What It Means:

The Texans traded up in the draft to get Nix, swapping a couple of lower-round picks to sign the former Notre Dame star. Nix had dealt with a knee injury his final year with the Irish, and then missed all of last season with a wrist injury. The Texans signed Vince Wilfork in the offseason to shore up the middle of the defensive line.

Even without Nix last year, the Texans were solid against the run. They finished seventh in our schedule-adjusted Rushing Defensive Net Expected Points per play. Our projections see Wilfork recording 43 tackles in his first season with the Texans.