The Houston Texans will be without the services of one of their second-year edge defenders in 2019.
According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, outside linebacker Duke Ejiofor tore his Achilles during workouts recently and will miss the entire season.
The Texans announced Friday they have placed Ejiofor on injured reserve.
The former 2018 sixth-round draft pick from Wake Forest had a promising rookie season and was set for a potential breakout season. With outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus entering the final year of his contract and defensive end Christian Covington departed for the Dallas Cowboys, Ejiofor was surely on track for more game time this season.
In 2018 Ejiofor, who played high school football at nearby Alief Taylor, recorded 1.0 sack, two quarterback hits, and two defended passes in 12 games. However, with his latest injury, Ejiofor will have to wait until 2020 to prove his capabilities.
As a result, the fifth-round rookie and fellow Houston-area native, Charles Omenihu, will likely see more game time than was initially planned. The 2018 Big 12 Defensive Lineman recorded 9.5 sacks in his final year as a Longhorn. Now, Omenihu will take a far bigger role backing up Mercilus, Jadeveon Clowney, and replacing Ejiofor.
