2017 NFL mock draft: Houston Texans bring in Adoree’ Jackson

The Houston Texans have been back into a corner following Tony Romo’s decision to go into broadcasting. That leaves Houston with Tom Savage at quarterback, practically forcing the franchise to take a quarterback in the first round. In doing so, it has a ripple effect on the draft for the Texans.

In the first round of the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, the Texans scooped up Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer. It was a little early for him to get picked, but it was necessary. However, in doing so the Texans missed out on high-end cornerbacks like Gareon Conley of Ohio State and Kevin King of Washington.

Fortunately, there is depth at the position this year. Capt. Ron of Battle Red Blog is here to right the ship Houston and fill a big need.

57. Houston Texans: Adoree’ Jackson, CB, Southern California

Capt. Ron: After losing cornerback A.J. Bouye and safety Quintin Demps in free agency, the Texans need depth at defensive back. There’s also a strong possibility that Kareem Jackson will move to safety; he already spent time in that role last season. The corners that are likely to start on the outside for the 2017 Houston Texans are former first round pick Kevin Johnson, who’s entering his third NFL season, and twelve-year veteran Johnathan Joseph, who is 33 years old. Both of these players have missed games over the last couple of seasons due to injury, putting increased demand on adding quality depth in the secondary.

Adoree’ Jackson could potentially start for Houston in the slot as a rookie, which would fill a crucial role, seeing as how the Texans utilize sub-packages the majority of the time on defense. He would also provide a major upgrade as a return specialist for a special teams unit—one of the NFL’s worst for many years--in dire need of talent.

Jackson is an incredible athlete with blinding speed, confirmed by his 40-yard dash result of 4.42 seconds at the NFL Combine. He has the necessary foot quickness and fluid hips to overcome any mistakes in coverage, with catch-up speed to allow him to make the play. His ball-hawking skills could make an immediate impact, ensuring that the Texans’ defense continues to be one of the league’s best. The additional versatility of potentially becoming a top returner in the league makes this pick a “no-brainer.” Jackson has a first round grade from many analysts and was even compared to Johnathan Joseph in Lance Zierlien’s NFL.com draft profile. To get him this late in the second round is a steal.

Analysis: As the draft approaches, first round momentum has been building for Jackson. Many believe he won’t get past Dallas at No. 28, so to get him here is a nice move. Jackson doesn’t have the size of some corners in this year’s draft, and his technique is raw. His athleticism, though, is off the charts good.

Dan's top five players remaining

• 26. Tim Williams, LB, Alabama
• 41. Alvin Kamara, RB, Tennessee
• 45. Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida
• 50. Curtis Samuel, RB/WR, Ohio State
• 53. Ryan Anderson, LB, Alabama

Texans picks:

• 1-25: DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
• 2-57: Adoree’ Jackson, CB, Southern California

That does it for today's picks. Field Gulls and the Seattle Seahawks will be back up at 9 a.m. ET for pick No. 58.