Texans grab safety Calen Bullock in 3rd round

The Houston Texans selected USC safety Calen Bullock in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, No. 78 overall.

The Texans traded picks No. 86 and 123 to the Philadelphia Eagles to move up and select Bullock.

Houston has prioritized its secondary on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft, previously drafting Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter in the second round.

Bullock has grabbed nine interceptions in his college career, including a career-high five in 2022.

Pre-draft profile

Bullock is a cornerback cosplaying as a safety. That goes for both how he plays the position and his physical frame. At 6-foot-2 and 188 pounds, Bullock is lean. But, like most cornerbacks, his coverage ability is incredible. The USC defensive back has great instincts and range, which makes him a highly intriguing safety prospect. He looks NFL-ready when he's left to roam at safety or in the slot, where his man coverage stickiness and length really shines. The big knock on him is that he's a giant liability in the box with his tackling and run instincts being big weaknesses. Still, Bullock is surely near the top of this year's safety class when it comes to coverage ability. If his future team finds him a role in coverage that doesn’t ask him to contribute much against the run, there will be a very high ceiling for them to try unlocking.