Michigan Football: Karan Higdon can make Houston Texans roster

Former Michigan football running back Karan Higdon signed with the Houston Texans as a rookie free agent and here’s why he can make their roster.

When it comes to the 2019 NFL draft, there was one big surprise when it came to Michigan football and that’s the fact that star running back Karan Higdon didn’t get drafted.

Of course, when it comes to running backs and the NFL draft, it’s hard to be surprised. The position has lost some value over the years and an old-school back like Higdon isn’t necessarily something every team is looking for.

Yet, when Mel Kiper Jr. talked about Higdon last week, he predicted that he would go sometime around the fifth round which seemed logical. Over the past two seasons, Higdon rushed for more than 2,000 yards and for his Michigan football career, he racked up 2,616 rushing yards and averaged 5.6 yards per attempt as well as 27 touchdowns.

One thing that may have hurt him is the fact that he caught just 16 passes in four seasons with the Wolverines. There was also talk of an injury. At least that is what Higdon cited for why he fell out of the draft.

But the good news is that soon after the draft, the Houston Texans signed Hidgon as a rookie free agent. It hasn’t been reported if he got any guaranteed money or not, but the Texans lack of depth at running back, he couldn’t have landed in a better situation.

Lamar Miller is going to be the starter but after Alfred Blue left for the Jaguars, the backup is slated to go to 2017 third-round pick D’Onta Foreman. But Foreman had just seven rushing attempts last season after rushing for more than 300 yards as a rookie in 2017, so it’s not like he has a firm grip on the job.

That’s one of the best things about rookie free agency, you can choose your destination and Higdon appears to have chosen wisely. On top of that, Houston runs a zone scheme that should fit Higdon perfectly.

Higdon isn’t flashy but he ran 4.4 at the combine and he can get what’s there plus a little more with his power and hard-nosed running style. Decisiveness is one of his best attributes and in Houston, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him earn a job as the third back.

His first goal needs to be to get to 100 percent and perform well during rookie camps and the offseason. But if he can impress in training camp and the preseason, he seems to have a good shot at cracking the 53-man roster.

Unless the Texans bring in a veteran back, they have a glaring need for a reliable No. 3 and after getting a former Michigan football player many experts thought would be drafted, as a rookie free agent, it seems like they are betting they found a steal.

Now it’s up to Higdon to prove them right and the rest of the NFL wrong.