If you can play, you can play. That’s been the driving ethos for NFL talent evaluators for better or worse. That means that the best players on bad defenses get a look. If they pass muster, they get a shot. That’s the case with Solomon Byrd. Pro Football Focus graded Byrd as the best defender on a very bad USC defense in 2023. The Houston Texans took notice and used a seventh-round pick (288th overall) on the Palmdale, Calif. native.
Byrd is the seventh Trojan defensive lineman drafted since 2015. He is the second Trojan drafted by the Texans in the 2024 draft after Houston also selected Calen Bullock in the third round with the No. 78 overall pick. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Byrd transferred to USC from Wyoming in the fall of 2022. He tallied 28 total tackles, including seven for loss of 45 yards (including four sacks for losses of 28 yards) in his first season with the Trojans. He also had one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one QB hurry and one pass breakup while contributing to USC’s defensive line in all 14 games with four starts.
This past season, Byrd earned a strong overall grade of 82.2 from PFF. In 585 snaps over 13 games, Byrd had 40 total pressures (seven sacks, 12 QB hits and 21 hurries). He also forced four fumbles.
