Houston Texans Player Profile: Mike Mohamed

Outside of Houston, most people probably haven’t heard of Mike Mohamed. Of course, who can blame them – his first ever defensive snap came in 2013, two full years after he was drafted by the Denver Broncos. On a defense loaded with big names like J.J. Watt, Vince Wilfork and Brian Cushing to name a few, Mohamed will likely fly under the radar to start the season, but the middle linebacker may become one of the most important players in Houston by the end of 2015.

More from Houston Texans

Mohamed was originally a sixth round draft pick by the Denver Broncos in 2011 after playing football at the University of California, where he recorded 339 tackles, 7 sacks, and 7 interceptions in four seasons. He bounced around between Denver, Jacksonville and Tennessee as a special teams specialist before signing with the Texans in 2013.

ALSO ON SPIN ZONE: Who Are The Best Running Backs In NFL History?

The arrival of Bill O’Brien was the best thing that could have happened to Mohamed, as he earned a role starting in the Texans sub-packages. According to Michael Renner at Pro Football Focus, who names the linebacker as his “Secret Superstar”, Mohamed didn’t allow a single catch in 33 coverage snaps through the first three weeks of the 2014 season. As a result, PFF gave him an excellent 7.3 coverage grade, which was the sixth best grade in the league. He was also an extremely efficient tackler, missing only five tackles in 524 defensive snaps.

Nov 16, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Houston Texans inside linebacker Mike Mohamed (54) and the Texans defense celebrates his fourth quarter interception against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Texans beat the Browns 23-7. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Mohamed needs to be a strong tackler because he is limited when it comes to stopping the run, as evident by his mediocre -2.0 grade. In today’s NFL, however, the coverage linebacker is becoming more and more desirable. With teams often playing more than 50% of their snaps in sub-defense, the sub-linebacker has essentially become a starter, typically playing more snaps than the linebacker who excels at stuffing the run but struggles in coverage.

The Texans covered their bases in case Mohamed’s tackling slips or his run defense regresses, as they drafted Benardrick McKinney, a run-stuffing linebacker out of Mississippi State. While McKinney may come in on early downs or in short yardage situations, expect to see Mohamed play the majority of the snaps at the number two inside linebacker position beside Cushing. The addition of Wilfork should also help take some pressure of Mohamed.

All of these factors suggest that Mohamed could be a breakout player for the Texans in 2015. The 27-year-old has a fantastic opportunity in front of him. It certainly helps that he is being coached by Mike Vrabel, the former standout linebacker for the New England Patriots and current linebackers coach for the Texans. With excellent coaching and the chance to play a large number of snaps, Mohamed has the potential to make a huge impact on the Houston defense.

Next: Who Will Replace Andre Johnson?

More from NFL Spin Zone

[social]

Home/Houston Texans