How Jeoffrey Pagan Will Fit with the Houston Texans

After losing Antonio Smith—who was the starter at defensive end for several seasons—the Houston Texans came into this year's draft needing to add depth at defensive end. Jeoffrey Pagan probably fits the size and style-of-play requirements for a 3-4 defensive end better than the players who are on the roster like Jared Crick and Tim Jamison.

That's not to say that Pagan will be the starter as soon as he steps on the field, but Crick and Jamison are holdovers from the previous coaching staff, which asked their defensive ends to get up the field more often under Wade Phillips than they will be asked to do under new defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel.

Rob Rang of CBS Sports likes Pagan's size for the position:

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Built like a Coke machine - wide and heavy - and is just as difficult to move. Anchors well at the point of attack due to size and strength. 

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Rang also mentioned Pagan's "strong initial punch" and "surprising burst, and seemed to like Pagan's chances of succeeding in the professional ranks.

Nolan Nawrocki of NFL.com, though, has some concerns about his upside and potential:

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Thickly built, relatively nondescript contributor who decided to forgo his senior season despite never establishing himself as a force. Has size and strength to warrant developmental consideration as a five-technique, but lacks exceptional traits and will have to commit to handling the dirty work to have longevity.

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Some draft experts such as John Harris of The Sideline View like his upside more than some of the bigger names available at the position this year: "I nearly forgot that Alabama DT Jeoffrey Pagan declared for this draft, yet he’s sort of a poor man’s Timmy Jernigan. I’d much rather have Pagan in the 5th than Jernigan in the 2nd."

Why did Pagan end up as a sixth-round pick? He believes it was partially injury-related:

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Pagan thinks his draft stock was hurt by his not being able to participate in the combine because of shoulder surgery. #Texans #HOUpick

— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) May 10, 2014"

Can Pagan be an eventual starter for the Houston Texans? It's hard to say, but obviously as a sixth-round pick, the odds aren't on his side. Nevertheless, I expect him to have an opportunity to compete for the job in training camp. While there are quality players on the roster at the position, none of them has a stranglehold on the starting spot. They might not fit in Crennel's scheme.

My biggest knock on the selection was where it was made. Could Pagan develop into a solid contributor? That wouldn't shock me. However, he was ranked as the 266th overall prospect in a draft with just 256 picks.

I don't mind the pick, but selecting the 266th overall prospect with the 177th pick doesn't seem like good value. Of course, the draft doesn't play out by prospect rankings, but I think he would have been there for Houston in the seventh round.

That being said, I like his physical attributes for the position and want to see him get a shot to earn some playing time. The battle for the starting defensive end position opposite J.J. Watt should include Jeoffrey Pagan and will be fun to watch during the preseason.