The Houston Texans possess the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, which produces great expectations as to how they can complete the rebuild with an impactful player.
There are two dominant edge rushers in Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson and Oregon’ Kayvon Thibodeaux, but the consensus seems to be that the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions will take either of these players before the Texans even have a shot to draft them.
Where will the Texans go if they can’t have Thibodeaux or Hutchinson?
According to Chris Trapasso from CBS Sports, the Texans take Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton in their latest mock draft.
Nick Caserio was in New England during the prime of the Devin McCourty era, and Hamilton can provide a similar caliber impact on Houston’s defense.
If the Texans go with a defensive back that high in the draft, it will mean they have their pass rush and other elements of their front seven taken care of. It would also mean they like their situation at left and right tackle to pass up on Alabama’s Evan Neal.
General manager Nick Caserio likes where the Texans are at the start of the offseason in terms of salary cap space and draft picks.
“I think there’s some pretty good things that are in place,” Caserio told reporters on Jan. 14. “Again, there’s a lot of work to do in front of us and we’re not afraid to roll up our sleeves. But I think the competitive spirit and the mindset and the thought process of the people that are here in the building is overall positive.”
Hamilton provided the Fighting Irish with 138 combined tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, eight interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, and 16 pass breakups. The Texans could use a quality defensive back on the back end of defensive coordinator Lovie Smith’s scheme.
