NFL Draft 2017 Round 2: Houston Texans Select LB Zach Cunningham
With the 57th pick in Round 2 of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans select…
With the 57th pick in Round 2 of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans select…
The Texans have decided to go early on drafting talent to beef up the defensive line.
They’ve certainly got a handful in Cunningham.
The 6’3,” 234-pound linebacker was the captain of his line while starring for the past two seasons for Vanderbilt U.
He truly seemed to be one to stand out among the rest as I noticed that he continuously kept grinding to make something happen for his team.
But you don’t have to take my word for it, here’s what the experts had to say:
SportsTalk 790 and NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:
Zach Cunningham is an excellent fit for the Texans. Productive and quick with ability to cover RBs out of the backfield.
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) April 29, 2017
Here’s WalterFootball.com’s take:
"He is a phenomenal run defender with excellent instincts. Cunningham is strong to take on offensive linemen, shed blocks, and then make tackles. His level of engagement can be inconsistent, however, and sometimes, he would try to run around too many blocks … Cunningham did well in pass coverage and showed the ability to be a three-down starter in the NFL. Some teams graded him a late first-round/early second-round grades and others gave him a second-round grade."
The biggest knock on Cunningham seems to be his lanky frame.
Take a look at these clips from Draft Breakdown — this is tape from when Vandy took on Missouri, regarded as one of the best offenses in college football.
Especially look at about 4:05 when he totally mows down a heartily-rushing running back Ish Witter:
He did quite well — owning his position and make plays left and right.
But he did a lot a chasing — to which that might not be a bad thing — but I think the Texans’ elite defensive coaching staff can fix that in a jiffy.
His athleticism is off the charts and if he can bulk up just a bit, he’s going to make our defensive line filthy.
Next: NFL Draft Round 1: Texans Select QB Deshaun Watson
His leadership qualities have already been shown, being the bright spot on an otherwise unknown and begotten unit in college football.
Cunningham did meet with the Texans during the NFL Combine but did not make a personal visit.
So it goes to show the confidence that this organization has in this young talent.
We’ll have to see but he kind of reminds of a better version of Reshard Cliett.
Cunningham amassed 125 tackles (54 assisted), 16.5 tackles-for-loss, four fumble recoveries, three passes defended and two forced fumbles for the Commodores in 2016.
Go Texans.