Houston Texans Rumors: Five players to target with the 23rd pick
By T.A. Mock
Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
Deandre Baker wouldn’t necessarily be my most ideal selection at corner for the Houston Texans. Greedy Williams from LSU is the top corner and definitely won’t be available. Trayvon Mullen from Clemson was my original selection here but the way he helped shut down Alabama’s offense in the National Championship game makes me believe he’ll rise up before the 23rd pick.
So, with Mullen and Williams gone, Baker, from Georgia, becomes my top cornerback prospect and a pretty great consolation for the Houston Texans. Baker has played in nearly every style of defense imaginable at Georgia. He was asked to play man, zone, press, press-bail, off-man, everything.
Baker doesn’t have the massive size that the NFL seems to desire for number one corners as he only stands 5’11” and weighs about 180 lbs. However, he is feisty, physical, and seems to have good length despite only being 5’11”. He also isn’t hesitant to throw his hat in an effort to stop the run game.
Also. What to do with Clowney and Mathieu. light
Baker fills a need and would be wonderful value at 23rd overall. The senior has a ton of valuable playing time. He was a consistent backup as a freshman and has been starting since his sophomore year. Baker is an ideal fit into the Texans scheme and should be able to come and shadow number one receivers from day one.
Other options: Trayvon Mullen (Clemson), Julian Love (Notre Dame)
As I said, Mullen is my favorite option for the Houston Texans. He has tremendous cover skills and phenomenal size. However, I don’t think he’ll fall to the Texans. Julian Love is another option. His best asset is his off-coverage, which the Texans play a lot. His athletic profile is similar to Baker’s.