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A picture of a garbage truck on fire would be the appropriate metaphor for the Houston Texans offseason after trading away one of, if not, the best wide receivers in the league for a running back who hasn’t shown the ability to produce consistently since 2016. Then, to help compensate for the loss, they go out and sign Randall Cobb with over $17 million guaranteed after a “bounce back” season where he didn’t top 850 yards receiving and is going to be 30 years old with plenty of injury mileage on his body.
2020 Draft Picks
Round 2, pick 8 (No. 40 overall): Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU
Round 3, pick 26 (No. 90 overall): Jonathan Greenard, LB, Florida
Round 4, pick 20 (No. 126 overall): Charlie Heck, OT, North Carolina
Round 4, pick 35 (No. 141 overall): John Reid, CB, Penn State
Round 5, pick 26 (No. 171 overall): Isaiah Coulter, WR, Rhode Island
Team needs
Offense
The Texans offensive line remained poor last season and with their only stud offensive player being the quarterback, they better do all they can to protect him.
With Hopkins gone, they need to find some young talent at receiver. Cobb, Kenny Stills, and Will Fuller will be the starters, but Fuller and Cobb are injuries waiting to happen and none of the three can be considered a true No. 1.
The team also needs a running back. They could end up bringing Carlos Hyde back for the season, but if not, they don’t really have the bruising back that Bill O’Brien loves. He must think David Johnson is the answer, but I’m not sure that Johnson still exists.
Defense
What was once a strength, the pass rush, is now a weakness. After letting Jadeveon Clowney go and watching J.J. Watt continue to deal with injuries, the Texans need some help getting to the quarterback.
Besides a pass rusher, they also need to beef up the interior line. If that player can also get to the quarterback, great, but they need a run stuffer at the very least.
Dream first pick
Offensive lineman is where I think the Texans will try to go, but a lot depends on who is available. He might not be there, but if he lasts into the second round, the Texans would be more than happy to grab offensive tackle Josh Jones from Houston. He’s raw, but has the ability to be a stud and the Texans need some good will toward the city after O’Brien’s awful GM work this offseason.