The Washington State left tackle killed it at the combine
Texans and Andre Dillard are a match made in heaven
Mar 1, 2019, 5:48 pm
Cody Stoots/SportsMap
The Texans need Andre Dillard. More specifically, they need a player like Andre Dillard. A freakish athlete who backs up his wow workout moments with success on the field at left tackle.
Currently scheduled to pick 23 in the first round and with need on the offensive line, the Texans would be very lucky to be able to pick Dillard. His floor might be higher than the Texans selection after today.
People Andre Dillard's size shouldn't be able to do the things Dillard did Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine. The former Washington State left tackle manned the blindside in Pullman, WA for years and he is well on his way to making that his career path in the NFL.
Dillard started the day showing off his freakish speed.
"He's the best pass protector in the entire draft."@WSUCougFB OT @AndreDillard_ runs a 4.99u 40-yard dash.
šŗ: #NFLCombine on @nflnetworkĀ pic.twitter.com/019z4flLW6
ā NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2019
That would end up being the fourth best number by an offensive lineman on the day. He would be the top performer in the 20-yard shuttle among the offensive linemen as well.
He would again be the best in the combine class with a huge broad jump.
.@WSUCougFB OL @AndreDillard_ notches a 9' 10" broad jump. #NFLCombineĀ pic.twitter.com/TeJeVHL9mU
ā NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2019
It is the second-best offensive lineman broad jump since 2006.
Now how about the actual on-field play. After all, he's not getting drafted to play gym he's getting drafted to play football. According to Dillard's former quarterback Gardner Minshew his left tackle took a lot off his plate.
[ia_video https://s3.amazonaws.com/roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/runner%2F9306-Video_1%2B%25281%2529.MOV source="https://s3.amazonaws.com/roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/runner%2F9306-Video_1%2B%25281%2529.MOV" videoControls=true shortcode_id=1551483322181 expand=1 id=1551483322181 caption="Andre Dillard's QB Gardner Minshew on his LT ability" attribution="Cody Stoots" expand=1 ]Having started 39 consecutive games for the Cougars running a Mike Leach offense there is plenty of film for teams to consume and get used to Dillard's pass blocking. Each of the past three years Washington State led the nation in pass attempts.
"A lot of teams have said it's a good thing that I have pass-protection ability," he said. "Because the NFL passes a lot. It's something that's not easy to master, so they like that I have lot of that in my background."
He credits some of his footwork success to being a multi-sports athlete.
[ia_video https://s3.amazonaws.com/roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/runner%2F9307-IMG_9630.MOV source="https://s3.amazonaws.com/roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/runner%2F9307-IMG_9630.MOV" videoControls=true shortcode_id=1551483341193 expand=1 id=1551483341193 caption="Andre Dillard on what helped his footwork improve" attribution="Cody Stoots" expand=1 ]Now, about run blocking. The Cougars have been dead last in rushing attempts the past two seasons meaning any inconsistency in his run blocking sticks out more with less reps to analyze.
"I'm pretty critical of myself," Dillard said at his combine media availability. "So one area for improvement is definitely continuing to improve on the run game.I showcased a bit of that ability at the Senior Bowl, and I just plan to continue that."
He joked the offense in college had just two zone running plays and that was it.
Helping the ground game will obviously have to get better but the Texans need help at tackle and they need it now. The team met with Dillard at the Senior Bowl but as of Thursday he hadn't met with the Texans at the combine. The league leaders in sacks allowed and a talent like Dillard, though initially maybe lacking in the rushing game, can help the pass game tremendously. Also, with teams having reservations about his ability to run block, he could slide down the draft board to where the Texans select.
Itās May 1, and the Astros are turning headsābut 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 starterāheās never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, heās 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.
Whatās more troubling than the overall dip is when itās happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, heās hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outsā.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In ālate and closeā situations, when the pressureās highest, heās 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 couldnāt be clearer when you look at JosĆ© Altuveālong the engine of this franchiseāwho, 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 squadābut someone else may yet step into that role.
And yetāthe Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houstonās offense, in general, hasnāt lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). Theyāre 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where thereās been light, it hasnāt come from the usual spots. Jeremy PeƱa, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the teamās highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. PeƱaās 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 thereās the pitchingāHoustonās 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, itās the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. PeƱaās emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. Theyāre not dominating, but theyāre grindingāand 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 doesnāt, the turnaround weāre witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, thatās 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 āStros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
*ChatGPT assisted.
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