With the 57th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans selected linebacker Zach Cunningham out of Vanderbilt.
- Draft Tracker: Round 2
Houston Texans
Pete Prisco's Grade: B+
CBSSports.com senior NFL writer Pete Prisco loves the Texans made their already strong defense even stronger by fixing the one problem they had on that side of the ball.
"He made a lot of tackles in a big-time conference," Prisco wrote. "Their linebackers were an issue last year -- especially in coverage."
Instant analysis
During his career in the SEC, Cunningham did something that very few Vanderbilt players had ever done in the school's long football history: He was named a unanimous All-American. The linebacker was such a force for the Commodores in 2016, that he actually led the entire conference in tackles with 125. In Houston, Cunningham should be able to contribute right away for a Texans defensive unit that could definitely use a
Houston is pretty much the perfect landing spot for Cunningham, who should see plenty of playing time during his rookie year. With the Texans, Cunningham should pick things up quickly, thanks to the fact that he'll be getting tutelage on a front seven that includes players like J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilius and Brian Cushing.
NFL comparison
Derrick Johnson: It is hard not to remember a young Johnson at Texas when watching Cunningham, who possesses a similar rangy frame, speed and nose for the ball. Like the Chiefs' 12-year veteran, Cunningham possesses Pro Bowl potential with the skill-set to translate into the 4-3 or 3-4 alignment.
