Breaking down the Houston Texans' 2018 draft class.
Round 3, No. 68 overall: Justin Reid, S, Stanford
My take: This was a good pick for the Texans, who needed to improve the secondary after the unit ranked 24th last season in yards allowed per game. General manager Brian Gaine made it clear Houston felt it did enough in free agency to have the flexibility to draft the best available player instead of picking just for need. If Reid was at the top of the Texans' draft board, they were able to do that while also filling a need. Reid was first-team All-Pac-12 and adds another athletic player to an already-impressive defense. Houston has other needs, namely at left tackle, but the selection of Reid makes sense for a Texans team trying to get back to having a top-rated defense.
How he fits: The Texans upgraded their secondary this offseason by adding safety Tyrann Mathieu in free agency and Reid with their first pick. The Texans re-signed free safety Andre Hal last offseason, but Reid should compete with him for a spot right away. Reid is athletic and the Texans will like his size at 6-foot-1 and 207 pounds. Reid started 11 of 14 games last season, with 99 tackles, 6.5 for loss, five interceptions and six pass breakups. Reid saw a lot time on special teams at Stanford and could make an impact there for Houston, too.
Former Mississippi State OL Martinas Rankin has the instincts to excel at the center position in the NFL.
Round 3, No. 80 overall: Martinas Rankin, OL, Mississippi State
My take: Left tackle was the Texans’ biggest hole entering the draft, but Houston hopes to have addressed that with the second of their three third-round picks. Rankin started nine games at left tackle last season at Mississippi State and will compete right away for the starting spot in 2018. The Texans hope they have their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future in Deshaun Watson, and if Rankin can win the job and play at a high level, Watson could have the protection he needs going forward -- something he lacked last season.
How he fits: Judging by the offensive linemen the Texans signed in free agency, the versatility to play multiple positions on the offensive line is very important to Gaine and head coach Bill O’Brien. That comes through again with the pick of Rankin, who said he is comfortable at all five positions on the offensive line. The Texans started five different left tackles in 2017 -- Duane Brown, Chris Clark, Kendall Lamm, Julién Davenport and Jeff Allen -- and hope that Rankin can end that streak. He will likely compete with Davenport for the starting spot. Rankin dealt with a high ankle sprain last season, but said he will be ready for Texans' rookie minicamp next month.
Take a look at UCF WR Jordan Akins' college highlights.
Round 3, No. 98 overall: Jordan Akins, TE, UCF
My take: The Texans needed a blocking tight end after the retirement of C.J. Fiedorowicz, but according to coach Bill O’Brien, the value Akins “brings in the passing game is very important” to Houston. Akins caught 32 passes for 515 yards and four touchdowns while starting 11 games at Central Florida. Akins has size at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, and said he feels he’s improving as a blocker. Still, his biggest contribution should in the passing game; Akins should help the unit that caught only 53 percent of its targets last season, which was the worst in the NFL. The Texans’ tight ends, who dealt with injuries all season, finished tied for last in the league with a combined two receiving touchdowns.
How he fits: O’Brien and the Texans’ coaching staff got a good look at Akins while coaching him during the Senior Bowl in January and said his work ethic and ability in the passing game stood out. The Texans have two other tight ends on the roster -- Ryan Griffin and former undrafted free agent Stephen Anderson -- but Akins should compete for playing time in training camp. Adding Akins gives QB Deshaun Watson another weapon, and any time the Texans can improve his arsenal is a positive for this offense.
Round 4, No. 103 overall: Keke Coutee, WR, Texas Tech
My take: The Texans know that for Watson to continue to develop and this offense to improve, they needed to give the quarterback help at wide receiver alongside DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller. They did that by adding Coutee, who has a chance to make an impact next season as a slot receiver and on special teams. Last year at Texas Tech, Coutee caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards and 10 touchdowns.
How he fits: Coutee will compete with 2016 third-round pick Braxton Miller for time in the slot right away. Coutee is fast, but on the smaller end at 5-foot-10 and 181 pounds. Coutee should see a lot of time on special teams, especially on kickoff returns, as he averaged 31.5 yards per kick return last year. Although he’ll likely see the majority of his time in the slot, he said he feels comfortable playing outside as well.
Round 6, No. 177 overall: Duke Ejiofor, DE, Wake Forest
My take: The Texans of course have a strong front seven -- a group they hope can stay healthy in 2018 -- and adding Ejiofor gives them more depth at edge rusher. Ejiofor fell a round or two to the Texans because he is coming off a shoulder injury, but he said he expects to be cleared by the start of training camp. At 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, Ejiofor should add another big, strong pass-rusher to the already impressive group.
How he fits: Ejiofor was a defensive end in a 4-3 defense at Wake Forest, but the Texans are listing him as an outside linebacker in Romeo Crennel’s defense. Regardless of what he is labeled, Ejiofor is a skilled pass-rusher who had 50 tackles (including 17 for a loss), 10.5 sacks, an interception, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles in 2016. Ejiofor will compete for a backup role behind Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus right away.
Round 6, No. 211 overall: Jordan Thomas, TE, Mississippi State
My take: At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, Thomas is a developmental pick who brings size and athleticism, and he will mostly see time blocking for the Texans. Houston was in need of a blocking tight end after the retirement of C.J. Fiedorowicz last month and hope to have found that in Thomas. The Mississippi State product said he's an "all-around tight end" as he also played as an outside receiver.
How he fits: Thomas joins third-round pick Jordan Akins, who is more of a receiving tight end than a blocker, to add to an area in which the Texans struggled last season. They join Ryan Griffin and Stephen Anderson in a full tight end room. Thomas probably has a ways to go before he can contribute regularly but has the size that Texans general manager Brian Gaine and head coach Bill O'Brien look for.
Round 6, No. 214 overall: Peter Kalambayi, OLB Stanford
My take: The Texans continue to add at outside linebacker with the speedy Kalambayi, who had 58 tackles, including seven for a loss, and four sacks during his final season at Stanford. As with most picks late on Day 3, Kalambayi likely won't be an impact player right away but will still compete for a backup spot behind Clowney and Mercilus.
How he fits: Kalambayi said although he played a lot of defensive end at Stanford, he has a lot of experience playing outside in a 3-4 defense. "Our base defense was a 3-4, so I had a lot of experience setting the edge," Kalambayi said. The former Stanford outside linebacker showed off his athleticism in college, but will need to take another step forward to contribute at the NFL level.
Round 7, No. 222 overall: Jermaine Kelly, CB, San Jose State
My take: Kelly has upside as part of a cornerback group that dealt with injuries and inconsistent play in 2018. Kelly, who is 6-foot-1 and 191 pounds, said he prides himself on his physical play. The cornerback had 53 tackles, a sack and an interception in his final season at San Jose State. "I'm definitely going to be physical," Kelly said. "I'm going to do all I can on special teams. I come in with a chip on my shoulder."
How he fits: The Texans' secondary struggled last season, so the Texans brought in another option to compete for playing time. Entering the offseason program, it's likely Johnathan Joseph, Aaron Colvin and Kareem Jackson will see the majority of playing time, but with Joseph and Jackson now 34 and 30, it makes sense for the Texans to add talent at cornerback.