ROOKIE REPORT

Expectations for each player in the Texans 2020 draft class with the season approaching

Photo Courtesy of the Houston Texans

The first time Bill O'Brien and John Reid crossed paths took place in 2013. The then-head coach of Penn State, O'Brien recruited the junior high schooler to become a member of the Nittany Lions when it was time to begin his collegiate career. Two years later β€” while draped in blue and white β€” Reid suited up for Penn State in his first college football game against the Temple Owls. The Nittany Lions fell 27-10 to the Owls at Lincoln Financial Field.

In addition to the loss, Reid's debut looked considerably different from what he envisioned two years earlier. Instead of receiving play calls from the person responsible for his recruitment, Reid played under head coach James Franklin. O'Brien was in the middle of his second tenure as head coach of the Houston Texans during Reid's freshman season in 2015.

Seven years after their first encounter, O'Brien will finally have the opportunity to relish at the talents of Reid. The Texans drafted the 5-foot-8 defensive back in the fourth round (141st) of the 2020 NFL Draft, and Reid has been far from a disappointment.

The 24-year-old cornerback has been one of a few rookie standouts from the Texans training camp β€” receiving praise from his coaches and teammates. Veteran safety Michael Thomas described Reid to be a "young DB coming in and trying to learn NFL football." New Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver says Reid has put the work in every day with the mindset of earning a spot on Houston's 53-man roster.

With the start of the 2020 season less than 10-days away, Reid should have his roster spot secured. But playing time will be tough to come by for the New Jersey DB. Barring any severe injuries to Gareon Conley, Vernon Hargreaves, Lonnie Johnson Jr, or Bradley Roby, Reid could be buried at the end of the Texans' depth chart.

There is a chance Reid will become a rotational player on special teams, but 2020 will be a year the former Nittany Lion will learn the NFL from afar.

"He's a smart player...he's got a lot to learn...but relative to the rookie class he's done a good job," O'Brien said. "He's learning. He plays hard. He's competitive. He's a very smart guy. He can do some different things. He can help on special teams. He can potentially help us on defense. I think he's a guy that's mature. He's been through a lot, injury wise. He's had to overcome things when he was at Penn State and so, yeah, I think he's doing a good job."

The potential is there. And perhaps Reid will play an important role for the Texans secondary within the next year or so. The same can be said for Ross Blacklock, but the Houston native is entering his first season with the most responsibility among all rookies.

A prosperous training camp has given both O'Brien and Weaver lofty expectations in their top draft pick. The aspirations in Blacklock's contribution could lead to a situation where the 22-year-old defensive tackle will have his number called quite often β€” despite not being a starter right out the gates.

Last season, the Texans struggled heavily at stopping the run. They placed in the 24th percentile for allowing the most rushing yards β€” giving up a total of 1,937 yardages allowed in 2019. The offseason departure of D.J. Reader to Cincinnati could leave Houston's front seven more vulnerable this coming season, but Blacklock could be the solution to help fill in the void.

A versatile and dynamic playmaker. The NFL Draft Network said Blacklock has the upside to become a building block for an NFL defense. And he is in a great situation to succeed. Not only will Blacklock receive valuable time during his rookie season, but he has the opportunity to do so while learning from his football idol, J.J. Watt β€” Houston's incumbent defensive building block.

"He's [Watt] a workhorse," Blacklock said. "Just being able to play next to him and play with him, it's an honor. I'm trying to learn as much as I can while I'm here and while he's here. One day hopefully I can be in that status, but that's down the road."

Similar to Blacklock, Jonathan Greenard's upside forecasts a bright future in his pro career. But it may take a year or two for the Florida Alumni to start peeking β€” parallel to Reid.

Prior to a leg injury that has caused him to miss a handful of practices, Greenard's talent as an edge rusher left Weaver stating "the sky is the limit for that kid." However, veteran Whitney Mercilus says the rookie outside linebacker must improve on his fundamentals.

"I think he's great β€” he's just got to clean up a few things," Mercilus said. "His learning curve is just fine as far as picking up the defense and doing the correct things. Just like all of us, we've got to be able to pick up our stamina just a little bit in practice and all that, just because it's a unique time, and just clean up the fundamental technique things."

Both Isaiah Coutler and Charlie Heck are in the same situation in terms of rookies receiving little to no snaps in 2020. Not because of their talents, but Coutler (WR) and Heck (OT) play two of the Texans' most well-establish positions and have spent the majority of training camp learning from the older veterans. No preseason to showcase their on-field production may result in Coulter and Heck landing on the Texans' practice squad.

With Keke Coutee sidelined with a minor stress fracture in his foot, Coulter could find his way on Houston's 53-man roster making contributions on special teams given his speed. Even then, that might be a long shot after Coulter missed a couple of practices dealing with his own injury.

"The head coach [O'Brien] has said it multiple times, 'this is a tough year for rookies,' and it absolutely is. There's a bunch of cumulative reps that they've missed out on whether it was in the spring or in preseason games, but at some point in the season because of their work ethic, they're all going to contribute and help us here throughout this year." β€” Weaver.

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Keep an eye on Tank Dell this Sunday. Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images.

I remember thinking how in the world can these little frail guys survive at the NFL level? I mean, I saw Joe Theismann and Ed McCaffrey's legs snap. Drew Bledsoe got his chest caved in. Seeing 300-plus pound men cry when injured is humbling. So when a guy like Tank Dell comes along, I'm always a bit apprehensive. Especially when they come with a ton of hype.

For every eight to ten big strong players that get hurt, there's one or two little fellas that have relatively healthy careers. The comp that came to mind when looking at Tank was DeSean Jackson. Listed at 5'10 and weighing a heavy 175 pounds, Jackson was arguably the best β€œsmall guy” in NFL history. Dell being about two inches shorter and about ten pounds lighter, while also playing a similar role, is in line to be a similarly electrifying type of player. I put my assessment on the line and doubled down with my predictions on what his, and others' season totals will look like last week:

Tank Dell: 68 catches, 1,105 yards and 6 touchdowns- Dell will be a really good slot, but has some outside skills. Namely, his speed. He's more slippery than if Mick had greased that chicken before Rocky tried catching it. I could see his production going up as the season gets longer because Stroud will begin to look for him more and more as they build chemistry. Yes, I know I only have him with six scores. Keep in mind this is a run first offense. At least that's what we can deduce from looking at where it came from in San Francisco.

In his debut game last week vs the Ravens, he notched three catches for 34 yards on four targets. He was tied for third on the team in targets with Noah Brown and Mike Boone. While Robert Woods and Nico Collins were one and two in targets last week, I think Dell will ascend that list starting this week. Word came down that Noah Brown is headed to IR, meaning he'll miss at least the next four weeks. The chemistry he and fellow rookie C.J. Stroud have developed is palpable. From working out together, to attending UH games together, these two seem to have a nice bond already.

Woods is a solid vet two years removed from an ACL injury. Collins was a third rounder with size who hasn't done a whole lot. Dell is easily the most exciting option at receiver this team has. John Metchie III was expected to be the next guy up. Unfortunately, cancer had him take a backseat, until now. Metchie is back at practice this week, so a debut is imminent. He could potentially challenge for more playing time, but it may take him some time to get used to things and get going again.

As far as my statistical prediction for his season, he only needs to average four catches for 67 yards per game, and get a touchdown every two to three games for the remainder of the season. Given Brown being out the next few games, Metchie not quite being up to speed, Woods being an older player on a short-term deal, and Collins not really being what everyone thought he could be, it leaves things wide open for Dell to step up.

Playmakers come in all shapes and sizes. Levon Kirkland was a 300-pound middle linebacker in a 3-4. Doug Flutie led teams to playoff wins as a 5'9 quarterback. In football, size matters. The bigger, stronger guys normally win out. When it comes to receiving and returns, you want speed, quickness, and agility. Dell has that in spades. Add his competitive nature and chemistry with his quarterback and you have a recipe for a star in the making. I know I'm not the only one hoping the Texans continue Tank-ing.

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