The Texans selected Alabama defensive end Jeoffrey Pagan with the first pick of the sixth round (No. 177 overall). Pagan, 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, feels he will be a good fit for Romeo Crennel's defensive scheme, after playing under Nick Saban for four years.
"I know he (Crennel) runs a 3-4 defense and it's similar to what I have been in with Alabama," Pagan said. "So, hopefully I can get right in and see how I'm already prone to 2-gapping and all that, I can kind of get the playbook and it should be a smooth transition."
Pagan declared for the draft after his junior season when he started 11-of-12 games. He logged 34 tackles with 2 sacks (against LSU and Oklahoma), four quarterback hurries, and a blocked kick.
Pagan, who underwent recent shoulder surgery, was not able to work out at the NFL Combine while he was recovering. He learned of the Texans' interest in him, later in the pre-draft process and feels he could easily fit into their defensive scheme.
"I would say I would play better as a three-technique but I'm also a defensive end too, so being in the two gap scheme kind of game me the best of both worlds."
Pagan is looking forward to learning from his new teammates, especially fellow defensive lineman J.J. Watt.
"He's one of, if not the most dominant player on defense in the NFL," Pagan said. "He's just somebody that I look up to and he's somebody that I really want to learn from and continue to build and be an even better player."
