Texans Load Up On Top SEC Talents in Todd McShay ESPN Mock Draft
Despite finding themselves in a rebuild, the Houston Texans are in a position to turn things around quickly in the draft. After nailing the 2022 draft, another strong draft class will put the Texans in a strong position to take another step towards contending again.
Working in the Texans' favor is the fact that they own two first-round picks in the top 15, their own pick at No. 2 overall and No. 12 via the Cleveland Browns from the Deshaun Watson trade.
Not only do they have two high first-round picks, but their second pick at No. 33 overall is also a premium pick that will provide plenty of talent to choose from.
In Todd McShay's latest two-round mock draft, he starts things off with the obvious selection of a quarterback at No. 2 overall.
Rd. 1 No. 2 - Bryce Young - QB (Alabama)
"Young is still my top-ranked quarterback, and there's a decent chance he is on top of Houston's board, too. The Texans had arguably the league's worst pass game last season, with a 32nd-ranked QBR (26.0) and 28th-ranked completion percentage (60.8%).
A lot will be made of his smaller 5-foot-10, 204-pound frame, but the rest of the package is special.
There isn't much left to say about Young that hasn't already been said, as he and C.J. Stroud are the two consensus top quarterbacks in this draft. His two seasons starting at Alabama were phenomenal, with Young throwing for 8,200 yards with 79 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions.
While McShay mentions the need for the Texans to get an elite receiver for their new franchise quarterback, he gives them some defensive help with their other first-round pick.
Rd. 1 No. 12 - Nolan Smith - OLB (Georgia)
"If Smith-Njigba were still on the board, I would have projected him as the pick. I already mentioned that Houston is seeking pass-catchers for its new QB (Young in this scenario). But let's not discount how bad the defense was last season.
Smith is a great fit here because he can get after the quarterback as an edge rusher on passing downs or drop into an off-the-ball role on early downs.
The Texans were downright bad on defense last season, allowing 379.5 yards of total offense per game, which makes the Smith selection make sense. Smith spent four seasons at Georgia, recording 110 total tackles with 20 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks - a piece that could elevate an inconsistent Texans defensive front.
Now, remember McShay mentioning Houston's need for a receiver to pair with Young? Well, that's the route he goes with pick No. 33.
Rd. 2 No. 33 - Jalin Hyatt - WR (Tennessee)
"I hinted that Houston needs more pass-catchers earlier, and it gets lucky that the speedy Hyatt is still on the board at No. 33. He tracks the deep ball extremely well, and he has the explosion to eat up cushion in coverage and fly by defenders."
Hyatt exploded onto the scene as a junior for the Volunteers, hauling in 67 receptions for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns on a staggering 18.9 yards per catch. He's a potential game-breaker at receiver and could further open up the Texans' offense.
When the Texans are finally on the clock later this month, they have the opportunity to add three new franchise cornerstones with their first three picks.
If they come away with all three of these guys by the end of night two then they will have succeeded in doing just that.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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