CB, OT should be targets early
Lance Zierlein's Texans draft primer
Apr 25, 2019, 10:46 am
Andre Dillard. Cody Stoots/SportsMap
The Houston Texans are in a precarious spot because they have quality core players on the roster, but they are dangerously low in talent and/or depth at offensive tackle and at cornerback. While we're at it, they need more depth at wide receiver and running back to help fortify the offense's explosiveness.
With all of that said, let's take a look at what you need to know headed into the draft.
Needs
Offensive line: The Texans need at least one and maybe two tackles in this draft. The supply doesn't match the demand for the left tackle spot so the Texans will need to consider any good tackle, right or left, when they get their shots. The Texans could also look for more competition at both guard and center in this draft.
Cornerback: Brien Boddy-Calhoun, Johnathan Joseph and Bradley Roby are all on one-year deals so there is a chance that all three will be gone next year - along with Aaron Colvin if he doesn't get things figured out. The Texans may have to address cornerback more than once in this draft and keep firing into next year.
Running back: Lamar Miller has done fine, but he's playing at a replaceable level and the Texans could look to add running back depth to compete with both Miller and D'Onta Foreman for carries. Foreman will be on a short leash this year and will need to show and prove or he could be gone after the year.
Wide receiver: Based upon the amount of private visits and the interest level the Texans have shown at the wide receiver position, it is obvious that position will be targeted. Will Fuller can't stay on the field and KeKe Coutee's soft tissue injury wouldn't heal properly. The Texans will be looking for depth that could turn into a future starter, but it may not be until later in the draft.
Defensive line: There is a belief in league circles that Jadeveon Clowney could be on the trade block as you read this. If that is the case, the Texans will absolutely need to be prepared to look at depth/talent on the edge.
Round 1 targets
Andre Dillard, LT, Washington State: The most gifted left tackle in this draft will likely go way before the Texans pick and I don't expect them to trade away their valuable picks to get their hands on him unless he drops far enough to where it may cost them a future third next year.
Greg Little, LT, Ole Miss: He's solid and a multi-year starter in the difficult SEC West, but he's below average in the running game and might be more of an early second round talent. The value of left tackle could push him up.
Kaleb McGary, RT, Washington: He check the traits boxes and the toughness that the Texans will covet under GM Brian Gaine and head coach Bill O'Brien. This might be a shade early for him, but there are teams who like his potential and toughness.
Dalton Risner, OL, Kansas St: Risner has played right tackle and center and should have no problem moving to guard if needed. Because Risner is so versatile and so consistent, he could find his way into the first. I'm higher on Risner than most.
Byron Murphy, CB, Washington: Murphy doesn't have great length or speed (4.55 forty) so I struggle with whether or not to put him as a target for the Texans, but he's ultra-competitive and has 20 passes defensed including 6 INTs in just 20 career games.
Greedy Williams, CB, LSU: He's long and fast and has terrific ball skills, but he's slender and he's not the toughest tackler out there. Some teams worry that Greedy seemed to shut down the competitiveness late in the season.
Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple: He is a graduate transfer from Presbyterian who went to Temple for his last year and immediately was given a single digit number in the off-season representing the toughest players on the team. He's a former championship wrestler with great strength and physicality but average speed. He fits the personality the Texans are looking for.
Lonnie Johnson, CB, Kentucky: If the Texans traded back, Johnson could be a target. He's big, long and fast and showed the ability to get into the receiver's face in press and choke them off at the snap. He struggled to find the football and gave up too many touchdowns over two years, but some defensive back coaches believe that is coachable and they see Johnson has a high upside talent. He's got the traits that the Texans will typically covet at that position.
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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