Kevin Johnson to Texans: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith did his job on Thursday night. After so much talk about wide receivers, Smith decided to stop ignoring the problem and finally address the issues in the secondary.

By picking cornerback Kevin Johnson, the Texans have done themselves an enormous favor. Johnson was far and away the best defensive back available, and now the Texans can say they have a plan behind Johnathan Joseph.

“I was just sitting in the green room and there was pick 16 up on the screen,” Johnson told Brian Smith of chron.com. “The Houston Texans called me and told me they were going to draft me. I was just overwhelmed with joy and extremely excited.”

It’s unknown whether the Texans were considering drafting receiver DeVante Parker before the Dolphins took him at No. 15. After selecting Jadeveon Clowney a year ago, though, the Texans continue their long-running trend of drafting defenders in the first round.

Speaking of trends, by drafting a guy like Johnson, the Texans defense should receive a serious boost next season. Both Joseph and Kareem Jackson combined for only five interceptions last season, and with such a physical play style, Johnson is likely to contribute even if his playing time is limited.

At 6'0", 188 pounds, Johnson’s at his best in zone coverage. Romeo Crennel shouldn’t fear though, because in press man-coverage Johnson can make receivers pay. Even when he does get burnt on routes, his speed still makes it easy for him to catch up to the play.

Beaten on just 24 catches last season at Wake Forest, Johnson may miss a few tackles on NFL receivers, but he won’t be beaten on underneath throws or receivers on the outside.

But you want to know the best part?

The Texans may wind up with a long-term corner who is a legitimate leader on defense. At Wake Forest he called the shots from the corner position, which isn’t the norm. And when the play does unfold toward the line of scrimmage, Johnson isn’t afraid to run up and deliver a big hit.

So why wasn’t he the top corner taken overall?

In his college career, Johnson finished with a total of seven interceptions, three forced fumbles and 189 tackles. That last part, the tackles, is where people see concern in Johnson’s game, mainly due to his lengthy frame and overcommitment to rushing forward to pop the ball-carrier.

Still, Johnson’s aggressiveness is what coaches are looking for. He may not have the same kind of run-stop ability that Trae Waynes possesses, but Johnson’s vision in the backfield will always put him in contention to make a play.

What does make Johnson a first-round pick are his fundamentals and pure athletic ability. He understands the game and has the speed and footwork to understand a receiver's route and get in rhythm.

Through his hips Johnson is explosive, and he plants his feet down firmly to keep his eyes on the quarterback instead of turning his back to the play.

Overall, the Texans are gaining a player who could be the franchise cornerback in the secondary in years to come. It would not only take some pressure off of the struggling safeties, it also helps the Texans compete in an AFC South division that is loaded with wide receivers.

And what about wide receiver?

There’s no doubt Smith will address this need on Day 2, since there’s still guys like Dorial Green-Beckham and Jaelen Strong available.

For now, welcome Kevin Johnson to the defense. If Smith can fix things at safety, maybe the Texans won’t allow teams to throw for nearly 4,000 yards on them next season.