evening the Texans traded up, and also the second time the team jumped the Baltimore Ravens to select a player out from their impending grasp. The Texans gave up #80 overall and #162 overall to acquire the #75 pick from the Broncos.

Harris becomes the third defensive player selected by Houston in 2022, and projects at the all-important middle linebacker role for Lovie Smith’s base Tampa 2 defense.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had this to say regarding the 21 year-old Harris:

Long, athletic inside linebacker whose strengths and weaknesses could make him a target for a move outside. Harris’ lack of desired recognition will result in missteps and mistakes that could prove much more costly on the NFL level. However, he could thrive as a chase-and-hit, weakside linebacker, where he can play faster. He can handle some coverage chores but it’s not his strong suit. Harris has the physical attributes and athletic ability to make plays as an eventual starter but he might lack three-down versatility.

The Texans did not select Nakobe Dean (LB out of Georgia), who still remains undrafted as of the 78th pick in the draft. Dean was often rated as a first-round player this draft and appears to have had some medical red flags that are causing teams to pass on him.

Barring yet another trade, this will be the final pick from the Texans tonight. What do you think of the pick? Let us know in the comments below.