Texans Defensive Roster Projections for 2018

Even though we are still months away from the 2018 NFL season, many are still predicting the Texans will have a bounce back year, make it into the playoffs, and become a Super Bowl contender after an abysmal 4-12 finish last year. A major reason for the offseason hype is that superstar quarterback Deshaun Watson is healthy and ready to lead a Texans offense full of dangerous players like DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, Keke Coutee, etc. But another reason that the Texans are receiving so much praise is because of their defense. With players like J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus returning, coupled with the signings of Tyrann Mathieu and Aaron Colvin, things are looking up the defensive unit. Because of this, we at FPC Texans have projected which players will be starting for the Texans defense in 2018.

Defensive End: J.J. Watt

After suffering yet another season-ending injury, this time after getting a tibial plateau fracture against the Kansas City Chiefs, J.J. Watt is ready to once again lead the Texans defense. Despite his extensive injury history, Watt is still one of the best defensive players in all of football and hopes to prove that once gain. There will never be a threat to his spot in the starting lineup for as long as he’s on the team, and that isn’t stopping now.

Defensive End: Joel Heath

Joel Heath is one of the worst players on the Texans defense, but is still better than his competition. Starting in nine games last season, Heath was only able to amass one sack and 17 tackles. This led him to receiving a 44.6 grade on Pro Football Focus, which ranked him 116th among defensive lineman. This abysmal season has led to players like Brandon Dunn, Christian Covington, Angelo Blackson, Carlos Watkins, and more all getting an opportunity to start opposite of J.J. Watt. But for now, Heath is still ahead of the pack and controls his own destiny. If he can step up his game and give the type of production he showed off late in 2016, then he will become the starter.

Defensive Tackle: D.J. Reader

An underappreciated player on the Texans defense, the 6’3″, 335 pound Reader has been a very stable force for the Texans defense. Drafted in the fifth round out of Clemson, Reader became an immediate producer for the Texans, starting seven games his rookie season and 14 his second. In this sophomore year, Reader was able to amass one sack and 23 tackles. While this doesn’t seem like a lot, his 2017 performance led to him receiving an 84.2 grade on Pro Football Focus, which ranked him 22nd among interior defensive lineman. Reader’s productive 2017 should lead to him being the starting defensive tackle for the Texans next season.

Outside Linebacker: Jadeveon Clowney

After being drafted first overall, Jadeveon Clowney suffered multiple season-ending injuries in 2014 and 2015. And after missing two more games in 2016, many Texans fans were asking if Clowney would ever be able to play a full season? That question was answered last season, where Clowney not only played all 16 games, but also garnered 9.5 sacks, 41 tackles, two force fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. This led to him being ranked the 13th best edge rusher in football, with an 88.3 grade on Pro Football Focus. Every Texans fan knew that Clowney was a generational talent, now they know he can bring those talents to the field and stay healthy. There is zero threat to Clowney’s starting role.

Strongside Linebacker: Whitney Mercilus

As Jadeveon Clowney proved that he can stay healthy for a full season, Whitney Mercilus proved he couldn’t. After never starting less than eleven games for four straight seasons, Whitney Mercilus tragically suffered a season-ending chest injury Week 5 against the Chiefs, which was also the week where J.J. Watt suffered his season-ending leg injury. Despite this setback, it looks as if Mercilus will be ready for the 2018 and eager to prove he is worth a large money extension. After reaching 38.5 career sacks in just 64 career games, we at FPC Texans believe he is worth this type of extension, and are certain that there is nobody threatening his starting role as strongside linebacker.

Inside Linebacker: Benardrick McKinney

Fresh off of a  five-year, 50 million dollar extension, Texans linebacker Benardrick McKinney is primed to once again be a major contributor to the defense. The reason he got this extension is because he is arguably the most consistent player on the Texans defense. Ever since he got into the league, McKinney has never started less than eleven games and has always played well. Just last season, he garnered three sacks, 33 tackles, and one forced fumble and played all 16 games. This led to him receiving a 79.7 grade on Pro Football Focus, which ranked him 24th among linebackers. McKinney is consistent, locked up for a very long time, and will certainly be starting in 2018.

Inside Linebacker: Zach Cunningham

Zach Cunningham had a productive rookie season in 2017, starting 13 games and racking up 1.5 sacks, 45 tackles, and one forced fumble. This productive season led to him receiving an 80.6 grade on Pro Football Focus, which ranks him 21st among linebackers. Although he did have a good season, it should be noted that his role may not be set in stone as the season rolls along. Other electric players like Dylan Cole and Duke Ejiofor could potentially steal snaps from Cunningham. And if he doesn’t continue to produce, he may even lose his starting job. But for now, it appears as if the second-year linebacker out of Vanderbilt will be playing opposite of Benardrick McKinney at the start of the season.

Strong Safety: Tyrann Mathieu

Tyrann Mathieu is one of the best safeties in football and will make an immediate impact to the Houston Texans secondary. Signed to a one-year, seven million dollar deal, Mathieu was a steal and should become one of the best players on the Texans defense. It was a great year to sign Mathieu as well, as he just came off the first full season of his entire six-year career. And during this season, Mathieu was able to rack up one sack, 66 tackles, and two interceptions. This led to him receiving a 77.0 grade on Pro Football Focus, which ranks him 61st among all corners: one of the worst grades of his career. This down year is why the Texans were able to sign him for such a cheap amount of money, and it is almost a given that he will bounce back in 2018 and once again become one of the premiere defensive backs in football. Still only 26 years old, expect Mathieu to be the Texans starting strong safety for a very long time.

Free Safety: Justin Reid

There is a reason why Justin Reid was the Texans’ first selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. After posting 94 tackles and five interceptions his junior year at Stanford, Reid decided to enter the draft. Considered a first round talent, Reid was still able to fall into the hands of Texans general manager Brian Gaine, who immediately pulled the trigger and selected him with the 68th overall pick. After being the biggest steal of the 2018 NFL Draft, Reid looks to provide a return on investment, but will have to do so with some competition. Ten-year veteran Kareem Jackson has recently been moved to safety full-time, and so will now be competing with Reid for the starting free safety job. Although Jackson will always be directly in the rearview mirror, Reid’s talent should win out in the end up and land him a starting role.

Cornerback: Aaron Colvin

After four seasons as a backup for the Jaguars, Aaron Colvin decided to move on and signed a four-year, 34 million dollar contract with the Texans. Now that he’s in Houston, Colvin looks to become the leading corner for a unit that was one of the worst in football last season. Although he was a backup behind superstars A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey most of last season, Colvin was so efficient that he still received an 80.0 grade on Pro Football Focus, which ranked him 47th among all cornerbacks. Now that he is not behind two of the best defenders in football, Colvin can finally start and fulfill his potential. There is nobody threatening his starting job.

Cornerback: Johnathan Joseph

The ageless wonder. Entering his 13th season in the pros, Johnathan Joseph still finds ways to contribute to the Texans defense. Just last year, at age 33, he was able to play all 16 games, garner 37 tackles, and catch two interceptions. This led to him getting a 75.7 grade on Pro Football Focus, which ranked 65th among corners. Although he isn’t as great as he used to be when he was younger, Joseph is still a productive corner and will have no trouble taking the starting job over the likes of Johnson Bademosi or Kevin Johnson.