The Houston Texans selected former Texas defensive end Charles Omenihu in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Omenihu made the most of his limited opportunities as a rookie, recording three sacks and two forced fumbles for the Texans. More importantly, he’s drastically improved as a player this offseason.
Head coach Bill O’Brien has alluded to the fact that Omenihu looks like a different player heading into his second year in the league. He’s stronger and has certainly improved his technique.
Omenihu hasn’t just stood out to the coaching staff. He’s had one of the best camps of anyone on the roster, safety Justin Reid certainly took notice.
“I’ve seen Charles Omenihu take real big strides this camp,” Reid said. “Usually you see it in guys coming from their first year to their second year making that jump, and I’ve seen that in Charles. I’m excited about it.”
Omenihu has the luxury of developing as a pass rusher behind defensive end J.J. Watt and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus. He’s in a great position to become the starter at right defensive end for Houston this season.
At Texas, Omenihu was a four-year player who appeared in 51 games with 33 starts. He totaled 99 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss and 17 sacks throughout his collegiate career.