Like any elite NFL prospect, Jadeveon Clowney wants the Texans to make him the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. But if Clowney also wants to simply rush the passer from the same position down after down, he won't get everything he wants in Houston. Texans coach Bill O'Brien told an assembly of fans at a town hall meeting that if the club takes the former South Carolina defensive end, he would be asked to play a variety of roles.
"If we decide to draft this guy, we're not just going to play him at one position," he said, according to houstontexans.com. "We may start him off at one position but use him in a lot of different ways. He's a unique talent but again, that's if we draft him."
The possibility of pairing Clowney, who made 27.5 sacks in a three-year college career, with veteran star J.J. Watt is an exciting one for Texans fans. Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel's 3-4 defensive scheme could allow Clowney to attack offenses a number of different ways, and perhaps more unpredictably than he would from a defensive-end position in a 4-3 defense.
South Carolina will hold its pro-day workout on Wednesday, and Clowney is expected to have dinner tonight with O'Brien and other club officials. Clowney will be the headline attraction for what is expected to be a strong contingent of NFL evaluators on hand to see Clowney perform the field drills he skipped at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.
Houston has a clear need at quarterback as well, however, and the free-agency acquisition of Ryan Fitzpatrick has done little to quell speculation that the club is strongly interested in drafting a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick.
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