Houston Texans select Henry To'oTo'o in the fifth round of 2023 NFL Draft

The Houston Texans have selected former Alabama LB Henry To’oTo’o in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

He spent two seasons with Tennessee before transferring to Alabama. During his four years at the collegiate level, To’oTo’o compiled 353 total tackles (177 solo), six passes defended, one forced fumble, one interception and a touchdown.

Spending his final two years in Tuscaloosa, To’oTo’o was an instant-impact performer for the Crimson Tide. He earned second-team all-conference honors during his first season after he led the team with 112 tackles to go along with 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks while starting all 15 games.

In 2022, he was a first-team All-SEC performer after he compiled 93 tackles, eight for loss with 2.5 sacks.

Before college, To’oTo’o played high school football at De La Salle (CA), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 64 overall recruit in the 2019 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Henry To’oTo’o

NFL.com‘s Lance Zierlein provided the following analysis of To’oTo’o, offering Houston Texans LB Christian Kirksey as a historical comparison to the former Crimson Tide star.

“Assignment-oriented linebacker whose play is steady but unspectacular. To’oTo’o is tough but lacks thump inside and doesn’t have the speed to cut off angles and stop outside run plays before they get to the corner,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s a good technician but his play is a little more conservative than it will need to be with relatively average traits.

“To’oTo’o is always under control and generally where he needs to be. He’s just average in coverage and will need to become much more consistent as an open-field tackler. Good backup to below-average starter could be his career path whether he plays inside or outside.”

He lacks range and the quickness needed to travel downhill in the NFL, but has so huge upside. According to Zierlein’s scouting report, his strengths include good pop at the point of contact, rarely drifts too far from his assignment, angles well off block and has adequate athleticism for spot drops in coverage.

One executive for an AFC team said To’oTo’o knows how to play well and believes he’ll be rostered for a long time in the NFL. “But I don’t see him as a dynamic playmaker,” the executive said.