The Houston Texans use their first two picks of the 2020 NFL Draft, both of which were on day two, to upgrade their front seven.
Houston used their 40th overall pick early in Round 2 to take TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, who played high school football for nearby Missouri City Elkins.
The Texans stuck with the theme of fixing their pass rush by selecting outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard from Florida in Round 3 with the 90th overall selection. Greenard was a player the Texans had met extensively throughout the draft process.
Though the Texans finished 10-6 and won the AFC South for the second straight season, and added a wild-card playoff win in the postseason, they finished with the sixth-fewest sacks in the NFL with 31. A large part of that was due to the fact three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, defensive end J.J. Watt, tore his pectoral muscle in Week 8. Watt added 4.0 sacks through the first eight games before he was placed on injured reserve. Outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus led the team with 7.5. The results weren’t good enough.
Adding Greenard also helps the Texans plan for what may not come to fruition. Outside linebacker Duke Ejiofor ruptured his Achilles during the offseason workouts in May of 2019. If the 2018 sixth-rounder is not back in form, Greenard gives them another pass rusher to join the ranks of Mercilus and outside linebackers Jacob Martin and Brennan Scarlett.
Acquiring Blacklock gives the Texans versatility along the defensive line. The son of Jimmy Blacklock, who played for the Harlem Globetrotters and is currently a coach for the famous exhibition basketball team, can play the three technique and also zero technique as a defensive tackle. Such a varied skill set should come in handy as first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver attempts to replace the loss of production from D.J. Reader, who is now with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Texans have five more picks to address other parts of the team with a fourth-round selection (111th overall), a fifth-round pick (171st overall), and three seventh-rounders (240th, 248th, 250th overall).