The Houston Texans can prove they are the better 2-8 team by trouncing the New York Jets in Week 12 at NRG Stadium — but at what cost?
The Jets are currently on target for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. The Texans are the presumptive No. 4 overall pick. If Houston beats New York, then the Texans will need the Jets to lose fewer games than them down the stretch as Houston would have the tiebreaker.
Beating the Jets for the sake of building a winning culture featuring a 65-year-old rookie coach and a roster chock full of players on one-year deals may cost them a legitimate chance to beef up their pass rush with Aidan Hutchinson from Michigan.
According to Luke Easterling of the Draft Wire, Hutchinson had an impressive game against Ohio State, helping the Wolverines thump the Buckeyes 42-27 for Big Blue’s first win over their arch rivals since 2011.
Hutchinson bagged three sacks of Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, helping send Michigan to the Big Ten title game and giving the home crowd that The Big House plenty to cheer about in the snow Saturday afternoon.
While Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux is still the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Hutchinson’s play so far this season might give the Ducks’ star pass rusher a run for his money when next April rolls around.
The 2022 draft is not projected to be a quarterback laden draft — unless a team wants to take their chances on Liberty’s Malik Willis or Ole Miss’ Matt Corral. With the learning curve these quarterbacks might have to undergo, especially given Houston’s lack of weapons and offensive line, the Texans may as well ride Davis Mills for another season.
Missing out on Thibodeaux and Hutchinson would be a setback for the Texans, who could use an available and consistent pass rusher.
