Zach Cunningham entered the 2017 NFL Draft pool as a probable first-round pick. However, those late April nights did not fall that way for the Vanderbilt product. He slid to the Houston Texans at pick No. 57 in the second round.
Cunningham has outplayed his draft status, reaffirming that he should have been a first-round pick. Now in his third year in the NFL, the 24-year-old is having a career year.
Through 13 games, Cunningham has 114 combined tackles, which leads the AFC and is sixth in the NFL. His 79 solo tackles are second in the league. Both are career highs.
“Zach’s had a good year,” said Texans coach Bill O’Brien on Monday. “He’s been flying around, making a lot of plays in every game. He’s making plays on special teams, making plays on the punt team, very instinctive guy, very athletic, he’s had a really good year.”
Cunningham’s seven tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and two quarterback hits are also career highs. According to Pro Football Focus, he leads the NFL in defensive stops with 54, also a career-high.
Per Pro Football Reference, Cunningham has shown massive improvement in tackling in 2019. His missed tackle rate has shrunk from 13% in 2018 to 8.8% in 2018. He has missed 11 tackles.
No. 41, Cunningham’s number, is a mainstay in the Texans’ defense. He flys around the field and can be seen where the ball is. If he can improve as a coverage player (100.5 passer rating allowed), Houston may be dealing with yet another in-house-made inside linebacker in their front-seven.
Currently, Cunningham has one more year left on his rookie contract. He will be a free agent in 2021, barring a contract extension. Houston has fellow inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney locked up until 2024 on a large extension.
If the Texans see Cunningham as a key cog to their defense, his career-year may translate into a new deal.