The Houston Texans’ voluntary OTAs began Monday, providing the front office and coaching staff the first opportunity to see the offseason acquisitions.
After its surprising 10-7 finish to last year, Houston aggressively upgraded its roster, signing a league-high 26 free agents, including former first-round cornerbacks Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson.
Okudah and Henderson, along with second-round pick Kamari Lassiter, will vie for the starting outside spot opposite rising star Derek Stingley Jr.
Right now it feels like Lassiter, the No. 42 pick out of Georgia, is competing with Desmond King for starting reps in the nickel, meaning Okudah and Henderson will battle it out on the edge.
Does one of the former top-10 picks have the upper hand?
The case for Okudah
After three rocky seasons in Detroit, the Lions shipped him off to Atlanta before the start of the 2023 season. Okudah played in 12 games, starting nine and putting together arguably his best campaign since coming out of Ohio State.
At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Okudah physically fits the mold of Texans head coach and defensive play caller DeMeco Ryans’ vision for an outside cornerback. After Tuesday’s practice, Ryans described Okudah and Henderson as “elite movers.”
In Atlanta’s Week 9 matchup with Minnesota, Okudah (No. 1) is beaten inside by alignment yet has the speed to stick with rookie Jordan Addison throughout his crossing route. He displays an uptick in ball skills by deflecting the pass at the last second for an incompletion.
The Falcons were heavily a man-based coverage unit, which fits Okudah’s skill set. He’s a sticky defender, especially in press situations.
Here, Okudah is matched up with Washington’s Terry McLaurin in a late-down scenario. He does a nice job delivering a jab with his inside arm to get contact with McLaurin. The two engage in some hand fighting before McLaurin cuts toward the first-down marker.
Okudah’s length and acceleration allow him to recover and get the defense off the field.
Another benefit of Okudah is his willingness and ability to tackle. Last season, he posted a 6.7% missed tackle rate, ranking in the top 20 among cornerbacks in the NFL. Having defensive backs willing to lay their bodies down for a stop is crucial, especially after the NFL banned the hip-drop tackle this offseason.
Play recognition was a positive in Okudah’s game too, as evident on this screen against the Titans. He quickly breaks on the receiver once he realizes it’s a screen, not allowing any potential blockers to get their hands on him before finishing the play against tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo.
The Case for Henderson
The Jaguars took Henderson ninth overall in the 2020 draft out of Florida but traded him just a year and a half into his tenure. He spent the last two-plus seasons with the Panthers, starting 22 games both in the nickel and on the perimeter.
Four years into his career, Henderson’s results have been mixed. The Panthers played more zone coverage in 2023 under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero than they had in Henderson’s first two years with the team, potentially leading to regression.
From Week 2 to Week 9, Henderson served as the outside cornerback, allowing 11 receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown. Henderson played zone coverage on 67.6% of snaps, just slightly higher than Stingley’s rate a year ago.
Henderson is responsible for the wide side of the field and shows solid closing speed, making it a heavily contested catch for Noah Brown. C.J. Stroud delivered a perfect ball, but Henderson displayed his ability to recognize routes underneath and break.
Like Okudah, Henderson is 6-1 and weighs over 200 pounds, but he’s more compact. While Henderson played a lot of zone coverage last season, he came into the NFL profiling as a man cornerback.
Henderson mirrors and matches Sehawks’ DK Metcalf’s pitter-patter off the line of scrimmage and then beats the physical receiver to his spot on the inside.
The physical coverage throws Metcalf off, and he settles for a noncompetitive curl route in favor of Henderson.
Henderson gets in trouble when matching receivers down the field, especially in zone coverage. He is overly reliant on his athleticism to carry him in matchups, occasionally leading to him getting beat deep.
Regardless, Henderson’s fluidity in coverage at his size makes him worth a flier on a one-year deal.
The Verdict
Barring any other veteran cornerback signings, Okudah will — and should — start Week 1. Houston has a higher financial commitment in Okudah, albeit $2.7 million, and his film is much cleaner.
The decision to bring in two players lauded for their man coverage skills is interesting. Since he started play calling in 2021 with San Francisco, Ryans’ most used coverages are Cover-3 and Cover-4.
Stingley can hold up in man coverage, suggesting a potential uptick in man defense in the upcoming season.
