4TH AND INCHES

Executing the vision, 3 players that can immediately help the Houston Texans establish the run

Executing the vision, 3 players that can immediately help the Houston Texans establish the run
Help could be on the way for Damion Pierce and the Texans. Composite image by Brandon Strange.
Houston Texans have 4 strong reasons to be excited about what's to come

The Houston Texans want to be an aggressive and attack-first offense under DeMeco Ryans. In order for them to be able to fulfill that blueprint, the team is going to need a lot of reinforcement upfront to create a dominant run game.

While the Texans have a few pieces that are a good start in establishing that vision, such as running back Dameon Pierce and tackles Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard. However, they have a lot of work to do if they want to be able to complete the full puzzle.

One thing the San Francisco 49ers, Kyle Shanahan, Mike Shanahan and Gary Kubiak offenses are known for is their flexibility, not just in play calling, but with players as well. The teams led by the similar style of offense Bobby Slowik will look to implement need depth and beef up front.

Here are three players the Texans could land in the 2023 NFL Draft with their 12th, second and third-round picks.

O'Cyrus Torrence - Florida

Torrence wasn’t a highly touted recruit coming out of high school. Only rated a three-star on multiple sites, he opted to play for Louisiana before transferring to Florida to end his collegiate career.

According to NFL’s Next Gen stats, Torrence has the second-highest rank above all guards in the draft this year. Throughout his entire college career, both at Louisiana and Florida, the 6-foot-5-inch, 347-pound lineman did not give up a single sack.

Torrence’s strengths are that he has a wide body and good use of his hands, which allow him to be an effective run blocker, according to NFL.com. NFL Draft Buzz called him the best run blocker of the 2023 class.

When it comes to landing Torrence, Houston might need to use its 12th overall pick, or possibly trade down a few spots. While the Texans have the No. 33 overall pick, Torrence will likely not fall down to the second round.

Having played right guard his entire collegiate career, Torrence would solidify the right side as Houston could finally leave Howard as right tackle instead of moving him to guard.

Andrew Vorhees - USC

Vorhees is the second-highest rated guard, per NFL Draft Buzz. According to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, a scout of an NFC team said he is known for consistency game in and game out. The biggest drawback with Vorhees is that scouts do not expect him to have a high ceiling.

The 6-foot-6-inch, 325-pound guard is being touted for his strengths in the run game, which include his lateral quickness and ability to attack opposing lineman at the right angles. His physical strength is his biggest asset.

More importantly for the Texans, Vorhees is not expected to be a Day One selection, and could well be available for Houston to take in the second and third rounds. While scouts might not believe Vorhees has a Pro Bowl-caliber future ahead of him, being on the same line with Tunsil and Howard means Vorhees really just needs to do his job.

Vorhees’ biggest weaknesses are the length of his arms and his pass protection blocking. He played five seasons in college.

Jahmyr Gibbs - Alabama

When it comes to the running game, not everything revolves around the offensive line. While a lot of eyeballs are on Texas running back Bijan Robinson to be the first running back taken in the 2023 Draft, Houston does not need to use any of its first two picks at this position.

A nice Day Two pick could be Gibbs out of Alabama. With Pierce already on the roster, the Texans already have a powerhouse, power back. Bringing in Gibbs would be a nice change-of-pace for Houston’s offense.

Gibbs caught 20 or more passes in every single one of his three collegiate seasons. He caught 44 passes for 444 yards in 2022 for Alabama. He also rushed for 926 yards during the 2022 season.

Gibbs is known for his acceleration, cuts, and what separates him is his ability to be a great route runner and pass catcher, according Zierlein’s report. One of his biggest drawbacks is his play in the blocking game out of the backfield.

Because of Pierce, the Texans would not have to worry about needing Gibbs to be an every down back. He will likely be a second-round pick in this year’s draft.

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Fred VanVleet scored 20 points in the loss. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

Cade Cunningham had 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 107-96 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.

Cunningham was 12 of 22 from the field. He scored 19 points in the third quarter as the Pistons built a 90-80 lead after three.

Jalen Duren had 16 points and 14 rebounds, Malik Beasley added 17 points off the bench, and Ausar Thompson had 11 points and nine rebounds for the Pistons, who shot 48% and were 10 of 27 on 3-pointers.

Fred VanVleet scored 20 points, and Jalen Green scored 19 points. Amen Thompson, who missed the game at Portland on Saturday with left calf soreness, added 17 points for Houston, which shot 39% and struggled from 3, connecting on 11 of 39.

Takeaways

Detroit: The Pistons committed 23 turnovers but were able to overcome it by forcing the Rockets into 17 turnovers and converting it into 19 points.

Houston: The Rockets got balanced scoring with five players in double figures, including Alperen Sengun, who had 11 points and eight rebounds, and Cam Whitmore, who had 10 points off the bench, but they couldn’t overcome poor shooting.

Key moment

After Houston cut Detroit’s lead to 90-85 three minutes into the fourth quarter, Marcus Sasser hit a jumper and three-pointer to spark an 11-2 run as Detroit pulled away.

Key stat

Detroit had a 52-39 advantage in rebounding and a 50-40 edge in points in the paint.

Up next

Houston hosts Cleveland on Wednesday, and Detroit plays at Atlanta the same day.

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