Arizona defensive tackle Roy Lopez selected by Texans in 6th round of NFL Draft

Arizona Wildcats defensive tackle Roy Lopez was selected by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday.

The No. 195 overall pick, Lopez was the first Wildcat off the board, though running back Gary Brightwell was picked by the New York Giants with the very next selection.

A Tempe native, Lopez joined Arizona as a graduate transfer after spending his first four seasons at New Mexico State. The 6-foot-2, 312-pound DT was disruptive, recording 18 tackles, including four tackles for loss, in five games.

Lopez earned an All-Pac-12 honorable mention and made Pro Football Focus’ All-Pac-12 Team after earning an 82.2 grade, the second-best among the conference’s defensive tackles.

NFL.com gave Lopez a 5.68 prospect grade, which, according to their grading system, means he has a chance to make the end of a roster or practice squad.

Here’s how Lance Zierlein evaluated Lopez:

Squatty nose with adequate anchor and plus motor to battle against different types of blockers. Lopez plays with decent feet, even though his first step is fairly average. His pad level and leverage help to create low-man status and offer early advantages when defending his gaps. He’s going to struggle against zone-blocking teams, as he’s fairly easy to reach and take out of the play. His lack of length lessens his consistency as a tackler and diminishes his opportunities for quick wins as a rusher. He has the size and potential to find work as a backup nose with decent run-clogging ability.

Per Spotrac, Lopez will received a signing bonus worth roughly $182,000 and the total value of his contract will be around $3.6 million over four years, though most of that money is non-guaranteed.