DraftTek.com 04.10.2012
 

26 Dont'a Hightower Alabama SILB
58 Marvin Jones California WRF
76 Jonathan Massaquoi Troy OLB34
99 Matt McCants UAB LOT
121 Matt Conrath Virginia DE34
161 Brandon Brooks Miami (OH) OG
195 Ishmaa'ily Kitchen Kent State DT34
233 Asa Jackson Cal Poly CB

I still think they are overvaluing the Texans need at ILB.

I certainly agree with PK on overstating the need for LB in the Draft coming up.

I think maybe in top 3 rounds Texans should pick who they think is the best player available. Realizing they ususually do this but with targeted positions.

Texans do have 4 picks in top 100, so should be some good talent.

Here is Billicks latest list of top 100, we will see in about two weeks how many on this or similar lists the Texans take.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/B...players-030812

Did anyone happen to follow the link to the cbs video of Billick talking about the Texans? He thinks we signed Eric Winston, not cut him. What a waste of a few minutes.

Walter Football - 4/12 - 5 Rounds
 

Thought this one was interesting. Personally, I would rather have a rusher than a ILB in the 2nd though....

26. Stephen Hill, WR, GT
58. Mychal Kendricks, ILB, Cal
76. James Brown, OT, Troy
99. Joe Adams, WR/KR, Arkansas
121. DeQuan Menzie, CB, Bama
161. Trevor Guyton, DE/DT, Cal

After Kareem I am leery of any Bama CB. However any Mock that has us taking either Stephen Hill or Coby Fleener #1 is a good one. JMHO.

I am going to use the cbssports.com player rankings to fill out a mock.

26 *Stephen Hill WR Georgia Tech Jr 6-4 215

At 26, I had to choose between (30)Hill, (31)Shea McClellin, and (26)Coby Fleener. Fleener is not the guy I have to have to go TE in the 1st, so he's out. That made a tough choice between Hill and McClelin, I went with the offense because the defense has been getting the picks the last few years.

58 Bruce Irvin OLB West Virginia Sr 6-3 245

I had a hard time picking at 58. I wanted to take Boykin, but Irvin ran a 4.4 and is a perfect 3-4 rush LB. I hope I made the right choice.

76 Mychal Kendricks ILB California Sr 5-11 240

This is a BPA pick for me. I have a group of guys I wanted to take here. But finding an ILB that runs a 4.4 at 240 and is a tackling machine is hard to do.

99 Philip Blake C Baylor Sr 6-3 311

Athletic middle of the OL guy, we need depth and he fits very well.

121 Derek Wolfe DE Cincinnati Sr 6-5 295

I can see Wolfe and Watts being bookend DE that scare teams in the future, solid depth who fits what we do like a glove.

161 Coryell Judie CB Texas A&M rSr 6-0 194

Injury concerns has Judie available on this list here, the team wants to add depth to the secondary according to McNair, so here is a good one in the 5th round.

195 Desmond Wynn OG Rutgers rSr 6-6 303

Athletic guy who is raw and still learning. Could be used to push Shelley Smith.

233 Randy Bullock K Texas A&M Sr 5-09 205

OK Bob I guess your waiting to take Bullock at 233 is not such a bad thing. Will Gary really take two Aggies?

This has turned out way different than I set out to draft, but I think it's a pretty solid mock. I added explosion to the offense in the 1st. I added two fast LB in the 2nd and 3rd. I added solid depth to the OL. I added insurance for Antonio Smith's future departure. I added secondary depth and a kicker from my alma mater :eek:. Plus Coach Joe has a bunch of new toys to play with.

And I added some names to my list.

Thsnks for your effort PK. Of course I like Hill at #1.

I agree with most of your draft, with the excetion of NO OT! I would like to have seen one in the mock. I suppose you are thinking that Newton will prove to be a viable backup?

Phillip Blake will have to make all the line calls. Do you think he is capable?

Using Draftsite.com 4/15
 

26. Kendall Wright WR
58. Kevin Zeitler OG
76. Cam Johnson OLB
99. Sean Spence SS
121. Cyrus Gray RB
161. TJ Graham WR
195. BJ Colman QB
233. Donald Stephenson OT

Well, not what I was hoping for, but I can live with it.

With all of the mocks around having the Texans taking a WR or OLB in Rd. 1, my money is on them taking some obscure T or G that we aren't talking about.......

What I find interesting is how the mockers vary on who is the better WRs. After Blackmon (one mock had him falling to #13 which made me fall out of my chair) and Floyd, it seems like there is a second tier of Wright, Hill, Randle, Jeffrey and Sanu that seems to fluctuate depending on who does the mock. Then there is a third tier of Criner, Jenkins, Quick and some add Toon followed by a fourth tier of McNutt, Childs, Jones and Jones who some have sneaking into the third while others have them falling as far as the fifth.

Unlike some other positions, WR are not particularly specialized. There are some for speed and some for possession but practically everyone was the #1 guy on their team in college so they are used to playing the same role.

So while there may be 4-5 guys in the upper half of the draft who make good rush OLBs for Wade Phillips' defense, there are 12 wide receivers who can be good #2 receivers for our offense. Therefore, I'd rather use my first round choice to make sure I get one of those OLBs that work for me and get a third-tier WR in the second round than get one of the top 5 WRs in the first round and then *hope* one of the OLBs is still there when we come up in the second. It was looking like McClellin was our secret fallback choice but now he's getting too well known and I don't think he'll last until #58.

Neither the WR or the OLB will be an immediate starter and there are other options if we miss out on who we want but, IMO, these two positions are our chief needs and there is less talent available at OLB than WR which is why I want to take OLB first.

I had planned on tacking an OT in the 2nd round. I had targeted Mitchell Schwartz from Cal. He will be an excellent RT in a few years and could be a swing guy in a pinch. But when I got there the two LBs made more sense and improved the team more then the young OT.

I know the the ILBs have 4 strong vets and we only have 3 vet OTs so maybe that was mistake.

I also had planned on taking a NT, but it did not happen.

I respect this position, but want to offer up another line of thought. I think the Texans need to go into this draft thinking they are looking for the future #1 WR for this team, they should not be thinking they are picking just a #2 WR. And as such that severely limits the guys that should be looked at.

As for OLB, we already have two young solid guys, so the guy we bring in will be a rotational guy to start with and will be given time to learn. And while I agree McClellin is a stud, brings versatility and is a perfect fit for Wade, there are guys in the 2nd and 3rd round who can be rotational players. (And besides I want to see Braman's 2nd year leap).

On offense I want explosion from my #1, and that is hard to find, only a handful of guys in this draft have it. Jeffery and Hill might be the only guys available when the Texans pick that have what I think the Texans need. (size, speed, hands combo).

While I respect that thinking, the only receiver in this draft I would look at as a future #1 receiver is Blackmon. That's the full package right there. All the other receivers are just maybes, including Floyd and Wright. So, if you are looking for A.J.'s successor, I'd say we're too far down the draft board to get him. We're going to be taking the 4th or 5th WR off the board at best which means he's not Andre Johnson and probably never will be Andre Johnson. Maybe these could be Heywood Jeffires but I never saw him as a true #1.

While I wasn't unhappy to see Mario leave because of his cap cost, I listened to all the people who said we need to make sure we can get after the QB. While I'm happy with Barwin and Reed, what happens if we lose one to injury? Do we want to trust that to Braman to fill that void? Having another strong rush LB to bring into the rotation seems just a little harder to fill than a wide receiver.

And I'd be really shocked if the Texans took a shot at Bruce Irvin in the second, give his arrests and jail time. Sounds like a natural for the Raiders or the Ravens.

I do not think you ever find a player like Andre Johnson again. I have been in Houston for almost 50 years and there has been only one player like him and that is him. Just like Earl Campbell, they don't make many like him.

So, that said, IMO Hill's upside is a #1, his downside is Jacoby Jones. Yes he needs to learn a lot before he can play, but he has the potential.

As for OLB, I love McClellin, and it was a coin flip for me which one to take in my mock. But there are other guys available in this draft. As for Irvin arrest, a broken sign is much tamer than the drug charges Braman had against him. Granted UDFA is a much lower risk then a 2nd rounder. And Irvin has gotten his life together since his wake up call in jail for robbery.

In response to NBT and Bob, I will do an alternative mock using the same list as before.

26 Shea McClellin OLB Boise State rSr 6-3 260
58 Brian Quick WR Appalachian State rSr 6-4 220
76 Mike Martin DT Michigan Sr 6-1 306
99 Brandon Mosley OT Auburn Sr 6-6 314
121 Derek Wolfe DE Cincinnati Sr 6-5 295 (repeat from the last mock but I really like him)
161 David Molk C Michigan rSr 6-1 298
195 Jerry Franklin ILB Arkansas rSr 6-1 242
233 Micah Pellerin CB Hampton rSr 6-0 194\

UDFA Philip Welch K Wisconsin rSr 6-2 206
UDFA Jarrett Boykin WR Virginia Tech Sr 6-2 217
UDFA G.J. Kinne QB Tulsa rSr 6-1 234
UDFA Raymond Carter RB Colorado State rSr 6-0 217 (where is Kubiak's son a coaching assistant?)

This is a whole different way the draft could go and I would be just as happy as my prior mock.

We get an OLB that is scheme diverse, He can play in the middle or with his hand down, nice. We get a tall WR with upside, not a big burner but fast enough for a #2. Get a high motor NT he blows up double teams. We get a guy who played both RT and LT at a SEC school. Molk can only play C so that is a strike against him, but he fits our mold for a C. We get a tackling machine from a SEC school, and then we finish with a small school project at CB.

I named a few UDFA that would be nice here, the last one was a slight joke but you never know.

Charlie Casserly has done a two round mock

Stephen Hill was taken at #22 and Shea McClellin went at #28 to Green Bay.

I too, tend to think S. Hill won't be there.

What do u think about:

1. Coby Fleener- #1 rated TE in an even weaker class than OLB & WR.
2. Jared Crick- Would have been a 1st rounder if not for the injury, can be A. Smith's backup this year and starter next year.
3. Kirk Cousins- A backup that will be bought in like Yates was last year, potential starter in a few years.
4a. Nick Toon- Good depth at a position of need.
4b. Frank Alexander- Our third OLB.
5. Gerell Robinson- More quality depth at WR.
6. Lucas Nix- offers versitility at G/OT.
7. John Hughes- NT

UDFA-Tyler Horn C
UDFA-Kendrick Adams DE/OLB

Nice effort. I like most of this mock.

I am not a Fleener fan. Yes this is a weak TE class and IMO Fleener is a week TE, he is only a one dimensional TE. He is not on my list, which mean the Texans take him. I don't have any of the TE on my list this year.

DraftTek.com 04.13.2012
 

26 Andre Branch Clemson OLB34
58 Marvin Jones California WRF
76 Audie Cole North Carolina State SILB
99 Mitchell Schwartz California LOT
121 Kheeston Randall Texas DE34
161 Josh Chapman Alabama DT34
195 Josh LeRibeus SMU OG
233 Adrien Robinson Cincinnati TE

Not a bad mock. Not my favorite at the top, and they have a lot of guys way to low IMO. But a few picks in here could be the guys we take.

Draftek will let you play with a team's priorities.

I changed a few, particularly downgrading ILB after recent developments. and it came up with:

26. Andre Branch, 34OLB, Clemson
58. Marvin Jones, WR, California
76. Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California
99. DaJohn Harris, 34DE, USC
121. Lucas Nix, OG, Pittsburgh
161. James Michael Johnson, ILB, Nevada
195. Aaron Henry, FS, Wisconsin
233. Evan Rodriguez, FB-TE, Temple

Hmmm. Fits the formula well even though, as Roy would say, these aren't "my guys". Rodriguez in the 7th, though, is your classic good hands hybrid H-back who could take Casey's place if we ask Casey to take Dreesen's place. Not really a solid blocker though. More the receiver type.

Looks like somebody else noticed the Cal receiver before I did. It'll be interesting to see where and when he actually goes in the Draft next week ?

Here is a question for those who have really done their homework (I have not).

Stephen Hill makes me nervous as a GT WR considering how little they throw the ball and the limited experience and route tree. But then I considered the blocking expectations and requirements made of WRs on the Texans. So the question is whether Hill is considered a superior blocker at the WR position. I know he had to be called on to block on 90% of his snaps so I wonder if it translates to superior technique/willingness.

But that is the reason he will be there when it's our turn to draft. If he is still there, I would have no qualms taking him. His potential is off the chart.

Potential is a scary word, remember the saying from B. Billick:
"He is an intriguing prospect. He has great potential. But you know, just remember, the old saying, 'Son, your potential is going to get me fired.'"
Super Bowl winning coach Brian Billick.

I haven't necessarily done my homework but the Cliff's Notes that I've read say he's a physical, aggressive blocker. Randle is considered a good blocker but Wright is supposed to be pretty mediocre.

That makes me feel better about him as a potential pick. At least I know he won't be kept off of the field for not blocking like we expect.

Sporting News
 

I don't know about you guys, but I'm just about mocked out. Looking forward to something else to read about....

Don't recall seeing this name before:

26. Houston Texans: Amini Silatolu, G, Midwestern State
Sources tell us the Texans are more confident in Rashad Butler playing right tackle this season than they are with Antoine Caldwell at guard, so they select Silatolu to handle that spot.


Russ Lande
Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/stor...#ixzz1sUwAj0ja

I guess we are back to first-round choices with more vowels than consonants in their first name like Mario, Amobi and Duane. We were doing pretty well with Brian and J.J....

Excellent point. Save the players with vowel heavy first names for undrafted free agency where the team has a sterling track record.

Not to insult anyone (to each their own) because I know it's fun for some, but I've always found any and all mocks senseless for the obvious reasons. Fun reading the ones that have in-depth player profiles, but the pick slotting is pretty useless and borders on silly beyond the first 5 or so picks.

I'm just thankful that we're finally good enough to be picking a few hours after the draft begins. Picking early was fun but I kinda like picking late for depth instead of picking early for need.

Silatolu would be nice in the 3rd round or so, but I am hoping for an athletic OT or TE in the 2nd. I am like most of you, I am tired of waiting.

3rd round ? Why wait, why not use our 1st round pick on him ?
Seriously we know that's not going to happen, but there was a mock-drafter on 790 today who made just that prediction. Check the link for his mock:
http://www.russlande.com/2012-mock-draft/

Leave it to Mel Kiper to come up with the most puzzling Texans draft projection:

1. Bobby Massie OT, Mississippi
2. Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina
3. Bobby Wagner, ILB, Utah St.

CBS Sports also notes that the Texans are unlikely to choose OT Mike Adams of Ohio State due to character issues and also claims that Kendall Wright has fallen all the way down to 3rd round territory due to slow 40 times and high body fat.

Don't forget, this is NFL disinformation season so don't believe much of what is reported. Surely, there will be some legit surprises on draft day(s) but there's also a lot of hogwash going around.

The best was a few years back when somebody tried leaking concerns that Adrian Peterson was too dumb to play RB so everyone should just let him slip.

I think it is pathetic that teams covertly rip guys in the media to try to make them fall to them.

I believe the reports that Wright is dropping. And if John McClain is to be believed, the Texans will not go WR in the first. The only OLB I would currently be in favor of would be Perry or McClellin . As for other position in the first I don't see the value at 26. I could see Rick Smith trading down.

I'm on vacation this week, just left Canton, on my way to Cooperstown on Monday. I'll be back on Friday or Saturday, so my post will be spotty this week. Hope I'm happy with the early draft picks or I will wear this phone out

I've been to both Hall of Fames and they are a great experience although the baseball hall was the better exhibit. Great time of year to see them when the weather is warm but not hot and not chilly. The difference between the two? The Pro Football Hall still proudly displays the bust of O.J. Simpson while the Baseball Hall won't even allow Pete Rose.

There are also reports that C. Upshaw is dropping. If true, and he's still there when we are up, I have a hard time seeing us pass on him, if in fact OLB is our target in the 1st. Championship pedigree , SEC, and dominated talents like Massie last year.

Enjoy you're vacation.

Draftsite.com 4/21 mock
 

1. (26) Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan St. (my choice: Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama)
2. (58) Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida St. (my choice: Sanders)
3. (76) Antonio Allen, S, South Carolina (my choice: Marvin McNutt, WR, Iowa)
4a. (99) Eric Page, WR, Toledo (my choice: Josh Chapman, DT, Alabama)
4b. (121) Travis Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma (my choice: Mike Brewster, C-G, Ohio St.)
5. (151) Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon (my choice: Tony Dye, SS, UCLA)
6. (195) Micah Pellerin, CB, Hampton (my choice: Demario Davis, ILB, Arkansas St.)
7. (233) Bryce Brown, RB, Kansas St. (my choice: Randy Bullock, PK, Texas A&M)