Houston Texans first-round pick Tytus Howard has many doubters to prove wrong as rookie minicamp kicks off.
Critics have accused the Texans of panicking after Andre Dillard was taken just one pick ahead of them at 22 overall in Round 1 of the 2019 NFL draft, widely believed to be their primary target. As a result, it has been said that general manager Brian Gaine and coach Bill O’Brien reached for a player who many believe lacks the necessary experience against top-level opposition to be a first-round pick.
However, O’Brien’s impressions of Howard, both on and off the field, after their first practice together have been good.
“Very good. Really a bright guy,” O’Brien told reporters Friday at NRG Stadium. “Smart, good athlete. Really did a nice job today coming out. We taught him a lot.”
Part of what the Texans coaching staff did was throw tons of information at Howard and fellow offensive tackle rookie, Max Scharping, taken in the second round from Northern Illinois.
Preseason will be huge for Howard. Not only will he have to adjust to the speed and quality of NFL opposition, learn an entirely new playbook, and move to a new city, but he will have to prove doubters across the nation wrong.
Expectations are high given his lofty selection and Houston’s dire need for a quality starting tackle to protect Deshaun Watson, who was sacked a league-high 62 times in 2018.
