The Houston Texans didn’t enter this draft with a lot of assets, as the team looks to recover from former head coach Bill O’Brien’s last two years. Nobody envied the position the front office was put in with no picks in the first two rounds. That said, for the team to enter the night with eight picks and a lot of holes, five selections is a light haul. The Texans weren’t going to flip their fortunes overnight in the 2021 NFL Draft, but they had a rough first go of it, right from their first pick.
Make sure to check out all of our 2021 NFL Draft Team Recaps.
Best Pick: Nico Collins (Round 3, Pick 89)
Had team management handled their draft better, they wouldn’t have needed to trade up to grab Collins midway through the third round. With as late as Houston was entering the draft, snagging Collins was a no-brainer. At 6’4”, he’s the kind of big target any quarterback needs in a pinch, especially in the red zone. He’s not a first option receiver, but he’s an option in a receiver room that’s relying on Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb, and Keke Coutee.
Grade: A+
For more on Collins, check out our scouting report on him here.
Worst Pick: Davis Mills (Round 3, Pick 67)
The only quarterback that should be the focus of the Texans right now is Tyrod Taylor and giving him something to be competitive with. Houston may be hoping to find some magic in the third round with Mills, as Dallas did with Dak Prescott or Seattle with Russell Wilson. Mills is not either of them. His limited experience of 11 games at Stanford is not what this team needs now or in the future. Edge rusher Joseph Ossai out of Texas was still available. Trey Sermon would’ve added some youth to the running back room and could contribute right away. Jabril Cox was on the board as well. Any one of these players could help bring some identity. Mills was a waste of a selection.
Grade: D
For more on Mills, check out our scouting report on him here.
Sleeper: Brevin Jordan (Round 5, Pick 147)
Deshaun Watson likes to target his tight ends, and whether it’s him or Taylor under center this season, they’ll like Jordan. The major issue with Jordan is his injury history. He missed three games in 2020 but still had over 550 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. A back injury also kept him out of a couple of games in 2019. If he can stay on the field, Jordan plugs in immediately and could stand out as a rookie.
Grade: A
For more on Jordan, check out our scouting report on him here.
Summary
With the offseason that Houston has had, and now combined with their draft class, the team looks poised to land in the top-10 for next year’s draft. The good thing is that they’ll be able to make their selection, too, as the supply of draft picks restocks finally. Maybe that’s part of the plan. Since the team did not attempt to move into the first two rounds this year, 2021 feels like a tryout year for a lot of players to earn a spot on the 2022 roster rather than actually competing in the fall.
Overall Grade: C
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @ptsportstalk
Follow Jonas Clark on Twitter @jarkclonas
Main Image Credit:
Embed from Getty Images
