Oct. 21, the Houston Texans risked it. In trading a third-round selection to the Oakland Raiders for 2017 first-round pick Gareon Conley, Houston banked on the Ohio State product’s potential over his production.
Conley has played seven games for the Texans since the trade. Houston’s defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel likes what he sees.
“I thought he did all right,” Crennel said on Thursday in response to his expanded playing time. “He’s done a nice job for us. I feel good about him.”
The Texans are tinkering with their cornerback lineup heading into the postseason. It appears Conley will act as a starter in a group that tends to rotate play himself, Bradley Roby, Vernon Hargreave and Johnathan Joseph.
According to Pro Football Reference, Conley is allowing a 92.4 passer rating in coverage in Houston, as compared to 130.6 in Oakland in 2019. On the year, with the Texans, he has 22 combined tackles and nine pass deflections.