For all the hype that the Houston Texans rookie class received heading into this season, one fifth-year veteran seems to have stolen the spotlight with his enormously productive 2022 campaign. Safety Jonathan Owens burst onto the scene for Houston this year as a key fixture in their secondary and has been one of the most promising players on an otherwise uninspiring defense.
A 12-tackle performance against the New York Giants pushed Owens’ season tackles total to 80 with eight games left to play in the regular season. That mark puts him at 10th on the NFL’s leaderboard for tackles, ahead of players like Bobby Wagner, Jordan Hicks, and Devin White.
It is particularly interesting that Owens has managed this outstanding pace from the safety position, where tackles are usually fewer and farther between than at linebacker. Only Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James has more tackles at the position, though James is known for his dual role as a hybrid player in the secondary who plays down in the box among linebackers in subpackage defenses.
Owens has certainly set himself apart this season and has served as a bright spot for the Texans’ defense in an otherwise disappointing season. With his help, rookies Jalen Pitre and Derek Stingley should have no problem continuing to learn the ropes of tackling at the pro level, and the defense should be able to contain some of the more talented offenses they’ll face in the coming weeks.
Whether Owens’ production will bear fruit for the team in the win column remains to be seen, but his contributions are certainly a good sign that other players on the defense will be able to find their niche in the same way that he has. With a few more weeks to beef-up his numbers, Owens could find himself with the league tackle title by the season’s end.
