Death, taxes and trench depth seem to be the top needs for the Houston Texans this upcoming draft season after another underwhelming finish to the 2024 season.
Is that the plan when on the clock in the first two rounds of April’s NFL draft? According to ESPN’s Matt Miller, there’s no other way to turn.
With the 25th overall pick, the Texans shore up their offensive line with the addition of Alabama All-American Tyler Booker. After allowing one sack in two years, Booker should help cut that number in half after the two-time defending AFC South champions allowed 54 sacks last season.
“Booker earned A-plus grades for work ethic and drive from the coaches and scouts I spoke to at the Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl. He’s also a really good football player,” Miller wrote. “The 6-foot-4, 325-pound lineman is a mauler in the run game, with great initial power in his hands and the lower-body drive to move defenders out of gaps.
“The Texans’ interior protection was a mess in 2024, which was a huge factor in quarterback C.J. Stroud‘s sophomore slump. They allowed 54 sacks, tied for third in the NFL. Investing early draft picks in long-term solutions up front has to be on the front office’s wish list. Booker is a dream fit.”
With the No. 58 overall pick, Houston bolsters its defensive line with former All-SEC defensive tackle Deone Walker from Kentucky. Despite an underwhelming 2024 season in Lexington, Walker was a standout for the Big Blue Wall defense in 2023.
“Fixing the trenches is the theme of this draft in Houston. Walker played through a back injury in 2024 that has to be monitored, but he’s nearly 6-foot-8 and 350 pounds with great pass-rush tools,” Miller wrote. “He had 7.5 sacks in 2023 before falling to 1.5 this past season.”
The Texans own six picks currently in the upcoming draft.
