I could live with this mock of theirs, and I like your mock also. Not a Swope fan currently, not sure he has the quickness the Texans need in the slot, which is where I think he projects. Plus I think he ends up in Miami.

I have some time to kill until the kickoff tonight. I hate the prime time start. So another mock from the cbssports.com rankings.

1 Barrett Jones OG Alabama Sr 6-4 305 Jones could be a 5 position guy in the NFL. He might be a super stud at the RT position, he is at worse LG in this league. A little short to play LT but he was 1st team all SEC at LT last season, so he has skills, he is currently playing OC for the Tide. This would give the Texans options on the OL. Brooks can play RG and possibly RT, Ben Jones can play both guards and OC, Barrett Jones could be one of three positions, LG/RG/RT, and be a starter next season and for the next 10 years.

2 Kevin Minter ILB LSU rJr 6-1 245 Would give the Texans another ILB to go with Sharpton (if he is recovered) and Cushing. Stout against the run and decent enough in pass coverage. Could be part of the 2 down ILB rotation.

3 Bacarri Rambo FS Georgia rSr 6-0 210 Rambo ( i love this name) has some dings to his off the field record, but on the field he is a stud. He might be a 2nd rounder but he currently #93 on cbssports.com and #81 on thehuddlereport.com. If he is here you take him. Adding playmakers to the safety position always helps the team.

3A supplemental pick Shayne Skov ILB Stanford Sr 6-3 242 If we ahev learned anything this season, having enough high level tackling machines to play the ILB position is a must. Skov is a high effort guy, a smart guy, can play the run or the pass. IMO he is a 2nd rounder, but cbssports has him as a 3-4 round guy, so I jump on him. I now have some insurance for Cushing and Sharpton.

4 Abry Jones DT Georgia Sr 6-3 308 Has had ankle surgery and will miss the rest of the regular season, has a chance to play in bowl game. Could become a sleeper type pick. Can play the 5 tech or can be move inside and be a disruptor in the backfield. Has long arms.

5 Jeremiah Attaochu OLB Georgia Tech Jr 6-2 240 Plays the strong side OLB in the 3-4 at Georgia Tech. A little on the short side, but....

5 supplemental Michael Williams TE Alabama rSr 6-5 272 Blocking TE who has receiving skills. Has size and strength at the point of attach in the run.

6 Theo Riddick RB Notre Dame Sr 5-11 200 Any 6th rounder or later is a long shot to make this team, depending FA losses.

7 Quinn Sharp P Oklahoma State rSr 6-1 205 see comment above.

I think this next draft is going to be heavy at OL with a sprinkle of ILB and OLB - with an eye on ST players. Wouldn't surprise me to see 3 of our first 4 picks (hopefully we get a #3 for Mario) go to OL.

So PK, I gather you think that xtra 3 & 5 are comp picks ?

Yes, a 3rd for Mario, and a 5th for Briesel. We might get a 7th also. Brady James will count against us in the formula, so not sure of the comp picks.

Sorry I called them supplemental.

Draftsite.com 11.14.12
 

32 Keenan Allen* WR Cal 6' 3" 195
62 Oday Aboushi OT Virginia 6' 6" 310
94 Sonny Vaccaro S Texas 6' 1" 215
126 John Boyett S Oregon 5' 10" 198
158 Russell Shepard RB LSU 6' 1" 188
190 Will Compton ILB Nebraska 6' 2" 230

I could live with this.

Having watched Vacarro at Texas, he will probably win a job on special teams because he makes memorable hits but he hits more than he tackles and I'd rather have defensive backs who tackle receivers instead of throwing a shoulder into them and hoping they fall down.

Watch the better defenses in the NFL and you'll see them wrap up and bring down ball carriers in the open field. The Texas players, regrettably, don't do this which is why they are 85th in defense. They just don't tackle; they hit and hope he falls.

I am also not a fan of Vacarro and his tackling, but for a national mock draftsite did a decent mock for us IMO. I agree Safety is a position we may need to target in the draft, and again I want to be on the record, This is not a good draft class as of right now, and the Texans are very deep currently, that can change after early March and the FA are signed, so I am not worrying about the later rounds.

Might be a good year to trade up into the late teens or early 20's to pick.

We've seen Rick Smith trade down a few times. I can't recall him trading up with a target in mind. I might be wrong but I don't really recall a "The _____ have traded out of their pick and with that pick the Texans select...." since the infamous Babin trade which was done by Chatty Casserley.

Rick has done it in the later rounds, Ben Tate came after a trade down then a trade back up, but he has never done one in the 1st round.

WalterFootball 11.14.12
 

IMO I trade up or I trade down, trading down I look like this

2a Shayne Skov, ILB, Stanford Or biggest need is currently ILB depth and future
2b Cobi Hamilton, WR, Arkansas (after the trade down)
3 Bacarri Rambo, S, Georgia - I could live with Rambo

Draftsite.com 11.20.12
 

31 Cobi Hamilton WR Arkansas 6' 3" 209
61 Shawn Williams S Georgia 6' 1" 220
93 Gerald Hodges OLB Penn State 6' 2" 234
125 Brad Madison DE Missouri 6' 4" 250
157 Michael Buchanan DE Illinois 6' 6" 240
189 Taylor Reed ILB Southern Methodist 5' 11" 215

Decent enough

I would change a few picks:

31 Chase Thomas OLB Stanford 6' 4" 240
61 Bacarri Rambo S Georgia 6' 1" 208
93 Shayne Skov ILB Stanford 6' 3" 242
125 Theo Riddick RB Notre Dame 5' 11" 198
157 Michael Buchanan DE Illinois 6' 6" 240
189 BPA

My names are starting to be familiar.

I would only take an OLB in the first round if we aren't keeping Barwin. Otherwise, we have enough invested with Barwin, Reed and Mercilus. Of course, Cushing was an OLB in college so there could be the plan to convert such a pick to the inside.

I'd sure rather see a big body in the middle or the top ILB at the bottom of Round 1.

Chase Thomas is a guy I can see playing either inside or the outside in our system. He is on the small side for a full time OLB in Wade's system, but he certainly could be an ILB in the base defense and a pass rusher with quickness in some passing down packages.

Also I am thinking Barwin is gone if he is offered a decent size contract from someone, but that happening is looking more unlikely.

Skov is a more traditional ILB, and we need to upgrade the depth at ILB.

That would give the Texans Cushing coming of IR, Sharpton who will have missed half this season, Dobbins and Skov as full time ILB and Thomas as a swing guy going from ILB to OLB depending on the package.

Until we know Wade Phillips plans beyond this year, wouldn't it be premature to sign/resign any LBs ?

Maybe not. If we promote a DC from within if Phillips leaves, then the schemes are likely to remain the same. I think it would be foolish, after our personnel decisions of the past two years, to switch back to a 4-3 base.

I completely agree, going back to a 4-3 right now is not the best move IMO.

My problem is which guy would you go with? Reggie called the defense last year during the game Wade missed, and the team sucked that week. I like the young DB coach, Vance Joseph, but he has no experience calling defenses. Kollar was here during the bad defense years, so can he be an answer, not sure.

IMO we need to keep Wade here as long as we can.

edit note a name to add to the mix:
John Pagano DC for the Chargers, he has worked with Wade with the Chargers, might not be a fit, but then again...

Added a few names to the watch list, give me some more names to add.
Added names are in green.



Matt Barkley QB Southern California Sr 6-1 218
Landry Jones QB Oklahoma rSr 6-4 230
Tyler Wilson QB Arkansas rSr 6-3 220
Logan Thomas QB Virginia Tech Jr 6-5 254
Tyler Bray QB Tennessee Jr 6-6 210

Montee Ball RB Wisconsin Sr 5-09 212
Knile Davis RB Arkansas Sr 6-0 226
Marcus Lattimore RB South Carolina 5-11 233hurt
Joseph Randle RB Oklahoma St. 6-0 191
Theo Riddick RB Notre Dame 5' 11" 198

Da'Rick Rogers WR Tennessee Jr 6-2 215
Robert Woods WR USC Jr 6-1 181
Terrance Williams WR Baylor 6' 3" 205

Tyler Eifert TE Notre Dame Jr 6-6 249

James Hurst OT North Carolina Jr 6-6 313
Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M Jr 6-5 310
Morgan Moses OT Virginia Jr 6-5 335
Taylor Lewan OT Michigan Jr 6-7 305
Jake Matthews OT Texas A&M 6-5 305
Zach Martin OT Notre Dame 6' 4" 280

Alex Okafor OLB/DE Texas Sr 6-4 260
Jackson Jeffcoat OLB/DE Texas Jr 6-5 253
Barkevious Mingo OLB LSU Jr 6-4 245
Corey Lemonier OLB Auburn Jr 6-3 242
Sam Montgomery OLB LSU Jr 6-4 245
William Gholston DE Michigan ST Jr 6-7 280
Bjoern Werner* DE Florida State 6' 4" 273
Lerentee McCray OLB Florida 6' 3" 249

Kawann Short DT Purdue rSr 6-3 310
Star Lotulelei DT Utah Sr 6-3 325
Johnathan Hankins DT Ohio St Jr 6-3 335
Spencer Nealy DT Texas A&M Sr 6-5 277

Manti Te'o ILB Notre Dame Sr 6-2 255 love this kid and we no shot at him
Kevin Reddick ILB North Carolina Sr 6-2 240
Chase Thomas ILB/ OLB Stanford rSr 6-4 240
Shayne Skov ILB Stanford 6' 3" 242
*Kevin Minter ILB LSU rJr 6-1 245

T.J. McDonald FS Southern California Sr 6-2 205
Shawn Williams SS Georgia 6' 1" 220
Bacarri Rambo FS Georgia 6' 1" 208

Tyrann Mathieu CB LSU Jr 5-9 185
David Amerson CB NC St. Jr 6-3 194
Tharold Simon CB LSU Jr 6-3 188
Xavier Rhodes CB Florida St Jr 6-2 210
Carrington Byndom CB Texas Jr 6-0 181

draftsite 11.27.12
 

32 Stedman Bailey* WR West Virginia 5' 10" 190
62 Shawn Williams S Georgia 6' 1" 220
94 Jamie Collins OLB Southern Miss 6' 3" 239
126 Brad Madison DE Missouri 6' 4" 250
158 Russell Shepard RB LSU 6' 1" 188
190 Taylor Reed ILB Southern Methodist 5' 11" 215

Decent enough mock for this time of year.

My attempt:

32 Bjoern Werner* DE Florida State 6' 4" 273.
62 Shawn Williams S Georgia 6' 1" 220
94 Shayne Skov ILB Stanford 6' 3" 242
126 Lerentee McCray OLB Florida 6' 3" 249
158 Theo Riddick RB Notre Dame 5' 11" 198
190 Marcus Davis WR Virginia Tech Sr 6'4" 232
222 Spencer Nealy NT Texas A&M 6'4" 280

Cheated a little bit, can you find it? Werner is a big play maker when big plays are needed, sound familiar? He has the size to groom into a DE in this system.

WalterFootball.com 11.28.12
 

I don't disagree with taking a S and a WR in the early part of this upcoming draft, but I have been impressed with the growth that Newton has shown. Especially when I factor in the learning curve that Brown had to undergo, Newton played at a small school and had a huge jump up in quality of talent he was playing against. Not saying he is All Pro, but he is doing well.

That all said, If I was doing these picks I would go with Barrett Jones, G/C/OT, Alabama (who they take 32), and then I would run to the podium with the Cobi Hamilton pick at 62. I would address Safety, NT or ILB in the 3rd.

Jones can play all 5 positions on the OL, he has started and excelled at LT and OC at Bama. He, Jones and Brooks would give you versatility in the OL.

draftsite 12.11.12
 

32 DeAndre Hopkins* WR Clemson 6' 2" 194
62 Oday Aboushi OT Virginia 6' 6" 310
94 Desmond Trufant CB Washington 6' 0" 172.
126 Bruce Taylor ILB Virginia Tech 6' 2" 246
158 Tobias Smith OG Mississippi State 6' 3" 305
190 Mario Benavides OC Louisville 6' 4" 304

Not a bad mock and not a great one either. To many OL prospects to go along with the young OL talent currently on the team.

32 Bacarri Rambo S Georgia 6' 1" 208
62 Prentiss Waggner CB Tennessee 6' 2" 181
94 Shayne Skov ILB Stanford 6' 3" 242
126 Devon Kennard DE USC 6' 3" 255
158 Cameron Marshall RB Arizona State 5' 11" 217
190 Michael Williams TE Alabama 6-5 272

Right now your mock looks reasonable to me.

I agree OL likely ok with some experience.

A Wilfork type DT seems hard to find.

draftsite 12.18.12
 

32 Keenan Allen* WR Cal 6' 3" 195
62 Nico Johnson OLB Alabama 6' 3" 238
94 Tyrann Mathieu* CB LSU 5' 9" 180
126 Jake Olson OT Central Michigan 6' 8" 290
158 Kerwynn Williams RB Utah State 5' 9" 185
190 Datone Jones DE UCLA 6' 4" 275
222 Kaleb Ramsey DT Boston College 6' 3" 288

This is one way the draft could play out.

Getting Honey Badger in the third would upgrade the return game and he'd be an exceptional nickel back. That would be a great pickup in the third.

He would have to ace his interview, his continued drug issues are not the type of things the Texans overlook. One time issues and contrite responses work for the Texans, but Mathieu has not been working with his team, and he has had issues since his rehab, does not look like a Texans type guy.

Not a bad mock, so I am looking at this from a different place. Tried to come up with some different names. Overall they are new names but some I have not used in a while.

32 John Jenkins DT Georgia 6' 4" 350
62 Devin Taylor DE South Carolina 6' 7" 265 (a little early for this DE project, needs to add weight and strength)
94 Shayne Skov ILB Stanford 6' 3" 242
126 Cameron Marshall RB Arizona State 5' 11" 217
158 Devon Kennard OLB USC 6' 3" 255
190 Dan Buckner WR Arizona 6' 4" 215 (character flag, arrested for criminal trespass transferred and has been clean since)
222 Michael Williams TE Alabama 6'6" 270

Buckner is the former Longhorn that had some problems one spring and was dropped/transferred. Big target. Not elite speed. Average hands. He's a matchup problem for most college DBs but I'm not sure he would be anything special in the NFL.

And a flyer in the 6th round by a team that will not be very easy for anyone to make if they are picked after the 4th round. His crime was a criminal trespass in College Station, as you stated he went to UT, he was suspended by the longhorns and he transferred, sat out in Arizona, his red shirt year he was voted Scout team player of the year by his teammates, so he stayed in football and worked hard to put an incident behind him.

Honey Badger has been suspended by his team, could have transferred, choose not to, re-enrolled at LSU, then was arrested again for having high grade weed in his apartment. He has been away from football, and has continued a pattern of trouble with weed, and the law. Being a junior he can not play in any of the scout games after the season.

Understood the difference between a third-rounder and a sixth rounder. It's just that Mathieu would be a first-rounder without the red flags and Buckner might be a fourth-rounder without the red flags. Lower risk but lower reward.

I agree, in fact Mathieu could have been a top 15 pick, his height is not ideal, and he could not stop his demons. I am having PacMan flashes with him. If he can stay under control he could be a huge steal. But that is a big if.

I'm not disagreeing. A team that has good depth and the team has a few strong leaders that can keep a young player in line, can take that chance in the third round. I compare it to when Denver drafted Maurice Clarett. If you can accept that you might have just drafted a bust, you can take the gamble. Clarett did become a bust but he might also have been great.

Found another top 200 draft stock list: National Football Post

Using their rankings I could see the Texans having a draft like the following

1 Terrance Williams WR Baylor 6'2" 201
2 Shayne Skove ILB Stanford 6'1" 245
3a Bacarri Rambo FS Georgia 6' 206
3b Blidi Wrey-Wilson CB UConn 6' 190
4 John Jenkins NT Georgia 6'4" 363
5a Joseph Fauria TE UCLA 6'6" 255
5b La'Veon Bell RB Michigan St 6'2" 245

This would be a huge draft IMO. Williams is a solid 2 and a future 1, would give us a great young pair(added to Posey) of WR to help lengthen AJ career. Skove is a prototype for 3-4 ILB. Rambo is ball hawk, Wrey-Wilson is a raw prospect who has solid man coverage skills. Jenkins is a top 50 player shocked they have him this low, but he gives the Texans a presence in the middle like they have never had. Fauria has soft hands, is a huge target for the red zone, and a willing blocker. Bell is a power back who could be special with some coaching.

Good looking Draft there PK, except where's your RT ? Most everybody has us taking a tackle prospect in the first or second round to play on the right side.

This doesn't seem too realistic. Bell, in particular, shouldn't last until the fifth. He's a workhorse and a load although I think he's a step slow for the NFL, some of these guys still make it work.

I agree on the does not seem realistic, but hey it is someones list that looks like a national writer. I would be happy if our draft fell like this.

And for nunusguy, no I do not see us needing to go with a RT in early part of the draft, I think we are looking ok at RT, Newton has started to look pretty solid. And I also hope we resign Ryan Harris, though Andrew Gardner look ok in limited play. That would give us three decent tackles. More than most teams, and don't forget Mondek is still on the practice squad, if he is able to make the jump he has the potential to be a nice swing guy also. That is 5 OTs, and don't forget Brooks can play RT in a pinch. I don't see the Texans going tackle unless a really good one slides to them.

I am really having to rethink the OL after the game today...

draftsite 12.26.12
 

31 Akeem Spence* DT Illinois 6' 1" 305
61 Alvin Bailey* OG Arkansas 6' 5" 319
93 Tavarres King WR Georgia 6' 1" 184
125 Kenny Tate OLB Maryland 6' 4" 220
157 B.W. Webb CB William & Mary 5' 11" 160
189 Dustin Hopkins K Florida State 6' 2" 183
221 A.J. Klein ILB Iowa State 6' 1" 240

If we don't reach the Super Bowl, our 1-3 collapse will help our draft position slightly. Not that I'd trade, mind you.

Anyone see WR Marquis Goodwin in the Alamo Bowl? I wouldn't mind spending a second or third on him, particularly since he would make a better KR than Martin. He's got that extra gear like Jacoby Jones but he's a much smarter kid.

draftsite 1.2.13
 

29 Akeem Spence* DT Illinois 6' 1" 305
59 Brian Winters OT Kent State 6' 6" 294
91 Omoregie Uzzi OG Georgia Tech 6' 3" 300
123 Zach Line FB Southern Methodist 6' 1" 235
155 Brandon Sharpe DE Syracuse 6' 1" 255
187 Reid Fragel OT Ohio State 6' 8" 298
219 Josh Evans S Florida 6' 1" 195

draftsite 1.8.13
 

29 Matt Elam* S Florida 5' 10" 199
59 T.J. McDonald S USC 6' 2" 205
91 Braxston Cave OC Notre Dame 6' 3" 303
123 Ryan Swope WR Texas A&M 6' 0" 204
155 Chris Jones DT Bowling Green 6' 2" 290
187 Nick Florence QB Baylor 6' 1" 205
219 Rod Sweeting CB Georgia Tech 6' 0" 184

Not a very good mock IMO.