Draft is loaded with running backs
Starting in 2nd round, Caserio should have lots of options to help anemic rushing attack
The Texans are desperate to improve the
NFL’s worst running game — the worst in franchise history — and they’re fortunate because the draft is loaded with intriguing prospects who aren’t expected to be first-round picks.
No running back is worth the Texans’ third overall pick, but beginning in the second round, a plethora of talented prospects could help solve a problem that has endured the past two seasons as the Texans finished 31st in rushing in 2020 and 32nd in 2021.
The team averaged just 83.6 yards on the ground last season, and Rex Burkhead was the team’s leading rusher with 427 yards. He signed a one-year extension and is the only back on the roster with experience. The Texans need two new backs, perhaps one draft choice and a free-agent signing.
General manager Nick Caserio needs to find a running back like Derrick Henry (Titans), Jonathan Taylor (Colts), Nick Chubb (Browns), Joe Mixon (Bengals) or Dalvin Cook (Vikings) — all of whom were drafted in the second round.
Caserio, coach Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton don’t need to be reminded just how pathetic the running game was the past two seasons, and they’ve been evaluating a lot of prospects at the Indianapolis scouting combine.
“Just like most positions, we weren’t satisfied with the production we were able to get from (the) running back position,” Smith said at the combine. “If you’re a running team, you have to build (a backfield and offensive line). We’re going to dress probably three guys each week, and they need to be able to contribute in some way.
“I’m kind of stating the obvious, but just like most of our positions, we need to add depth, and not just depth (but) we need to add good players there.”
In the second round, the Texans have the 37th overall pick. The top three prospects at this point of the scouting process are Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III, Iowa State’s Breece Hall and Texas A&M’s Isaiah Spiller.
If any back is going in the first round, it’ll be Walker, but he still could last until the second round.
If Caserio goes for another position of need in the second round, a lot of backs could interest him in the third round, where the Texans have the 68th and 80th overall picks.
Running back prospects who could be available in the third round include Notre Dame’s Kyren Williams, Alabama’s Brian Robinson Jr., Georgia’s James Cook, Georgia’s Zamir White, Florida’s Dameon Pierce, BYU’s Tyler Allgeier, Baylor’s Abram Smith, Michigan’s Hassan Haskins, Arizona State’s Rachaad White and Cincinnati’s Jerome Ford.
Burkhead, Scottie Phillips and Darius Anderson are the only backs the Texans have under contract. Phillips, who led the team in preseason rushing, had only 13 yards on six carries during the regular season.
“That’s a position we’ll evaluate as we go,” Caserio said. “How we build it out (is) to be determined.”
Caserio was asked at the combine about the intangibles the Texans are looking for as they evaluate prospects at every position, including running back.
“I’d say, philosophically, competitiveness, toughness, consistency and grit,” he said. “And a certain level of aptitude or intelligence, so when you have a one-on-one conversation, those are some of the things you might be able to glean.”
Running backs coach Danny Barrett said before the combine that, ideally, he’d want a threedown back with the speed and breakaway ability to score from anywhere on the field.
Walker (5-10, 210) ran for 1,636 yards (6.2 average) and 18 touchdowns last season. He caught 13 passes for 89 yards and one touchdown.
Hall (6-1, 220) tormented Big 12 opponents with 1,572 yards rushing (5.6 average) and 21 touchdowns. He had 23 receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns.
Spiller (6-1, 215), who played at Klein Collins, went for more than 1,000 yards in each of his last two seasons with the Aggies. In 2021, he ran for 1,011 yards (5.6 average) and six touchdowns. He caught 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown.
Smith and Hamilton are on the same page when it comes to offense in general and the running game in particular. Hamilton spent three years coaching quarterbacks for Smith at Chicago. They were reunited with the Texans last season, and both were promoted by Caserio last month.
“Pep and I have been together for a long period of time,” Smith said. “We’ve had a time to talk during our time together (about) how we believe offensive football should be played, a big emphasis on the running game.”
Smith’s best hire may have been offensive line coach George Warhop, who coached under Smith at Tampa Bay. This is the eighth time he’s coached an offensive line in the NFL, and he’s a strong proponent of building a productive, consistent running game.
“I think you’ll like what we’re going to do,” Smith said. “It’s one thing about the running game, but you’ve got to be able to pass the ball, too. I think we have some pieces in place, but we’ll continue to add.”
If the Texans want to make improving the running game the top priority, Caserio could draft an offensive lineman third overall and a running back 37th. Addressing those pressing needs in the first two rounds could help turn a weakness into a strength that’ll make an impact on quarterback Davis Mills and the defense.