Why the Titans have the upper hand on the Houston Texans

The 2019 Draft:

1) Keep adding young talent through the draft

The first item on the checklist for the Texans, a team situated perfectly to take their division dominance and turn it into a run at the rest of the NFL. In just a few years, Houston could have been a team ready to make a Super Bowl run, and it starts through the draft.

But the team two wins and two spots in the AFC South standings behind Houston, the Tennessee Titans– were the ones who managed to make the most out of their Super Bowl window when nobody thought that window was even there to begin with.

The talent that Jon Robison was able to bring to the Titans in the 2019 draft class was impressive, but that’s not a new development for Robinson. The Tennessee general manager has owned the draft since taking over the GM role in Nashville. He’s found early-round gems like Jack Conklin, Adoree Jackson, and Derrick Henry– while also bringing in later-round stars like Kevin Byard and Jayon Brown. 2019 was no exception for Robinson.

Two rounds of drafting produced to star players for Tennessee. Jeffery Simmons on the defensive line was widely thought of as a top-five talent in the class– the Titans got him at 19th overall. AJ Brown, the Titans new exciting WR1, was found in the second-round and gave Tennessee a 1,000-yard receiver on Day Two of the draft. It was a quick influx of young stars joining the already established veterans. The Texans weren’t as lucky.

The early returns on the Texans’ 2019 draft have not been as optimistic as in Tennessee. Houston’s first-round pick, tackle Tytus Howard, was thought of as a reach that early in the draft– and hasn’t yet done much to separate himself from that narrative. The rest of the Texans’ class, as you read down the list, is about on par with the feeling towards Howard. A who’s who cast of players who either aren’t ready, or capable, of contributing to a roster that used to feel close to making a playoff run. Max Scharping, Lonnie Johnson, Charles Omenihu. All players who got their share of playing time, but weren’t more than replacement-level players.

The 2019 Draft offered two different outcomes for the Titans and Texans. Tennessee got some instant impact players, and even more like Simmons and Nate Davis who flashed the potential for greatness down the road. The Texans, on the other hand, are still waiting for those flashes. And the veteran stars they used to have, the ones who could have made up for a weaker draft, are starting to fall by the wayside.