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
The Washington State left tackle killed it at the combine
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.
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/019z4flLW6
— 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. #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/TeJeVHL9mU
— 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.
The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!