Coach DeMeco Ryans added talent to the Houston Texans defense in the 2024 NFL Draft with the aid of two USC recruits.
Houston — The Houston Texans visited Southern California for a while, but not to take advantage of the nice weather. During their stay at USC, the Texans scouted potential players. Consequently, they took two former Trojans with them as they left the 2024 NFL Draft.
On the second draft day, Houston selected safety Calen Bullock with their last pick (78th overall). Solomon Byrd was selected by the Texans in the seventh round (No. 238) before Day 3 came to an end on Saturday night.
Coach DeMeco Ryans is eager to bring USC prospects to Houston’s squad because he thinks each one of them has the SWARM attitude.
“Starting with Bullock, you see just his ball skills, his range back there in the deep half of the field — it just stood out,” Ryans stated. “He attacks the ball and makes excellent plays. That is our defense strategy. That is Bullock’s behavior. We want him to take care of that for us.
When it comes to passing defense at the end of the 2023 season, the Texans were in the lower half of the league. The 2023 season saw them give up 234.1 passing yards, largely due to the poor performance of the team’s safety unit.
Bullock was one of the team’s top defensive playmakers going into the draft. He recorded nine interceptions and fifteen pass deflections in his three years at USC.
Given the caliber of quarterbacks the Texans will encounter on their path to the championship, Ryans underlined the need for Houston’s defense to improve. After their horrible January playoff defeat to Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, he sought to strengthen the defensive backfield while bolstering the front four.
“When it came to [Solomon] Byrd, just looking at a guy that has the traits to play our style up front,” Ryans stated. “He plays assiduously and hard. He can pursue the quarterback with skill and is a tough player. We can’t get enough of him. Adding a player with the skill set we like, length, and the ability to rush the quarterback at that time in the draft
Byrd strengthens what is perhaps the Texans’ strongest position, which is led by All-Pro Danielle Hunter and reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year winner Will Anderson Jr.
Byrd is a dependable pass-rusher who can assist the Texans in applying constant pressure to the quarterback of the opposition. In 2023, he recorded 20.0 sacks and an 81.7 pass rush grade during his final year in college. But Byrd isn’t just a threat to the quarterback; he can also cause problems for the running game.
According to Pro Football Focus, he lined up against the run in 285 defensive snaps and received a grade of 74.8.
The Texans are hoping that the nine players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft would improve the team’s performance in the upcoming campaign. Ryans may be able to fulfill his ambitions for the defense with the assistance of Bullock and Byrd, demonstrating that the Texans’ time in Southern California was well worth it.
“I think we’ve added great players on offense and great players on defense,” Ryans stated. “I adore every choice we made. I can’t wait to collaborate with each of them. Every one of our coaches is revved up and eager to work with the players we selected.”
