Evaluations for Texans 6th Round Pick Xavier Crawford

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Published on the State of the Texans

With their 6th round pick in the NFL Draft, the Houston Texans drafted cornerback Xavier Crawford from Central Michigan University. Crawford played alongside Sean Bunting, another cornerback who was drafted early. When it comes to the late rounds of Day 3, many people snooze and assume that the players that are selected are not impactful and might not even make team rosters. However, Crawford is a counterexample. In fact, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report believes that he can secure a role as a permanent backup who can continue to make plays on the field.

Matt Miller’s believes that Xavier Crawford has great awareness and is able to press receivers from the top side. He also has very fluid hips, allowing him to remain in-phase. Crawford has excellent footwork at the line of scrimmage and is easily able to defend receivers immediately. Additionally, Crawford has great short bursts of speed that can greatly help on crossing routes (something that really affects the Texans). However, his biggest weakness is his ailing back which caused him to miss the last seven game of 2017. With the Texans secondary always banged up, it is key that backups like Crawford stay healthy and can back up the starters. However, his back problem will definitely be a concern. Crawford also puts little to no effort as a run defender and his thin frame and short arms allows him to easily get “bullied at the line of scrimmage by physical receivers with strength in their releases”. Often times, Crawford struggles to track the ball in deep routes and misses playmaking opportunities. However, at both Oregon State and Central Michigan, Crawford was able to have several impressive campaigns. He has “fundamental traits to be a solid backup”, but his lack of size and back injury should be concerns.

Lance Zierlein from NFL.com labels Crawford as a long and thing press corner that is very agile, quick and has great balance. In addition, Crawford’s ability “to hound routes underneath” is very impressive and valuable in the NFL. Also, Xavier Crawford is very athletic and has the “ability to stay connected to routes”, which is very beneficial in man-to-man coverage. His patience and smoothness as a cornerback are very beneficial. However, the biggest concern is his size. Due to his small stature, Crawford cannot offer great run support, and thus often puts no effort in defending against the run. Also, due to his small stature, he is often unable to guard bigger receivers. In addition, Crawford has average speed, allowing him to get beaten on deep routes. Last but not least, his lingering back injuries are concerning. All in all, though, Xavier Crawford would serve as a solid backup for the Texans.

According to Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network, Crawford has great man coverage skills with his quickness and smooth transitions. In addition, Crawford has a great ability to stick to routes and not abandon them. Xavier Crawford is very flexible and can accelerate quickly in short bursts, but has average speed. However, Crawford does not offer great run support as he is often “uncertain and slow to react”. Often times, he just locks up receivers but lacks the “aggressiveness to discard of the block [set by the recievers]. Crawford’s tackling skills need a plethora of improvement as he needs to gain more strength and hit with more power. Additionally, Crawford’s back injury is a concern and needs to be taken under consideration by the Texans. In conclusion, his biggest strength is his foot speed and his biggest weakness is his run support. Crabbs says that “ Crawford has desirable foot speed and … skills in off-man coverage”, but Crawford will have to hone on his run defense skills in order to contribute and be an impact player.

In conclusion, experts expect Xavier Crawford to be a solid backup cornerback for the Texans and should be considered a great pick in the 6th round.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2824267-xavier-crawford-nfl-draft-2019-scouting-report-for-houston-texans-pick

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/xavier-crawford?id=32194352-4179-7658-5769-b69d29e210c2

https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/xavier-crawford