New Outlook: Texans Trio Of Cornerbacks Spark Improved Secondary
With the start of the 2022 NFL season fast approaching, the Houston Texans face long odds when it comes to contending for an AFC South division title.
Several media outlets, as well as much of the fanbase, are predicting that the Texans will be in the company of the league’s bottom-tiered teams during the upcoming season.
However, all is not lost when it comes to optimism for the future. Despite several prognostications of doom, Houston has done a respectable job of adding notable potential talent on both sides of the ball to their fold.
Among the positions expected to garner the Texans some attention in 2022 is cornerback.
Though Houston’s defense is far from perfect, defensive backs Steven Nelson, Desmond King, and rookie Derek Stingley, Jr. provide the team with a more-than-capable trio in their secondary.
While Stingley and King are at their best when aligning on the right perimeter, Nelson is capable of covering the left. He joined the Houston fold by signing a two-year, $10 million deal in the offseason.
Having spent 2021 with the Philadelphia Eagles, Nelson started opposite Darius Slay and appeared in 16 regular-season games. He finished the season with seven passes defended, 50 tackles and one interception.
Nelson primarily played in a zone system, which may provide him with the ability to assimilate into the zone schemes typically employed by Texans coach Lovie Smith.
Having been considered one of the league’s top defensive backs in his early days with the Los Angeles Chargers, King had a bounce-back season in his first year in Houston. The Iowa product compiled a career-high 93 tackles, three interceptions and six passes defended in 16 games.
King allowed a career-low 65.6% of passes to be caught in 2021. He let up just three touchdowns while holding opposing quarterbacks to a 66.7 passer rating against his targets. If King continues his stellar play on the field in 2022, Houston’s defensive backfield has the chance to be one of the stronger units in the division, as well as the conference.
Stingley Jr. is widely considered to be among the top cornerbacks within the 2022 NFL Draft class. He was selected third overall by the Texans. Stingley earned a starting job as a true freshman for the 2019 National Champion LSU Tigers.
He led the team with six interceptions and earned more than 30 total tackles. Though injuries and coaching changes lessened his 2020 and 2021 productivity to a degree, he is still expected to be an elite-level pro in short order.
He has tremendous speed and solid lateral movement, which make him a nightmarish matchup for receivers. Stingley routinely matches his targets both step-for-step and in-and-out of breaks. He also possesses great instinct for making plays on passes thrown in his direction. His skill set will undoubtedly make him a player to be watched throughout the upcoming season.
The Texans will open the regular season against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 12 p.m. CT from NRG Stadium in Houston.
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