Houston Texans seven-round 2021 NFL mock draft

Houston Texans 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Round 6

One of the most unique physical specimens of the 2021 NFL draft, Charles Snowden is a six-foot-seven linebacker packing 240-pounds into an incredibly slim frame. Placed at inside linebacker in the Cavaliers’ defense, Snowden was primarily utilized as a run-defender and pass-rusher, suggesting a lack of polish in his coverage technique which would make him a perfect mismatch-neutralizer.

With such a long frame, Snowden excelled in run defense making tackles away from his body, wrangling ballcarriers before they could turn the corner and get upfield.

Even with his significant reach advantage though, a lack of pass-rush moves and raw strength capped Snowden’s impact on the passer and signifies an immediate area for improvement whilst the Houston Texans look to capitalize on the coverage-capabilities of his freak athleticism.

The lead receiver in the Gamecocks’ offense, Shi Smith is a five-foot-ten high-volume target in the South Carolina offense. Despite his size, Smith is a vigorous competitor when the ball is in the air and time and time again has shown he can go up in traffic and out-effort defenders to the ball.

This downfield aggression is not going to be the element of Smith’s game that gets him selected in the 2021 NFL draft though.

With 4.4 speed and well-trained releases off of the line of scrimmage, Smith is a day one ready receiver with his quickness and ability to create separation. This speed is not best utilized from standstill screen catches like Jaylen Waddle, but rather as a short-crosser who can turn a five-yard completion into a first-down and beyond.

With fellow rookie Ja’Marr Chase inhibiting the exterior X-role, Smith can carve out his niche as the slot receiver in a young Houston Texans offense.

As the starting left tackle for a successful Cornhuskers rushing attack, Brenden Jaimes is one of few 2021 NFL draft tackle prospects with the physicality to compete in the NFL from day one. At six-foot-six, 300-pounds, Jaimes has only fallen down to day three of the draft because of technical downfalls.

Although Jaimes is a dominant run-blocker who can seal the edge on any given snap, concerns arise in his hand-usage and tendency to go head-first into blocks. Despite active hands at the point of attack, Jaimes can over-extend himself into the chest of pass-rushers and leave himself open to counter-moves by savvier opposition.

Given time to refine his aggression and improve his footwork, Jaimes is a sixth-round selection with starting potential.

Houston Texans 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Round 7

Adding to the short-list of “Last Chance U” stars to make their way to the NFL, Arkansas’ Rakeem “The Dream” Boyd is the definition of a north-south runner. Although he may have the label most commonly associated with 230-pounds power backs, Boyd is a 206-pound back with 4.4 speed and the ability to take any interior handoff for a game-breaking touchdown with his commitment and pace.

As many NFL halfback take inspiration from Le’Veon Bell and his patience behind the line of scrimmage, Boyd can be best described as a ‘pinball’ blasting his way through tight running lanes in an attempt to beat defensive linemen to the gap and get to the second level.

Boyd has also shown promise on minimal opportunities as a pass-catcher who can translate this speed on the boundary against undersized opposition in the secondary.

Although his running style exhibits little to no lateral agility or elusiveness, Boyd has the athleticism to add the wrinkle to his game and become a contributor on the ground within the Houston Texans backfield behind David Johnson.