The Houston Texans need to fix their pass rush and also bolster their receiving corps, and it has to be within the first three rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft.
That is what CBS Sports has the AFC South champions doing in their latest mock draft. In Round 2, the Texans select outside linebacker A.J. Epenesa from Iowa.
Epenesa would provide youth and talent off the edge for Houston, who finished with 31 sacks in 2019, tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for the sixth-fewest in the NFL. At 6-5, 275 pounds, Epenesa would only be an inch taller than outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus and about 20 pounds heavier. However, he would be part of a youth movement on the edge with outside linebackers Duke Ejiofor, Jacob Martin, and even Brennan Scarlett to a degree.
In the third round, Houston selects Bryan Edwards from South Carolina. The 6-3, 215-pound wideout would be a big target for quarterback Deshaun Watson, and it would be an interesting Palmetto State pairing given that the QB is from rival Clemson. Receiver was a need in the 2020 NFL Draft irrespective of the club trading away DeAndre Hopkins. Former 2016 first-round receiver Will Fuller is in his final year with the Texans, and he has yet to play a full 16-game season for Houston. The Texans have to find a way to transition towards having healthier, more available players take key roles in the passing game. Edwards could allow the Texans to accomplish that goal.
Addressing edge rusher and receiver would be a prudent way to go for the Texans through the first three rounds. Whether or not Epenesa and Edwards are the smart choices to make would be up to coach and general manager Bill O’Brien and the personnel staff. However, these are positions that needed upgrades heading into the offseason, and the Texans ought to use premium picks.
