Houston Texans looking to draft a QB later?
Jadeveon Clowney speaks to the media in a press conference during the 2014 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
The Houston Texans have generally been expected to select a quarterback with the first overall pick in the draft, but there’s a strong chance they could take Jadeveon Clowney- a few people think they should go for Khalil Mack instead- with the first overall pick. Clowney has always been in play for the Texans, but it’s possible that he could be the most likely option for them right now. Most of the smoke throughout the offseason has linked the Texans to UCF signal-caller Blake Bortles, with some of the smoke linking the Texans to Texas A&M product Johnny Manziel. While the owner loves Manziel, the fact that first-year head coach Bill O’Brien reportedly likes Bortles the most has been the main reason why he is usually linked to the team. I personally have the Texans taking Teddy Bridgewater, who is my top QB by some margin, but I could see them going in a number of directions.
Lance Zierlein of The Sideline View is as plugged in as anyone when it comes to the Texans draft strategy, and he reports that it looks “more and more like” the Texans will take the best player available and wait on selecting a quarterback until later on in the draft.
As Zierlein notes, Clowney is likely the Texans top player on their board, and I would be surprised if they had another non-QB higher. There are a number of QBs who could potentially fall to the Texans with the first pick in the second round, and I think the “dream draft” in a scenario in which the Texans don’t take a QB first overall would have them snagging Clowney and then Derek Carr with their first two picks.