The Houston Texans have an inside linebacking duo in Benardrick McKinney and Zach Cunningham that has help them stop the run and bring the inside blitz when necessary.
Cunningham, who is in his third season with the Texans, earned praise from coach Bill O’Brien in Wednesday’s press conference.
“Very athletic, very instinctive, tough, smart guy,” O’Brien said. “He’s got good length, he’s tall, he’s got good reach, so he does a lot of things well.”
Cunningham also brings an element of versatility to his role for the Texans. While he has produced 59 combined tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, a fumble recovery, and a pass breakup in 461 defensive snaps over eight games, he has also taken 64 special teams snaps.
“He does a lot of things for us,” said O’Brien. “He’s a valuable part of the team.”
A 2017 second-round pick from Vanderbilt, Cunningham has been a physical part of the Texans’ inside linebacking corps. At 6-3, 238 pounds, he also has the physicality to handle tight ends in coverage if necessary, though it depends on who the Texans are facing, according to O’Brine.
Said O’Brien: “It depends on who he’s playing, what tight end is he playing relative to what that offensive team might be asking that tight end to do, relative to the route. Is it a guy that’s running a 20-yard bow route or is it a guy that’s running a six-yard hook route?”
Against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday in London at Wembley Stadium for Week 9, Cunningham may be asked more to stop running back Leonard Fournette, who has 791 yards and a touchdown on 193 carries, than cover Jacksonville’s complement of tight ends, which has been in a state of flux since James O’Shaughnessy and Geoff Swaim ended up on injured reserve.
“I’d say that’s a big key for us that he continues to play well, because he helps us a lot,” said O’Brien.
