The Houston Texans traded up to add depth to their defensive backs group by drafting safety Calen Bullock Jr. out of USC in the third round of the NFL Draft.
Bullock was taken with the 78th overall pick after Houston traded the No. 86 and No. 123 picks to the Philadelphia Eagles. It was the first draft day trade for Houston this year. The Texans had traded out of the first round entirely ahead of the draft, eventually turning that pick into a trade for Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
On Friday, the Texans selected Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter and Notre Dame offensive tackle Blake Fisher with their second-round picks.
Bullock was an All-Pac-12 Conference player in each of the past two seasons at USC. In 2022, he led the Trojans with five interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, and started all 14 games. Last season, he tied for the team lead with two interceptions, again one returned for a touchdown, and started 12 games.
Bullock joins a safety room led by veterans Jimmie Ward and Jalen Pitre. With 4.48 speed in the 40-yard dash, he has the speed to compete at the next level. The size at 6 feet, 2 inches makes him an intriguing player in the Texans' secondary.
Perhaps the most encouraging part of Houston drafting Bullock, who turns 21 years old at the end of the month, is how excited head coach DeMeco Ryans is to have him on the team.
General manager Nick Caserio spoke Friday night about Bullock's attributes, and what he needs to work on.
"He's rangy. He covers ground, he plays the ball well," Caserio said. "He has good movement skills for a safety. He started his career as a corner. Not saying he's a corner, but he moves well for his size. He's 6'2", 190 pounds. Honestly, some of his best football probably is in front of him. He needs to get stronger. He'd be the first to tell you that. I think there's some developmental opportunities with him relative to his frame. You are talking about a guy that is 6'2", 190 pounds, ran 4.5 that moves well for his size, plays the ball, is instinctive, is an eraser in the deep part of the field.
"Has to improve as a tackler, which goes back to improving his playing strength. Hopefully our program will be beneficial to him in that respect. He's still an ascending player. He's only 20, 21 years old. He's a young player. Been in college for three years. Played as a true freshman. Versatile player. I can say that was certainly a player that the head coach was excited to get on the team. Anytime you can do that, it's probably a good thing."
