With the NFL scouting combine behind us, teams have a slightly clearer picture of some of the best draft prospects.
The Houston Texans can go in a few different directions with the pick they acquired from the Cleveland Browns in the Deshaun Watson trade. Wide receiver is certainly an option, but there are holes on the defensive side of the ball Houston could fill with this pick, too, depending on how free agency goes.
TouchdownWire’s Doug Farrar went defensive back for the Texans, picking Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold with the No. 23 overall selection in his post-combine mock draft. In this scenario, Arnold was the fourth cornerback taken off the board following Clemson’s Nate Wiggins, Iowa’s Cooper DeJean and Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell.
Snagging Arnold here would be a coup for Houston, as some consider him to be the top cornerback in the draft. The 6-foot, 180-pound Arnold had the second-best Pro Football Focus grade of any cornerback targeted at least 75 times this past season and Arnold tallied five interceptions with 12 pass breakups in 2023.
Arnold performed well at the combine, too. He ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash time with a 1.54-second 10-yard split. Arnold also posted a 37-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-9-inch broad jump.
This pick means the Texans likely didn’t keep Steven Nelson or sign a free agent cornerback. Pairing Arnold with Derek Stingley Jr. would give Houston one of the youngest cornerback groups in the NFL. But if Arnold pans out, DeMeco Ryans will have a lockdown secondary for years.