2. lb akeem davis-gaither, appalachian state
The senior linebacker could fill the void Dylan Cole would leave behind if the Texans can’t work out a new contract with their special teams ace. That is partly the problem of taking Davis-Gaither at 57th overall: he would be a special teams player. The rookie wouldn’t be supplanting Benardrick McKinney or Zach Cunningham for an inside linebacker spot. The 6-2, 215-pound linebacker produced 101 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, an interception, and eight pass breakups in 14 games for Appalachian State.