If Texans miss on Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton, Georgia’s Lewis Cine should be an option

It would behoove the Houston Texans to acquire Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. Not only is this opinion shared throughout the football community, but it has been the stance of the Texans Wire editorial board throughout the offseason.

However, Hamilton is such a dynamic safety that the Texans would have to make the decision to take him at No. 3 overall to ensure no other team nabbed him. If Houston took anyone else and waited until No. 13 overall to grab Hamilton, he could very easily go to the New York Jets and New York Giants, who have picks at Nos. 4, 5, 7, and 10.

If the Texans gamble that Hamilton will be there at No. 13 overall and are wrong, they could still add an effective safety in their top-110 picks.

According to Josh Edwards from CBS Sports, Georgia safety Lewis Cine is an underrated prospect in the draft and should get first-round consideration.

Cine went to Indianapolis and put on a show — as did essentially every Georgia Bulldog. He ran a 4.37 seconds 40-yard dash at 6-foot-2, 199 pounds, while also jumping 36.5 inches vertically and 133 inches broadly. He is a desirable combination of size, speed and skill. Cine is currently rated the No. 31 prospect overall at CBSSports.com so fans should not be surprised if he is taken inside of the first round. 

Cine is willing to play downhill and does a good job of breaking down his footwork in space to make a solid-form tackle. He plays with absolutely no fear. Despite a lack of ball production, the Texas native is effective at the catch point.

In Luke Easterling’s latest mock at Draft Wire, this is precisely what the Texans do: take Cine in Round 2 with their No. 37 overall pick. While they may not have added the next Earl Thomas, Houston at least has a viable successor to Justin Reid, who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency.