Houston Texans: 2018 consensus regular season award predictions
By T.A. Mock
Defensive Player of the Year: JJ Watt, DE (2 votes)
Others receiving votes: Whitney Mercilus, OLB (1 vote), Kareem Jackson, S (1 vote), Zach Cunningham, LB (1 vote), Jadeveon Clowney, DE/OLB (1 vote)
This was yet another highly contested battle for the award of defensive player of the year for the Houston Texans. You can read that one of two ways, the first being that the Texans have a stacked defense and the second being that this defense is slightly overrated with no clear stud.
We here at House of Houston, think, maybe obviously, that it’s the first. This defense, if healthy, is absolutely loaded. The ‘if healthy’ part may end up being a big risk. Three of the guys that received votes are coming off injury-shortened seasons.
JJ Watt took the vote for this one. After two major injuries the past two years, he’ll return to the field this year with a vengeance unlike the NFL has ever seen. He’s hungry and ready to reclaim the title of best defender in the league.
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Kareem Jackson gets a surprising vote but, Lamb points out that his move to safety is reminiscent of the Glover Quinn move to safety and could yield excellent results. Mercilus could also surprise people this year as he, Watt, and Clowney are all healthy together for the first time in a while. A lot of attention will be on Watt and Clowney which could allow Mercilus to put up huge numbers.
In the most surprising vote, Gracia believes Cunningham will show out this year on a defense full of stars. He’s an excellent tackler and has the ability to go sideline to sideline with his speed and agility. Keep an eye on this kid.