Former Buccaneers 1st-Rounder Vernon Hargreaves III Claimed by Texans

The Houston Texans claimed cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III off waivers Wednesday, the team announced.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced Tuesday they had waived Hargreaves, the No. 11 pick in the 2016 NFL draft. He had 40 combined tackles, four passes defended and one interception in nine games this season.

Bucs head coach Bruce Arians addressed Hargreaves' departure, and his comments spoke volumes about how much the stock of the former Florida star had fallen:

The Athletic's Greg Auman noted the Texans were "about 23rd/24th in waiver priority," so a number of teams passed on the chance to claim Hargreaves before he fell to Houston.

Entering the 2019 season, Pro Football Focus listed the 24-year-old as Tampa Bay's X-factor, citing his underwhelming level of performance through his first three years:

"Vernon Hargreaves III has had a rough go since being drafted in the first round in 2016. Taking out his injury-shortened Year 3, Hargreaves has allowed the fourth-most yards in outside coverage (1,287). He also allowed the highest completion percentage on throws into his primary coverage over that span (66.9%) among cornerbacks with at least 550 snaps in coverage. His play will go a long way in determining the fate of the Bucs' defense."

Things hadn't changed much this season. The Buccaneers are allowing the most passing yards in the NFL (298.9 per game) and rank 27th in pass defense DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), per Football Outsiders.

The Texans already took a flier on Gareon Conley, another first-rounder. Houston sent a 2020 third-round pick to the Oakland Raiders in October. The move has worked out well, with both Conley and head coach Bill O'Brien speaking positively about his fit with the team.

Maybe Hargreaves can have similar luck with a fresh start in Houston.