2019 NFL mock draft: The Texans need Greedy Williams

It should be easy to figure out the two directions the Houston Texans will go in the 2019 NFL Draft. Just about every mock draft over the last four months has given Houston either an offensive tackle or a cornerback.

It’s with just cause too. Take Houston’s offensive line, for instance. Last season, quarterback Deshaun Watson was sacked 62 times, the most in the NFL. But unfortunately for the Texans, in the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, offensive tackles Jawaan Taylor, Jonah Williams, and Andre Dillard are all gone.

Only one cornerback has been picked, with that being Byron Murphy to the Pittsburgh Steelers. That leaves some good options for Battle Red Blog’s Luke Beggs in our mock draft.

Beggs: Well, this isn’t exactly what the Texans would want, with all three of the top offensive tackles in the class off the board, but who says they can’t fix another crippling need on their roster with this pick?

The Texans’ cornerback depth chart has been laid to waste by injuries/releases (Kevin Johnson) and free agency departures (Kareem Jackson) over the last month. The corners the Texans added in free agency, Bradley Roby and Briean Boddy-Calhoun, are only signed to one-year deals and are far from sure things. It makes sense for them to add a piece that can hopefully provide some quality and longevity at a position of need. After all, the Texans do have to play T.Y. Hilton and Andrew Luck at least twice a year.

Greedy Williams is a tall, fast corner who thrived at LSU. He’s talented enough to step in as an immediate contributor in Houston’s secondary, and there’s certainly opportunity for him to do just that with Johnathan Joseph and Roby penciled in as the starting boundary corners. While Williams won’t be tasked with protecting Watson, he’s a solid find here.

Now prepare yourselves for the Texans drafting nothing but offensive linemen from here on out.

Analysis: If the top offensive tackles are gone, Williams is the player the Texans need. Forget the fact that players left or that Roby and Boddy-Calhoun are on one-year deals. Houston’s cornerback play last season just downright awful. Don’t forget that Aaron Colvin, who signed a four-year contract last offseason, was benched in the playoffs for poor play. So as much as the Texans also need offensive line help, they may need more than one cornerback in the draft.

The last pick of the day is coming up at 3 p.m. ET with Levi Damien of Silver and Black Pride making his second selection in the first round for the Oakland Raiders. Here’s a hint about the pick: It’s one of the top five players left.