The Alabama State tackle played quarterback in high school and has played tackle for a few years
Texans get their tackle at 23 selecting Tytus Howard
Apr 25, 2019, 10:32 pm
Credit to Alabama State Football Twitter
The draft board started to set up perfect for the Texans. With just one tackle going in the top 20 picks Washington State's Andre Dillard, Oklahoma's Cody Ford, and Florida's Jawaan Taylor all remained on the board. Three of most draft experts top four tackles. Moments later the Eagles had traded up and were on the clock.
There went Dillard. One pick before the Texans were set to select. Then they were on the clock. Now they trusted their board.
Roger Goodell walked to the podium and announced the Texans had selected Alabama State tackle Tytus Howard.
"It's just an unbelievable feeling right now," Howard said after he was picked. "I'm just blessed to be a part of the Houston Texans."
Howard said he had a good feeling about being a member of the Texans when he had his visit with the team.
"They decided to draft me and I promise you they didn't make a mistake. I'm going to give them everything I have."
Texans general manager Brian Gaine knows there's a fit for his new lineman.
"We see Tytus Howard as an offensive lineman," he said. "We'll start the best five, however it works out. He'll have a chance to compete for a starting job, come in and earn what he gets, but the fact of the matter is, is Tytus has been a starting-caliber player at right tackle and left tackle."
Gaine mentioned Howard "checked all the boxes" and said he is the type of player that matches their physical as well as intagible profile.
As for where he played, Gaine doesn't mind Howard's track record against non-Power 5 schools.
"I know the competition in terms of comparably speaking to a power-five conference, he's not coming from a power-five conference, but I'm not concerned about that at all."
Howard was a high school quarterback. He then started a transition to tight end before ultimately ending up as the right tackle for Alabama State. He credits his coaches and the strength staff for staying on him. He also said his fiance was instrumental in getting him to eat enough.
"My favorite would be her chicken spaghetti," Howard said with a chuckle. "I would eat that back to back nights. I would eat that whole pan."
Howard said his time as a quarterback helps him at the tackle spot.
"I know how being sacked feels," he said. "So I try my best not to give up any sacks so I try to play as long as I can to keep guys from hitting the quarterback."
Speaking of keeping the quarterback clean, Howard knows all about how important Deshaun Watson is to the Texans.
Howard said he thinks Watson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and he said his athleticism will help him work longer to keep Watson clean.
As for Howard, he has a clear mentality to take to the NFL.
"There was a saying that one of my offensive line coaches used to say, his mentality is you put him in a cage with a gorilla, you better pray for the gorilla, not him because he's going to be all right. That's just how I feel. You just put me in a cage with anybody and I feel like I'm going to come out. That's my mentality going in."
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Just one week ago, it looked like the Astros’ bats might finally be waking up. There was a noticeable uptick in offensive numbers, optimism in the air, and a belief creeping in that Houston could be on the verge of an offensive breakthrough. But if there was any momentum building, it collapsed over the past week.
In their latest seven-game stretch, the Astros were near the bottom of the league in virtually every key offensive metric — 24th in runs scored, 27th in OPS (.610), and 26th in slugging percentage (.337). These numbers aren't just a one-week blip. They are more aligned with the team’s season-long struggles, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to argue that the Astros are simply off to a slow start. The numbers don’t lie: 25th in home runs (39), 20th in OPS (.689), 23rd in slugging (.372), and 20th in total runs.
The hope was that Houston’s offense would eventually climb into the top 10. That no longer feels realistic. What’s becoming clearer each week is that this is a bottom-third offense — and the only thing keeping them competitive is elite pitching.
Pitching keeps the ship afloat
While the bats have sputtered, the arms have delivered. The Astros currently rank 7th in team ERA (3.39), 1st in WHIP (1.12), and 2nd in opponent batting average (.212). That’s championship-caliber stuff. But as the American League hierarchy takes shape, it’s worth noting that contenders like the Yankees and Tigers boast both top-five pitching and offense — a balance the Astros currently can’t come close to matching.
Core hitters going quiet
So what’s wrong with the offense? Much of it comes down to three players who were supposed to be key contributors: Jose Altuve, Christian Walker, and Yainer Diaz. All three rank in the bottom 30 in MLB in OPS.
For Altuve, the struggles are especially glaring. The month of May has been a black hole for the veteran. He has yet to hit a home run or drive in a run this month. His season numbers (.241/.296/.646) are troubling enough, but the trend line is even worse:
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- Last 15 games: .175 AVG / .242 OBP / .228 SLG
- Last 30 games: .193 AVG / .256 OBP / .272 SLG
That last stretch has Altuve ranked with the 8th worst OPS (.537) in all of baseball over the last month.
Yet despite the slump — and a 35-year-old body showing signs of wear — Altuve continues to be penciled into the lineup almost daily. Even after missing a game on May 11th with hamstring tightness, he returned the next day. Manager Joe Espada’s reluctance to give Altuve extended rest is becoming a storyline of its own. If he continues to produce at this level, it will be hard to justify keeping him at the top of the lineup.
Rotation takes a blow
The week delivered more bad news — this time on the injury front. The Astros announced that right-hander Hayden Wesneski will miss the remainder of the season and require Tommy John surgery. What makes the injury particularly frustrating is that the signs were there. Decreased velocity led to a longer rest period, but in his return start, the team allowed him to throw 40 pitches in the first inning. That start would be his last of the season.
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The road ahead
The American League isn’t dominated by a juggernaut, which gives the Astros some breathing room. But the Yankees and Tigers are pulling away in terms of balance and consistency — the very thing Houston has lacked.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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