Mario Williams, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2006 draft, proved to be arguably the NFL’s biggest breakout defensive player last year (OK, maybe San Diego’s Antonio Cromartie has an argument), and one of Williams’ Houston Texans teammates might be the rising defensive star of 2008.
Amobi Okoye, who only turned 21 a few weeks ago, was the team’s most impressive player in minicamps this offseason, according to coach Gary Kubiak. The Texans had only 31 team sacks last season, 14 by Williams. That’s not enough to be a playoff team, which means Houston needs Okoye to grow up fast. The 2007 first-round pick started last year strong with five sacks in his first four games, but then opposing teams figured him out, limiting him to just a half-sack the rest of the year.
"Well, I want to knock on wood, but in all honesty, I think he's the most improved player," Kubiak said. "He's a pretty dang good player to begin with but what you saw take place this offseason ... it tells me he's growing up. He's becoming better. He's becoming a pro. And if that happens, we're going to be a better football team.”That second year often is the year a player “gets” it. For example, Williams had 4.5 sacks as a rookie and then those 14 in his sophomore campaign.
"Well, hopefully we see the same thing," Kubiak said. "I don't think it's fair to compare players. They're different. But the thing that is very comparable right away is the maturity, I guess I should say, and how he's handling himself right now.”
When the Texans chose Okoye 10th in the 2007 draft, he was just 19, making him the youngest player drafted in the NFL since 1967. Okoye's youth is a rarity in the league where rules demand a player be three years out of high school before entering the draft.
Okoye, Williams and young linebacker DeMeco Ryans form a talented nucleus for a team looking to improve upon last year’s best-ever 8-8 finish. Houston is +2800 to win the AFC title on WagerWeb.com.
"A lot of things start up front with us, as far as me and Amobi," Williams says, "but collectively, as a defensive unit, we all count on one another to get it done."
But the Texans defense will be without star cornerback Dunta Robinson to start the season, as he is dealing with knee and hamstring injuries that will carry into this season.
Kubiak says losing Robinson "hurts us a great deal. We felt he was well on his way to becoming a Pro Bowl player last year. There's nothing we can do. We expect him to be back somewhere around Week 7.”
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