Houston Texans defensive lineman Thomas Booker has been paying attention.
The fifth-rounder from Stanford has been playing alongside seventh-year defensive tackle Maliek Collins. The former 2016 third-round pick has been trying to impart wisdom upon the young Booker.
“Maliek is a physical freak,” Booker told reporters Aug. 17. “The way that he moves, the smoothness of his pass rush, the way that he always chains his moves together is something that I really want to get to at some point and that I’m working for.”
Collins fits well with the Texans’ Tampa 2 scheme, which has 3-technique defensive tackles, such as Collins, quickly get into the backfield and rush the passer en route to stuffing the run.
“I think the big point for me that he’s given is just don’t think as much. Just go. This is a defense that prioritizes penetration and disruption, so the more you’re thinking, the less you’re going to be penetrating and doing that,” said Booker. “So that’s a big point that he’s given me. But all the vets, Ross (Blacklock), Derek Rivers, all those guys have given me really good pointers to help me progress my game quicker.”
Booker will have a chance to showcase more of his lessons learned against the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 19 at SoFi Stadium.
