The Texans currently boast the best pass rush and overall defense in the entire NFL through 14 weeks. Head coach DeMeco Ryans has done another incredible job building this unit to the strength of the team
and it’s starting to look like something that could be the identity of this franchise for years to come.
But what if it could get even better?
In a new mock draft by the great Field Yates of ESPN, he has the Texans selecting massive Oregon defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington with the 22nd overall pick.
‘‘While it seems like the NFL’s top scoring defense has it all, Houston’s defensive tackle position could use some youth and depth. Sheldon Rankins is set for free agency in March and Mario Edwards Jr. will turn 32 in January. Washington is becoming one of my favorite prospects to watch, and I expect him to be discussed as a top-20 player in due time. He has just 1.5 career sacks after becoming a full-time starter this year, but he has the quickness, power and length required to ram through offensive linemen in the NFL. His pass-rushing upside would be fascinating in DeMeco Ryans’ defense, where there’s room to work in between Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr.”
Prior to the season, Washington was named the fourth-ranked player on Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List,” which is a compilation of the 50 most-freakish athletes in college football. Per Feldman, Washington squats 775 pounds and has a bench press of 475 pounds. Those really are some freakish numbers and it shows all over his tape.
As a sophomore last year, Washington recorded just 10 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and two pass deflections at the line. This year, with two games to go in the regular season, he has 23 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, and five pass deflections. Of course these aren’t the most gaudy numbers, but they’re perfectly fine for a true nose tackle whose first job is to plug up the middle and eat double-teams.
So with that said, would you be happy with this first-round pick for the Texans? Yay or nay? Let us know below!
