Texans Wanted Karl Joseph

The Texans were extremely high on West Virginia safety Karl Joseph and wanted to find a way to grab him last night, according to sources who spoke with Mike Florio of PFT. However, the Raiders beat Houston to the punch when they selected Joseph with the No. 14 overall pick. Ultimately, the Texans wound up moving from No. 22 to No. 21 and selecting Notre Dame wide receiver Will FullerKarl Joseph

[RELATED: 2016 Round 1 NFL Draft Results]

Leading up to the draft, it was widely reported that Joseph would be taken in the first round, despite a torn ACL he suffered in 2015. Joseph had strong grades from talent evaluators, but few expected the WVU product to go so high in the draft. When the Raiders snagged the safety at No. 14, they likely disappointed a handful of other teams in addition to the Texans.

Joseph may miss the first few weeks of the 2016 season as he rehabs from his injury, but the Raiders certainly won’t mind waiting. In 2014, Joseph’s last full season, the safety racked up 82 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for a loss, one interception, three pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.

If the Texans are still thinking safety, players like Vonn Bell (Ohio State), T.J. Green (Clemson), and Darian Thompson (Boise State) could be considerations in Day 2 of the draft.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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