The Houston Texans start off the 2020 NFL Draft deep in the second round at No. 57 overall.
Have the Texans, who were founded in 2002, even selected players at that specific slot?
It turns out the Texans actually have, and they have one of those players on the current roster.
2013 – s d.j. swearinger
One of the last picks of the Gary Kubiak era, the Texans selected the South Carolina Gamecock in the second round after taking Clemson receiver DeAndre Hopkins with their first-round pick. Swearinger was part of a replacement duo at safety since the club decided to let Glover Quin walk in free agency. Houston signed Ed Reed shortly thereafter, and Swearinger was supposed to replace him eventually. Ultimately, when coach Bill O’Brien was hired in 2014, and Swearinger played just one more season with Houston before being released in the offseason.
2017 – ilb zach cunningham
The Texans selected the former Vanderbilt Commodore in the second round after taking quarterback Deshaun Watson from Clemson in the first round. Cunningham has grown as a quality starter at inside linebacker alongside Pro Bowler Benardrick McKinney. The 6-3, 238-pound linebacker gives the Texans speed at linebacker to go along the run-stuffing talents of McKinney.
What helped the Texans nail their second-round picks at No. 57, even if Swearinger was kind of a bust for staying with the club for just two seasons, was the fact they had a first-round pick. The organization knew they had their star of the draft class and could let the rest of the draft come to them and take the best player available.
Now, with Houston leading off its draft in 2020 late in the second round, there will be a greater emphasis to find the cream of the draft class at No. 57 overall. They were able to do it in 2018 with safety Justin Reid in the third round. Can they do it again?
