The Houston Texans can’t get a break in the power rankings.
According to Mark Schofield of the Touchdown Wire, the Texans’ trading away of DeAndre Hopkins was compounded by a lackluster draft. That is why the defending AFC South champions are mired in mediocrity at No. 21.
Ross Blacklock was one of my favorite players to watch this draft season, and should provide a boost to the interior of their defensive line in the wake of D.J. Reader’s departure. John Reid was a great pick near the end of the draft, and could be a surprise next season given how well he functions in zone coverage. But Jonathan Greenard, who they picked 90th, was a reach, and there is speculation that a deal with the Detroit Lions fell through and left Bill O’Brien holding the bag, and a player he did not want. Which, well, sums up this off-season better than I could.
Let’s assume O’Brien didn’t want Greenard, which, by the way, isn’t an indictment on the draft pick. In 2005, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had to meddle and take DeMarcus Ware when coach Bill Parcells wanted Marcus Spears or Shawne Merriman.
If O’Brien didn’t want Greenard in April, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver found use for him by May.
“Jon Greenard was a guy that you could see doing a bunch of things for us, and I think position flexibility, particularly in the defense we’re trying to institute, adds a tremendous amount of value,” Weaver told reporters on May 10. “He’s a guy that can rush off the edge, can rush inside, can drop into coverage, and when you can wear that many hates, that poses a lot of potential problems for an offense.”
All of the negativity the Texans have taken in the offseason stems from trading Hopkins, and O’Brien having a small draft class, which was actually a calculated move given the uphill battle rookies will have in 2020 thanks to no offseason workouts or preseason games. It could prove to be a losing strategy for 2021 and 2022 though, but those power rankings haven’t come out yet.
