Houston Texans 2021 player profile: Roy Lopez

The Houston Texans drafted Roy Lopez with their final selection of the 2021 NFL Draft in the sixth round (No. 195th overall pick). Here is a player preview of the 23-year-old defensive end from Arizona.

Rundown

(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Position: Defensive end Age: 23 Height: 6-2 Weight: 318 pounds Hometown: Tempe, AZ. High School: Mesquite Gilbert (Arizona) College: Arizona Draft: 2021, Round 6, No. 195 overall Acquired: 2021 NFL draft

Profile

(Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

The Texans used their first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft on Davis Mills — a prospect who might have had the least collegiate experience when compared to the rest of the class. With their final selection, the Texans may have selected the prospect with the most college experience in Lopez. The 23-year-old Arizona native began his college career at New Mexico State, where he played four seasons before transferring to Arizona before the start of the 2020 season. Lopez redshirted his senior year in 2019 after sustaining a leg injury four games into the season. Lopez has established himself as a quality defensive end during his five-year college career. He ended his time at New Mexico State with a total of 136 total tackles, while averaging 19.5 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks. Lopez's defense would earn him All-Pac 12 First-Team Defense in 2020 after he registered 18 tackles and a sack during the five-game season. "Roy, he’s down in the trenches," coach David Culley said on Lopez's development during the first day of rookie minicamp in May. "He’s excellent there. We felt good when we got to that point of being able to get him and once we got to that point, it was good. [Defensive coordinator] Lovie (Smith) loved where he was."

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