Heading into the NFL Draft, everyone is concerned with the Houston Texans’ offensive line, and rightfully so. It was one of the league’s worst this past season, and the Texans traded their best member of the unit in tackle Laremy Tunsil.
Not only that, but Houston clearly has a problem at wide receiver with Stefon Diggs departing via free agency and Tank Dell likely being out for all of next season due to a knee injury.
However, the Texans have another glaring hole that very few—if anyone—seem to be discussing: running back.
Yes, Houston has a Pro Bowler in Joe Mixon in its backfield, but beyond Mixon (who has a lot of mileage, by the way), who do the Texans have at the position?
Dameon Pierce is No. 2 on the depth chart, and 176 of his 293 total rushing yards came in Houston’s season finale this past year. That simply isn’t going to cut it, especially considering that Mixon turns 29 years old this summer and probably wouldn’t hold up too much longer.
The Texans chose to ignore the issue in free agency, which is okay considering there really weren’t many obvious answers available for Houston. That being said, the Texans absolutely must strongly consider selecting a halfback in the NFL Draft later this month.
Now, does that mean Houston should take a running back with the 25th overall pick? Certainly not. Luckily, there are plenty of incredibly talented halfbacks in this upcoming class, so the Texans might even be able to find a solution on Day 3.
But Houston should definitely have the position on its list of needs going into the draft, as the Texans badly need a complement to Mixon. Not only does Mixon need some rest, but what if he gets hurt? Then what?
Bringing in another backfield option would take some pressure off of C.J. Stroud and the aerial attack and would allow Houston to be more creative with its rushing offense.
Again, the Texans will have a bunch of opportunities to nab a running back in a few weeks, but they must make sure that they come away with something.
