Walter Football grades the Texans draft

Houston Texans: B Grade

Goals Entering the 2020 NFL Draft: The true goal the Texans should have is to fire Bill O'Brien and then to re-hire their former great scouting department, which would routinely find steals late in the draft like Arian Foster, A.J. Bouye and Christian Covington. That's not realistic, however, so Houston fans should just pray that O'Brien recognizes that Deshaun Watson needs lots of help. Watson's protection must be upgraded. Defensive improvements at cornerback and the edge rush are also essential. However, the Texans have just two picks in the first four rounds because of O'Brien's incompetence, so Houston won't be able to upgrade its roster very much.

2020 NFL Draft Accomplishments: I couldn't believe my eyes when the Texans selected Ross Blacklock and Jonathan Greenard with their first two picks. They actually weren't terrible decisions. I expected Bill O'Brien to trade one of those choices for Rex Burkhead, but he actually made some good moves to bolster a defensive line that lost D.J. Reader and improve a pass rush that missed Jadeveon Clowney. Even a blind nut finds a squirrel sometimes, as a Hall of Fame running back once said.

I really only disliked one pick of Chief O'Brien's, which was John Reid. That wasn't a big deal, however, and it pales in comparison to not really improving the offensive line. Houston snatched Charlie Heck in the fourth round, which was a decent choice, but the team needed to find more upgrades up front.

Still, O'Brien didn't completely embarrass himself, which is a victory for the franchise. I'm sure there will be more horrible transactions to come, but the Texans are saved from yet another poor grade on this day.