Houston Texans’ rookie Dameon Pierce is a stud so far

Fourth round rookie Dameon Pierce has been quite the player for the Houston Texans through four games of the 2022 season.  Perhaps no one thought much of the selection when it happened, but with the Texans’ current rebuilding mode, it was easy to see why Pierce was able to emerge quickly as a key piece of the Texans’ offense.

Standing at 5’10” and weighing 212 pounds, Pierce is a bowling ball of pain.  He’s not the fastest running back, but he does most everything else very well, and this is playing with an offensive line that could be much better.  Through four games of the 2022 season, the rookie has emerged as the best first year back so far, and I don’t think it’s close.

He ranks 10th overall in the NFL with 313 rushing yards.  He’s also averaging over five yards per carry, has two touchdowns, and already has a 75 yard rushing touchdown against the Chargers.  The Chargers were praised for their defensive additions last offseason, especially up front, but even after Pierce rushed for 131 yards against them, Los Angeles still ranks 14th in the NFL in rush defense.

It’s clear that Pierce is already one of the better running backs in the NFL.  His 313 yards after four games puts him on pace for 1,330 yards on the season, which would be phenomenal.  He also has ten receptions for 43 yards, so as of now, he’s on pace to have roughly 1,500 yards from scrimmage in year one.

What makes the running back position so unique is that teams can find quality starters at the position in the middle and late rounds, but the same cannot always be said for other positions.  It might not be the smartest idea for teams to use higher draft picks on these backs, as they have a shorter shelf life in the NFL than most other positions.

The Houston Texans did it the right way when drafting Dameon Pierce in the fourth round.