Thirteen players from Texas high schools and colleges were picked on the second day of the 2021 NFL Draft. Here is our assessment of how those picks will fair at theri respective teams.
NFL Draft coverage from Dave Campbell's Texas Football is presented by Panini.
DL Levi Onwuzurike, Louisiana Tech: Detroit Lions
High School: Allen HS
The former Allen Eagle opted out of the 2020 season but participated in the Senior Bowl this past winter to mixed reviews after being one of the standout interior linemen in 2019.
Dan Campbell wants to make physicality his calling card in Detroit and adding Onwuzurike in the second round, who some pegged as the best defensive tackle in the draft, is a heck of a start.
S Trevon Moehrig, TCU: Las Vegas Raiders
High School: Smithson Valley
One of the best safeties in the nation the past two seasons, Trevon Moehrig fell a bit further than people expected. Ian Rapaport reported that the former Smithson Valley Ranger injured his back while training and received an MRI that created some concern.
Regardless, the Raiders traded up to snag a centerfielder with unrivaled instincts. If his medicals are clear, Las Vegas has a potential star in the secondary for the next 10 years.
OT Walker Little, Stanford: Jacksonville Jaguars
High School: Houston Episcopal
Urban Meyer's Jags took a bit of a swing here. Walker Little was one of the highest rated offensive tackles heading into his junior 2019 season before suffering a season-ending injury after just one game. He then opted out of 2020.
If Jacksonville can tap into the player that wowed analysts in 2018, they have a cemented bookend protecting Trevor Lawrence.
OT Sam Cosmi, Texas: Washington Football Team
High School: Atascocita
With 35 starts to his name at Texas, Cosmi at times looked like a first-round prospect. But did struggle against opposing elite pass rushers.
Is he a tackle or a guard in the NFL? Regardless, he has NFL talent, it's up to Washington to see where that talent is best suited.
EDGE Dayo Odeyingbo, Vanderbilt: Indianapolis Colts
High School: Carrollton Ranchview
The Colts added DeForest Buckner last off-season and quickly became a nightmare to opposing offensive lines. They added Kwity Paye on day one of the NFL Draft and will pair him with another physical specimen in Dayo Odeyingbo.
When Buckner was hurt last season, Indianapolis' defensive line lost all of its punch and the team's rush defense faltered in November. They're making sure that won't happen again.
LB Nick Bolton, Missouri: Kansas City Chiefs
High School: Frisco Lone Star
He's not the fastest linebacker, but Nick Bolton has coverage skills and sideline-to-sideline speed that are valuable to any NFL defense.
Next to Willie Gay, Kansas City is investing in its linebacking duo for the next few years with a pair of very athletic prospects.
QB Kyle Trask, Florida: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
High School: Manvel HS
Earlier last fall, Kyle Trask was a projected first-round pick and early Heisman candidate.
Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady turns 44 this year so the Buccaneers selecting a potential replacement that will have the luxury of sitting behind Brady was a no-brainer. Trask is used to waiting his turn coming from Manvel where he sat behind D'Eriq King before blossoming at Florida.
It might be a little high, but Tampa Bay's roster is built well enough to take some risks.
QB Kellen Mond, Texas A&M: Minnesota Vikings
Kirk Cousins' tenure at Minnesota has seen mixed results so it's no surprise that the Vikings chose to invest in some competition this off-season and this early in the draft. Coming from Jimbo Fisher's notoriously complicated scheme at Texas A&M to new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's zone run will likely be a smooth transition for Mond.
Mond's athleticism could create some interesting wrinkles in an offense that, at times, seems hampered by Cousins' lack of mobility.
EDGE Joseph Ossai, Texas: Cincinnati Bengals
High School: Conroe Oak Ridge
The Bengals aren't a team that's going to contend right now so bringing in someone still polishing their edge rusher talents isn't a big risk.
Ossai flashed some huge upside when he moved to the defensive line. There will likely be some growing pains and he'll probably look out of place on some plays to start off against NFL talent as he continues to develop. But the physical tools are there to hold his own.
DL Milton Williams, Louisiana Tech: Philadelphia Eagles
High School: Crowley
An undersized interior linemen, Milton Williams might be pushed around a bit as he adds on weight to match his elite athleticism.
But in Philadelphia, he could be moved all over the defensive line as they see fit under new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon who worked in Indianapolis and coached in a defense that relied heavily on its defensive line play.
CB Paulson Adebo, Stanford: New Orleans Saints
High School: Mansfield
Another 2020 opt-out, Paulson Adebo recorded over 25 deflections and seven interceptions in 2018 and 2019 when he started for the Cardinal.
His lockdown capabilities make for an ideal partnership with Marcus Lattimore if the former Mansfield player can develop into an eventual No. 2 corner for New Orleans.
CB Brandon Stephens, SMU: Baltimore Ravens
High School: Plano
A former running back at UCLA, Brandon Stephens quickly turned into an interesting DB prospect with how quickly he picked up the position at the FBS level at SMU.
The Ravens took a bit of a risk drafting the Plano product this high, but if they believe in his development, could have a blossoming corner with ideal athleticism and physicality at the next level.
LB Baron Browning, Ohio State: Denver Broncos
High School: Kennedale
An elite toolsy prospect with tons of explosion in short spaces, Baron Browning proved why he was a highly-coveted player out of Kennedale. There some questions about his instincts and play-reading but someone like Vic Fangio working with him is about as ideal as you could get.
If Browning doesn't work out, it won't be because of a lack of talent or a bad organizational fit. He has all of that going for him.
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