One of the goals the Houston Texans must accomplish in the 2022 offseason is to establish an identity.
Having two first-round picks in the 2022 NFL draft will help the Texans figure out what they can do best as they seek to recover from two consecutive seasons of posting four wins — whether a three-time Pro Bowler is under center or not.
According to Austin Gayle from Pro Football Focus, who released his latest mock draft, the Texans use their proprietary first-round pick at No. 3 overall to take Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton.
Houston is fortunate in that it can’t go wrong at No. 3 overall. Bereft of talent at nearly every position, the Texans can afford to draft the best player available at each of their selections in the peak of their rebuild as they navigate the additional three first-round picks they received from the Cleveland Browns in the Deshaun Watson trade.
The Hamilton pick would allow the Texans to have a dynamic defensive back who can play centerfield, down in the box, and even in the slot. Houston might be able to actually capitalize on a Jamal Adams type of scenario the Seattle Seahawks were hoping to get.
Houston follows up the Hamilton selection by bolstering their defensive line in the drafting of former Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis.
Davis is an impact starter right away in the NFL. He won’t be coveted for his pass-rushing skill set, but his ability to two-gap in the run game is second to none in this class. He’s the exact type of player that allows for NFL defenses to run light boxes without jeopardizing support in run defense, which combats at least some of the concerns surrounding his low snap volume at Georgia and positional value.
Davis would give the Texans an interior pass rush, which is actually the secret to making the Tampa 2 work — just ask Hall-of-Famer Warren Sapp.
