NFL Draft 2017 Rounds 1-7: Houston Texans Report Card
DT Carlos Watkins | Round 4 | 142nd Pick
This was truly my favorite pick yesterday. Carlos Watkins will have an opportunity to make an impact immediately on the defensive line. Since Clemson was on television a lot, I got see this guy do work and I’m a big fan of his.
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He’s got so much power with that first step to wrap up his defenders and can overpower his opponents with ease. Did you see that sack he had on J.T. Barrett in playoff semifinals? Damn! He had 50 tackles — 13.5 for loss — 10.5 sacks and four passes broken up in 2016.
THIS GUY IS A BEAST! I can’t wait to see him do work. This pick ensures that the Texans have four Clemson alumni on the roster along with DeAndre Hopkins, Deshaun Watson and D.J. Reader.
The consensus is that he could be used as a defensive end on special packages until he gets his feet wet as Reader is the presumptive starter at the nose, Watkins’ position for the Tigers. I already feel Smith hit a home run with this pick and he’ll be exciting to watch.
Overall Grade: A
CB Treston Decoud | Round 5 | 169th Pick
Treston Decoud, a journeyman corner back going from school-to-school, finding the best fit for himself finally exploded onto the scene in his tenure with Oregon State. His frame and his 4.62 40-yard dash at the combine would certainly indicate that he’s not going to be a corner in the pros but a quality safety.
We do have some holes at that position so Decoud could be asked upon to contribute. He ability to be disruptive and break up passes is already documented and he does have enough speed to be successful at the position.
It just remains to be seen on how that translates to the pros as he does have the tangibles to do so. This is certainly a “wait-and-see” pick and I’ll definitely be doing that.
Overall Grade: C
C Kyle Fuller | Round 7 | 243rd Pick
The Texans went local once again with this pick. One of the most tenured members of Baylor football, Kyle Fuller started 39 career games for the Bears, covering/creating holes for a powerful offense that took opponents to task.
Houston Texans
He was the anchor to that offensive line and a lot of that success can be attributed to Fuller. Many have said that his weaknesses were masked by such a great offense but it isn’t easy to do what he did well. He has named to just about every Big-12 first team honor you could think of and was team captain in his last two seasons.
This is a signature Texans’ pick because what I just mentioned. His 6’5,” 307-pound frame will eat up space like none other and I think O’Brien and Mike Devlin can mold him into something. Smith may have hit it big on his 7th rounder but he’s going to need some work to get his game on in the pros.
He won’t play center — we already have Nick Martin and Greg Mancz — but O’Brien will likely talk him into/prepare him to play guard to which I think he can thrive. This is another “wait-and-see” pick and I wish him the best. I just like what he brings to the table.
Overall Grade: C
Next: Houston Texans Undrafted Free Agent (UDFA) List
And there you have it! My grades are out! Do you agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy and sound off!
Overall, I give the Texans a solid grade — not as good as 2016 — but the picks made were quite sound.
Overall Draft Grade: B-
Go Texans.