With the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans selected OT Tytus Howard from Alabama State.
In somewhat of a surprising move, the Houston Texans selected Alabama State’s Tytus Howard in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Howard was the third offensive tackle taken after Jonah Williams and Andre Dillard.
Strengths
Howard is an absolute monster of a human being. He is 6-foot-5, 322 pounds and has 34-inch arms. The senior ran an impressive 5.05 forty-yard dash at the combine and had a 29.5 inch vertical. A former high school quarterback, Howard has tremendous athleticism and quickness as both a run and pass blocker. He slides extremely well horizontally and has the strength needed to blunt initial power rush moves. Howard’s best game film came against Auburn, and he didn’t give up a sack against a formidable SEC defense. When Howard does get to the second level, he drives opposing defenders back and creates massive running lanes.
Weakness
I did not have Howard graded as a first-round prospect. Howard has yet to face the top collegiate pass rushers, let alone the best in the NFL. He is not particularly savvy with his hands and is easily beaten by more complex rush counters. He definitely needs to bulk up at the next level and lacks the footwork to fend off secondary bull rushes. Howard is much better in pass-protection than run-blocking but will need to work on both to be an above average starter.
Overall
Howard will be expected to start immediately at tackle for the Houston Texans. I think 23rd overall in the 2019 NFL Draft was a bit high for Howard, but he has the ability to exceed expectations. A lot of Howard’s success will depend on Texans offensive line coach Mike Devlin. If Howard can gain some muscle and become more technically refined, the Texans will be pleased with their 2019 first-round pick.
