Safety K.J. Dillon becomes first Texans draft pick to sign



Click through the gallery for the scouting reports on this year's draft class. West Virginia safety K.J. Dillon became the first Texans draft pick to sign this year.

Click through the gallery for the scouting reports on this year's draft class. West Virginia safety K.J. Dillon became the first Texans draft pick to sign this year. Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close Safety K.J. Dillon becomes first Texans draft pick to sign 1 / 18 Back to Gallery

The Texans signed fifth-round safety K.J. Dillon to a four-year deal Thursday worth $2.574 million that includes a $234,936 signing bonus.

Dillon is the first of the Texans' six-player rookie draft class to agree to terms.

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His deal has a total maximum value of $2.798 million. It includes nonguaranteed base salaries of $450,000, $540,000, $630,000 and $720,000

Dillon emerged as a second-team All-Big 12 selection as a senior when star safety Karl Joseph tore his anterior cruciate ligament.

Years before the Texans drafted Dillon in the fifth round, the defensive back dealt with an episode of severe dehydration against Texas that briefly hospitalized him. He was sidelined for the remainder of his sophomore year. It was initially feared that Dillon was being affected by his type 1 diabetes, but that wasn't the case.

He finished last season with 55 tackles, 7 1/2 for losses, two interceptions and eight pass deflections.The 6-foot, 210-pound Dillon ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds at the NFL scouting combine. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds at the Mountaineers' Pro Day workout.

Dillon played extensively on special teams. Dillon had 62 tackles as a junior and tying for the team lead with three interceptions and seven pass breakups.

Dillon had 20 passes defensed and five interceptions over the past two seasons.

“I’m versatile, man," Dillon said. "I can cover guys, I can play deep, I can play in the box, I can blitz. I do a lot of things, so versatility is one of my best attributes"

“The player I like the most is (the late) Sean Taylor. I just like to model myself after him, but he’s a great player and I just want to be like him.”