No matter how you slice it, the Houston Texans were absolutely atrocious on defense last season. They had the 27th-ranked scoring defense, giving up 24.7 points per game on an uninspiring 379.5 yards of total offense.
Despite their overall poor team statistics, though, the Texans did have talent on the defensive side of the ball. One player that stood out especially was cornerback Desmond King II, who was in his second season in Houston.
Doing his part to anchor the Texans' secondary, King made the most of the 13 games he started. In those 13 games, he was a tackling machine, racking up 89 tackles with 10 tackles for loss. He also hauled in two interceptions and recovered a pair of fumbles.
For the production the Texans got from King, his current contract is a bargain. Entering 2023 on a one-year, $3.5 million deal, Bleacher Report named King among the top 10 most team-friendly deals in the NFL.
"The 2018 All-Pro shook off a tough first season with the Texans to notch a 73.2 PFF grade in 2022," Bleacher Report wrote. "Making just $3.5 million in the final year of his deal, King should be a reliable piece for this rebuilding defense in 2023."
There is no denying that if the Texans want to get themselves out of a rebuild and into contention once again, the defense must take a massive step forward. Fortunately for them, King showed in 2022 that he can be a reliable piece of the defense moving forward.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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