Texans Mock Draft 2022: Post-Deshaun Watson Trade

With Deshaun Watson gone, it’s time for the Houston Texans and general manager Nick Caserio to kick his rebuild into second and third gear. An overhanging distraction last fall, it’s all about ball now for a franchise on the heels of consecutive four-win campaigns.

Primed with 10 overall selections, including two top-15 picks and the opportunity to pluck five players off the board in the top 100, the Texans are finally trending upward and should enter the fall with a healthy influx of youth on both sides of the ball.

Using our Mock Draft Machine, I looked at which prospects Houston could, and should, target when the draft rolls around. Here is my seven-round mock, including scheme fit, on each prospect:

ROUND 1 (NO. 3 OVERALL): KYLE HAMILTON, S, NOTRE DAME

Stop getting tricky when it comes to Kyle Hamilton. The top player in the entire class, his impact will be felt from the moment he steps into Houston’s facility. A modern-day combination of size, speed, and strength, adding an apex defender to the caliber of the former Notre Dame standout is a must-add here at No. 3 overall. Head coach Lovie Smith is in desperate need of talent on defense, and grabbing the BPA in the entire class to kickoff his draft class is a heck of a start to his tenure.

Whether you ask him to work in single-high as the lone centerfield safety, come down in the box and blow up run plays, or range sideline to sideline as a ball-hawking defender, if there’s one player in this draft I would bet on developing into an All-Pro, it’s Hamilton.

ROUND 1 (NO. 13 OVERALL): JERMAINE JOHNSON, EDGE, FLORIDA STATE

Hamilton at No. 3 and Jermaine Johnson at No. 13? Sign me up.

Two areas of major need for Houston, while Smith is expected to masthead head coaching duties and relay in defensive calls, the addition of one of the most gifted pass-rushers in the class should see him enjoy immediate success on Sunday. A fast riser in a top-heavy edge class, this was a popular spot for Michigan’s David Ojabo before he suffered a torn Achilles at Michigan’s Pro Day, but Johnson, a pro-ready talent with explosive feet and refined technical ability, is a premier player at a premier spot.

ROUND 2 (NO. 37 OVERALL): KYLER GORDON, CB, WASHINGTON

Defense, defense, and more defense. Texans faithful, trust me, I’m looking for a tackle, however, with many of the premier tackles off the board, shoring up the backend with Kyler Gordon, a corner with inside/out versatility and the knack for eliminating wideouts in both man and zone, could be the optimal scenario for Houston with Desmond King II and Lonnie Johnson Jr. set to start opposite each other in Week 1.

ROUND 3 (NO. 68 OVERALL): ISAIAH SPILLER, RB, TEXAS A&M

Outside of Arian Foster, Houston has lacked pop in the backfield since the Texans’ name was introduced, and that must change if Houston will look to diversify its offensive attack and lift the pressure off of second-year signal-caller Davis Mills’ shoulders. Arguably RB1 in the class, grabbing Isaiah Spiller in the third round is a heck of an amount of value for a team with Rex Burkhead as RB1. Lightning-quick in-between the tackles with extra juice as he breaks toward open grass, keeping Spiller in his home state should allow him to blossom into a nice offensive piece.

ROUND 3 (NO. 80 OVERALL): DARIAN KINNARD, IOL, KENTUCKY

A tackle in college, Darian Kinnard’s days as a pro will come on the inside, where his powerful hands and strong lower half will mask his limitations and limited flexibility in his ankles/hips. He has a long way to go if he ever wants to evolve into the dominant mauler talent evaluators believe he could be, but with fresh legs and a nasty streak to boot, he’s a positive addition along the front five.

ROUND 4 (NO. 108 OVERALL): CORDELL VOLSON, NORTH DAKOTA STATE

Don’t look at the decal on the helmet when it comes to the country-strong presence of Cordell Volson. A massive man at 6-foot-6 and a dominating presence in the run game, his biggest area of improvement will be in stymying the quickness of wide-nine rushers. But if all comes to fruition, he’ll be a heck of an early-day-three add as a day-one-ready tackle and a prospect whose best football remains down the road.

ROUND 6 (NO. 183 OVERALL): REGGIE ROBERSON JR., WR, SMU

Brandin Cooks is still in town and the team drafted Nico Collins in the third round last spring, but that doesn’t mean the team should be done adding juice on the perimeter. While I wouldn’t be shocked if Caserio addressed the position earlier in the selection process, grabbing a physical talent like Reggie Roberson Jr., who is alignment versatile due to his pro-ready frame of 200-plus pounds, and his skill set would present an intriguing talent to slot in as a depth option for Mills.

ROUND 6 (NO. 205 OVERALL): COLE TURNER, TE, NEVADA

After drafting Brevin Jordan last year, adding a massive man in Cole Turner in 12-personnel could throw some unique looks for defensive coordinators to counter. A smooth mover with venus fly traps for hands, Turner—at worst—provides a big body in the run game and could present Mills with a massive catch radius in the red area.

ROUND 6 (NO. 207 OVERALL): AMARÉ BARNO, EDGE, VIRGINIA TECH

Amare Barno is a project and a half, but for a team in need of athletes, Barno fits the blueprint. A long, explosive athlete that ran 4.37 at the combine at 246 pounds, he has a long journey ahead of him in refining his game as both a defender in the ground game and a player that would be able to consistently push the pocket, but the tools are there—that should be more than enough for Caserio to take a swing for the fences here in the sixth round.

ROUND 7 (NO. 245 OVERALL): ZYON MCCOLLUM, CB, SAM HOUSTON STATE

Although good athletes don’t always make good football players, it was a joy watching Zyon McCollum work live at the Senior Bowl, and there isn’t a doubt he will be able to make an impact on an NFL roster with his mirroring ability and value as a special teamer. Reps will only allow him to improve, and teams can never have enough corners.