ESPN names DB Calen Bullock Texans’ top NFL draft pick

Calen Bullock is joining the Houston Texans, and ESPN believes the USC safety might be one of the top picks in the draft.

Calen Bullock is ready to take batted balls and ill-timed throws in the opposite direction for six points as a member of the Houston Texans’ defense in 2024. 

The Texans have high hopes for the USC defensive back after trading up with the Philadelphia Eagles to select him with the 78th overall pick. While there’s questions about his immediate impact, Houston is playing the long game to get the best version of Bullock in the coming years.  

ESPN believes in Bullock, too, naming him a top-30 selection in the 2024 NFL draft at No. 29. Bullock was the only Texans player selected among the top 100 players drafted over the three-day event. 

Bullock was my top-ranked safety. He’s not a big striker or hitter, but his ball skills (nine interceptions since 2021) and range are beautiful from a deep safety alignment. And his addition will allow Jimmie Ward to thrive in the slot for Houston. – ESPN’s Matt Miller 

Bullock is his best in high-man coverage. The 6-foot-3 defender led the Pac-12 with five interceptions in 2022, which seemed to be the one constant of a lackluster Trojan’s defense. 

Houston’s safety play produced mixed results in 2023. Ward, who spent time under DeMeco Ryans in San Francisco, missed multiple games due to a lower-body injury and ended the season on the injured reserve. 

Third-year safety Jalen Pitre regressed in coverage under Ryans’ man-heavy formation. As a rookie, the second-round pick notched five interceptions. Last season, he finished with zero and missed 14 tackles. 

Bullock, who drew NFL comparisons to Baltimore Ravens’ standout Marcus Williams, likely won’t improve much in run support, but Ward and Pitre have excelled in that department. The two could eventually compete for starting strong safety reps with the other shifting inside to the nickel. 

Ward and Pitre saw previous reps in the slot. In his final season with the 49ers, Ward shifted back to the nickel from safety for the first time since 2017 following a breakout campaign from All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga. Pitre won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year at Baylor while serving as the STAR in Dave Aranda’s 4-2-5 defense. 

Bullock also could line up in the nickel in spurts given his experience, though general manager Nick Caserio said he’s likely to remain on the back end rather than near the line of scrimmage. 

“You are talking about a guy that is 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, ran [a] 4.5 that moves well for his size, plays the ball, is instinctive, is an eraser in the deep part of the field,” Caserio said Friday following the selection. “[He] has to improve as a tackler, which goes back to improving his playing strength. Hopefully, our program will be beneficial to him in that respect. He’s still an ascending player.” 

2021 NFL Draft: Houston Texans Pre-Draft Analysis, Needs, Mock Draft Picks

2021 NFL Draft: From the college perspective, Houston Texans pre-draft analysis, team needs, mock draft picks, and what they need to do.

2021 NFL Draft: From the college perspective, Houston Texans pre-draft analysis, team needs, mock draft picks, and what they need to do.


Houston Texans 2021 NFL Draft Analysis

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CFN 2021 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE & Edge | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Top 105 2021 NFL Draft Prospects

Find another pro sports franchise that’s in as big a mess as Houston. Draft-wise, the Texans got next to nothing out of its 2020 class without a first rounder, and now it doesn’t pick until the early third round and only has two picks before the fifth. So …

Best … player … available in the third. This team needs just about everything, and it starts with simply finding options who can potentially start in the near future. However, the odds on getting a consistent NFL starter after the second round are shockingly slim, and they’re almost nothing from the fourth round on, so …

Strength in numbers. The only proven way to push through a rough draft situation is to find one area of need and hammer it hard. The Texans need a receiver or three, but they need defensive help even more.

Start with infrastructure on D. Start taking defensive linemen and keep taking them with the hope of of finding one guy who starts and another who can contribute.

Houston Texans 2021 NFL Draft Analysis: Mock Draft Picks

Before all the trades and craziness changes it up, here’s our guess on the Houston Texans 2 Round NFL Mock Draft early picks.

No picks in the first two rounds

Houston Texans 2021 NFL Draft Analysis: 2021 NFL Draft Picks

3: 67
4: 109
5: 147
5: 158 (from Patriots)
6: 195 (from Cowboys from Patriots)
6: 203 (from Washington from Raiders from Dolphins)
6: 212 (from Saints)
7: 233 (from Bengals)

Houston Texans 2021 NFL Draft Analysis: 2020 NFL Draft Picks

2 DT Ross Blacklock, TCU
3 LB/DE Jonathan Greenard, Florida
4 OT Charlie Heck, North Carolina
4 CB John Reid, Penn State
5 WR Isaiah Coulter, Rhode Island

CFN 2021 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE & Edge | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Top 105 2021 NFL Draft Prospects
2 Round NFL Mock Draft
Greatest Draft Picks For Each College
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
32 Greatest Draft Picks of All-Time
2022 Top 32 Pro Prospects | By Position

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