The Houston Texans did a a fair job of addressing roster holes throughout free agency. It can be argued the last remaining voids are quarterback, receiver, defensive end, and center.
With 12 draft picks and the most capital in the upcoming 2023 NFL draft, it would be easy for the Texans to simply use all of their picks throughout the four positions. Eventually they would find a rookie who could fit new coach DeMeco Ryans’ defensive scheme or meld with new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s philosophy.
Striking the balance between fit and need is akin to one of the other great football paradoxes of which needs to be built on defense: the pass rush or the coverage.
Texans assistant director of player personnel and college scouting director James Liipfert believes there is a starting point.
“I would say you’ve got to have the fit first,” Liipfert said March 17. “I think it’s on me, and it has to trickle down to our scouts who do a Hell of a job.”
The most important aspect if having the personnel department and the coaching staff synchronized as to what they are targeting in a player.
“We have to be on the same page with our coaches with how a player fits a particular scheme, and I think if you start going crazy on need, need is more of a game day situation. ‘Okay, we’re picking here, and we’re a few spots out,” said Liipfert. “It’s this position or that position, what do we what do we want to do? We maybe feel good about this current position on our team, that’s one thing.”
Whether it is quarterback Bryce Young or defensive end Will Anderson, both from Alabama and expected to go in the top-5, the Texans would have to ensure they would be useful to the coaching staff and not simply taking the player to fill a need.
Said Liipfert: “The worst thing you want to do is take athlete X and, ‘Hey man we’ll get him here, and he’ll be this.’ Then, you’re DBs coach is like, ‘I really don’t like the way this guy fits.’ Well, we screwed up somewhere. I would say let’s get the fit right and then the need sort of organically happens as names fall off the board. I think you go into it saying we need X, Y and Z. Well, if the board doesn’t fall to you like that, now you’re stuck. Get the fit right, identify the players that you like for each position, and hopefully one is there when it’s your turn to pick and go get them.”
“Any player that you are serious about drafting, you better have a long hard conversation about where this player fits,” said Texans Asst. Director of Player Personnel & College Scouting Director James Liipfert when I asked deciding between team fit & need. #Sarge @TheTexansWire pic.twitter.com/BbnUh3gDMR
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) March 17, 2023
The Texans will have ample opportunity to get the fit right and at premium value with six picks in the top-104 of the draft.
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