Houston Texans vs Giants: Wk 3: Three guys that will destroy Eli Manning

Player #1: D.J. Reader

The Houston Texans‘ nose tackle position is going to be solidified for a long time with 2016 5th-round draft pick D.J. Reader at the helm.  Reader, yet another Clemson recruit on this team has shown brilliance since he has stepped into the doors of NRG Stadium.  I honestly thought that it was going to be a slow ascent for him but with Vince Wilfork sustaining a few injuries in the 2016 season, causing him to miss time, Reader had no choice but to play.

He filled in wonderfully and although he graciously played the role of Wilfork’s understudy quite well, we all knew that this was the man the Texans were going to pass the torch to at such an important position.

Reader, an incredible 6-foot-3, 347-pound assembly of muscle and girth, continues to have a dominating presence on the football field and that’s not going to change any time soon.  He’s typically quick on the snap and is always trying to find a way to position himself to get to the quarterback.

His 2018 PFF grades include: defense (76.3), run defense (69.6), tackling (69.8) and pass rush (69.2) which definitely indicates he’s off to a solid start.  Of course, there’s always room for improvement but I’ll go as far as to say that he’s on his way to something special.

Reader also has amassed three pressures — two sacks, one QB hit as well as three run stops and one tackle in 2018 so far.

D.J. will be a beast!  He actually got to Tom Brady and SACKED HIM in Week 1, so I think that says enough right there in terms of his ability.