The safety position for the Houston Texans battled injuries last season. Jimmie Ward missed seven regular season games and the playoffs with a hip, hamstring, concussion, and a strained quadriceps. Eric Murray missed 11 regular season games and the playoffs with a meniscus injury. Finally, M.J. Stewart missed nine regular season games and the playoffs with a shoulder injury.
The Texans drafted a safety in the 3rd round, hoping to stabilize their depth.
The Houston Texans drafted a safety in the 3rd round.
The Texans drafted Calen Bullock in the 3rd round, 78th overall of the 2024 NFL Draft.
He signed his rookie contract.
Calen Bullock signed his rookie contract.
Bullock signed a 4-year rookie contract worth $5.856 million with a $1.079 million signing bonus.
He spent three seasons in Southern California.
Calen Bullock spent three seasons with the USC Trojans.
Bullock committed to the Trojans as a four-star recruit for the 2021 season. He would have a great career with the team, playing 38 games and starting 32, with 151 tackles, nine interceptions, two pick-sixes, and 15 pass deflections.
Bullock played 12 games, starting 12 in 2023, with 63 tackles, two interceptions, one pick-six, seven pass deflections, and a 71.5 PFF Grade. He allowed 26 receptions on 44 targets for 282 yards, five touchdowns, and a 97.0 passer rating. He had an 82.2 coverage grade, a 49.0 run defense grade, and a 15.9% forced incompletion rate per PFF. The Pac-12 named him to their All-Pac-12 First Team.
Lance Zierlein did a scouting report on Calen Bullock.
Lance Zierlein of NFL Network did a scouting report on him.
“Long and athletic with a series of feast-or-famine plays all over the tape. Bullock can be scary good in coverage and scary bad as a run defender.
“He has the range to play single-high safety, the athleticism to line up over the slot and the ball skills to chalk up impressive on-ball production. As a run defender, Bullock’s poor recognition, missed run fits and bad angles to the football cost his team chunk plays and touchdowns.
“He won’t always see or process the game clearly, but the athleticism and playmaking talent are hard to overlook. He’s young and talented, and if he runs well enough, there might be a team more interested in his skill set as a cornerback than as a boom/bust safety.”
