One consensus that is forming among draftniks is that the Houston Texans will miss out on Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. With the Jacksonville Jaguars picking No. 1 overall in the 2022 NFL draft and the Detroit Lions going immediately thereafter, either one of those pass rushers will be off the board by the time the Texans pick No. 3 overall.
Some mock drafts have Houston taking Derek Stingley from LSU. Others have Houston picking safety Kyle Hamilton from Notre Dame.
According to Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus, the Texans go with Hamilton in his latest mock draft, but Sikkema lays out the case for how Hamilton will be able to help the secondary with his versatility.
The Texans are a wild card. The situation involving quarterback Deshaun Watson remains unclear, and even if Watson has played his last down for Houston, Davis Mills didn’t look too shabby down the stretch. Perhaps the Texans believe in Mills for 2022.
Then there’s the unpredictable element of those in power in Houston. Executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby and general manager Nick Caserio have already made a handful of decisions against the grain in the last year and a half. With secondary a major need for the Texans, and with Hamilton getting the label of this draft’s “unicorn player,” this feels like a match.
Kyle Hamilton: Snaps by alignment, 2019-2021
Alignment 2021 2020 2019 Slot 227 111 99 Corner 6 6 3 Box 87 139 87 Deep 114 321 209
The Texans are possibly going to lose safety Justin Reid in free agency, which will compel Houston to shore up the backend. Taking Hamilton not only gives them a safety who can play deep, but also line up where needed.
Taking Hamilton should also help with Lonnie Johnson, who has been yo-yoed between cornerback and safety throughout his first three seasons. Having Hamilton should compel the Texans to leave Johnson at cornerback.