Texans select Dylan Horton in 4th round of 2023 NFL Draft

Finding someone to rush the quarterback is almost as equally as important as finding a quarterback. EDGE rushers are on the rise in football today, and teams need as many quality ones as they can get. That is why the Houston Texans selected former TCU EDGE Dylan Horton in the fourth round with the 109th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

If there is one thing that Horton did well in his final college season, it put pressure on the opposing team’s quarterback. Last season for the Horned Frogs, he led the team in sacks with 10. He was the only player on the roster to record double-digit sacks on the season. Unlike others at the edge position, Horton is not a true defensive lineman.

In his first two years of his college career at New Mexico, he played linebacker. Once he made it to TCU, he switched to the defensive line. And the transition could have been more seamless and smoother. Horton was able to keep his tackling ability.

Still, it was only in his final season did he appear to be fully comfortable in his role on the defensive line getting after the opposing team’s quarterbacks. Horton finished the season with 51 total tackles, 32 solo, and 15 tackles for loss to go along with his 10.5 sacks.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Horton

According to the draft analyst Lance Zierlein at NFL.com, Horton is tied as the 22-best EDGE prospect in this year’s draft, with a grade of 5.99. He is tied with LSU Tigers EDGE Ali Gaye. That grade puts him in the category of ‘Candidate for bottom of roster or practice squad.’ Here’s how Zierlein views Horton heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.

“Horton is a base end in a 4-3 front with adequate upper-body power but a concerning lack of anchor as a run defender. He has room for improvement with hand usage, which could give his overall play a bump, but he might lack the requisite lower-body bend and short-area quickness to hold his own as a run defender. As a rusher, Horton’s explosive take-off and power to play through a blocker’s edge are both translatable rush traits, but improvement across the board is still needed for the pro level,” according to Zierlein.

As far as Horton’s strengths go, Zierlein has them listed as follows: “Added over 50 pounds to his frame since entering college; Comes off the ball with knee bend and good pad level; Plays with the upper-body power to fight in a phone booth; Ties hands with feet to work across blocker’s face when needed; First two upfield steps are explosive as a rusher; Has both inside/outside spin moves in his rush bag; Uses power to bully his way around the corner on tighter turns.”

As for the things he needs to work on: “Basic hand usage in rush game; Below average agility to finish the job once he’s in the pocket; Needs to get from move to move with better quickness; Tightness in ankles prevents optimal anchor leverage; Reactive quickness is slightly below average; Has reps where he gets caved by down blocks.”