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Texans: 3 potential J.J. Watt replacements in 2021 NFL Draft

By Geoffrey Godfrey

Dec 27, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) waits with teammates to walk onto the field before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) waits with teammates to walk onto the field before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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Texans target Patrick Jones. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Patrick Jones, Pitt

This could be a bit of a reach for Houston, unless they move up. There is a chance though that he can fall to them in the third round. This stud out of Pitt had nine sacks in 2020 along with 44 tackles and a fumble recovery, he can also get up with three pass deflections.

He’s had more time in a starting role than our last player did and has done it a higher level longer.

There will be some concern over his size, 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, and about where he will play at the next level. Can he add more size and take over a defensive end spot? Or will he need to gain some speed and stick as an outside linebacker. Remember we are not trying to replace Watt the name, but the numbers is what we are trying to replace.

In the third round there would be no better pick than Patrick Jones to replace that production and quickly.

Jones could step in day-one at outside linebacker and defensive end in nickel sets and instantly add pressures, and get up in passing lanes. I love the upside here and what I love just as much is the amount of time he got to play and learn in college, having almost three full seasons of time under his belt in college. Against Louisville and Boston College in 2020 he was able to net three sacks in each of those games.

His 40-time and footwork will be what will tank or bump his stock when it comes to pro-days. I still think he looks to be a better fit at outside linebacker than at 3-4 defensive end, but if he can add about 15lbs and keep his athletic profile there shouldn’t be an issue here.

He has the ability to bend with a great first step, we could be seeing another Shaq Barrett here, a mid-round talent that bursts onto the scene with intelligence, athletic ability and natural instincts. He jumps off the tape when you watch him, if you didn’t know who you were watching and I asked you to pick out who would be the best pass rusher you would land on Jones and not know it.

dark. Next. Mock Draft: Super Bowl champion Buccaneers land Tom Brady successor

Houston will have an impossible task of replacing Watt with a pure 3-4 defensive end in this draft, as all of them coming out are more run-stuffers than pass rushers which was Watt’s calling card. So they should focus on a hybrid pass rusher.

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