The Houston Texans took a swing tackle in the 2021 NFL Draft with offensive tackle Charlie Heck.
Houston selected Heck with the 126th overall pick in Round 4 from North Carolina. Offensive line coach Mike Devlin is pleased with the work that Heck has put in, despite not being active yet on game day.
“Charlie works hard every day,” Devlin said. “He goes against [defensive end] (J.J.) Watt in practice, so he’s learning the hard way, but I’ve been really pleased with how he’s approached the week, trying to get better every week on the technique.”
Part of the reason that Heck knows how to approach the game is due to the fact his father, current offensive line coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, played in the NFL for 12 years. Through genetic memory and also inculturation, Heck understands the process.
“He’s a great kid that pays attention,” said Devlin. “He’s a coach’s kid, right? He has all those intangibles. I think again, like we talked about with this crazy year, that first-year player is behind the eight ball, that first- and second-year player development, there was a huge void there for a lot of guys.”
The Texans are hopeful that with a true offseason with actual workouts and a program, not Zoom calls all spring, that Heck will be able to take another step in his development.
Even though Heck is a coach’s kid, Devlin compares him to someone a little more familiar with Houston, Tennessee Titans tackle Dennis Kelly, who is the younger brother of Texans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly.
“He reminds me a lot of Tim Kelly’s brother, over at the Titans,” said Devlin. “That type of mold or career possibly.”
