To add to this, the NT is usually not on the field when we go to nickle and dime defenses.

Thought I would take another shot at this one.

27 Robert Woods* WR USC 6' 1" 185 or DeAndre Hopkins WR Clemson 6' 2" 194
57 Ryan Swope WR Texas A&M 6' 0" 204
89 Kiko Alonso ILB Oregon 6' 4" 242
95 Tyler Bray* QB Tennessee 6' 6" 210
124 Shawn Williams S Georgia 6' 1" 220
160 Menelik Watson* OT Florida State 6' 6" 320
195 Stepfan Taylor RB Stanford 5' 9" 209
201 Joe Kruger* DE Utah 6' 7" 280
233 Darius Slay CB Mississippi State 6' 0" 192

We need WRs, and we cannot count on Posey coming back as the player he was before the injury. So 2 WRs to start this draft. That is a lot of youth at WR, but AJ is not getting younger and we need to start grooming someone.

I changed the QB to Bray, 6'6" with a big arm. 3rd round money is not a huge risk, and he would have two years to develop. If he doesn't work out you let him go, if he does work out then you have a huge steal.

I added Slay to back end of this mock but we all believe Slay will be long gone by pick 233.

Drafttek.com 3.26.2013
 

27 Jesse Williams Alabama DT34
57 DeAndre Hopkins Clemson WRF
89 Blidi Wreh-Wilson Connecticut CB
95 Markus Wheaton Oregon State WRS
124 Gavin Escobar San Diego State TE
160 Stansly Maponga TCU OLB34
195 Steve Williams California CB
201 Albert Rosette Nevada SILB
233 Braden Brown BYU LOT

Not sure I see it this way. My outside the box picks:

27 Tyler Eifert Notre Dame TE
57 DeAndre Hopkins Clemson WRF (I think he goes earlier)
89 Nico Johnson Alabama SILB
95 Ryan Swope Texas A&M WRP
124 E.J. Manuel Florida State QB
160 Stansly Maponga TCU OLB34
195 Michael Williams Alabama TE
201 Dennis Johnson Arkansas RBF
233 Braden Brown BYU LOT

McNair wanted speed across from AJ and this draft would add it. Lack of NT could be a problem, and would have liked one more ILB. TE Williams is a luxury. Dennis Johnson can return kicks and would be a nice addition for RB3.

Imagine come the playoffs next years and we can go 4 WR with AJ, Swope, Hopkins, and Posey.

I bet they go DL with their first pick.

Because we HAVE to get to Pey..., er Andrew Luck! :p

And then when Goodell moves them to the NFC West think of all those young, mobile QBs they'll have to chase around, are you kidding me?

I've heard a few analysts say something like picks 10 thru 50 or 15 thru 40 provide simiar value this year.

Wonder if Texans might trade down or up to get more picks in that range.

I could definitely see the Texans with a list of WR2s they want to draft, then waiting for all but one to be selected then using their 2nd and 3rd (or possibly 2nd and 4th) to move up in the second and get the last guy on their list.

Or move father back in the first (or maybe even into the second round) by trading their first round pick for multiple picks, just as they did in '08 when they drafted Duane Brown. That would be so Rick Smith who almost always seems to go for additional picks and not fewer by way of improving his position in a round.
But yea, I look for him to leverage the receiver depth of the Draft class and not reach for a single player.
And I'm gonna be surprised if they draft a safety or ILB higher than the third round.

I'd personally like to see something like that. Nassib would be my first choice, but if he is gone by 27 I'd like to see Jesse Williams there to come in an solidify the nose. Then like you suggested, come back in the second with a guy like Robert Woods, a smooth guy on the field, to start immediately opposite Andre. In the 3rd/4th areas, I'd like to see them look at Tyrann Mathieu and Kiko Alonso. Off the field issues with these two, but for me, I have no doubts about their competitive streak or skills on the field. If they can come full circle I think both could come right away and compete for the starting spots at nickel corner and ILB.

First Round Mock

1. Kansas City - Luke Joeckel - OT Texas A&M
2. Jacksonville - Dion Jordan - DE Oregon
3. Oakland - Sharrif Floyd - DT Florida
4. Philadelphia - Eric Fisher - OT Central Michigan
5. Detroit - Ezekiel Ansah - DE BYU
6. Cleveland - Tavon Austin - WR West Virginia
7. Arizona - Lane Johnson - OT Oklahoma
8. Buffalo - Ryan Nassib - QB Syracuse
9. New York Jets - Geno Smith - QB West Virginia
10. Tennessee - Dee Milliner - DB Alabama
11. San Diego - Chance Warmack - OG Alabama
12. Miami - Barkevious Mingo - DE LSU
13. Tampa Bay - Star Lotulelei - DT Utah
14. Carolina - Kenny Vaccaro - S Texas
15. New Orleans - DJ Fluker - OT Alabama
16. St. Louis - Tyler Eifert - TE Notre Dame
17. Pittsburgh - Cordarrelle Patterson - WR Tennessee
18. Dallas - Jonathan Cooper - OG North Carolina
19. New York Giants - Xavier Rhodes - DB Florida State
20. Chicago - Alec Ogletree - LB Georgia
21. Cincinnati - John Cyprien - S Florida International
22. St. Louis - Jarvis Jones - LB Georgia
23. Minnesota - Arther Brown - LB Kansas State
24. Indianapolis - Eddie Lacy - RB Alabama
25. Minnesota - Justin Hunter - WR Tennessee
26. Green Bay - Brian Schwenke - C California
27. Houston - Sheldon Richardson - DT Missouri
28. Denver - Bjoern Werner - DE Florida State
29. New England - Margus Hunt - DE SMU
30. Atlanta - Jamar Taylor - DB Boise State
31. San Francisco - Jesse Williams - DT Alabama
32. Baltimore - Keenan Allen - WR California

draftsite 4.12.13
 

27 Manti Te'o ILB Notre Dame 6' 2" 245
57 Keenan Allen* WR Cal 6' 3" 195
89 David Bakhtiari* OT Colorado 6' 4" 295
95 Bacarri Rambo S Georgia 6' 1" 208
124 Brandon Jenkins DE Florida State 6' 3" 234
160 Leon McFadden CB San Diego State 5' 10" 180
195 Cory Grissom DT South Florida 6' 3" 316
201 Eric Martin DE Nebraska 6' 2" 250
233 Tony Jefferson* S Oklahoma 5' 10" 199

On December 15, i would have loved this mock, now not as much. Te'o is a huge question mark. Is he the tackling machine or is he the slow footed guy that played against Bama.

I would be looking for a trade down with a team that is looking to lock up a QB before the 2nd round starts. There has to be a team that wants to get in front of Jacksonville.

Drafttek.com 4.9.2013
 

27 Kevin Minter LSU SILB 57 Tavarres King Georgia WRF 89 B.W. Webb William & Mary CB
95 Vance McDonald Rice TE
124 Tyrann Mathieu LSU CB
160 Travis Long Washington State OLB34
195 Gilbert Pena Mississippi DT34
201 Brad Sorensen Southern Utah QB
233 T.J. Moe Missouri WRS

Didn't have time to cherry pick this the other day and wanted to do so now.

I want to trade down and I am thinking the Jets or the Cards might be looking to jump back to the 1st round to be able to add a year to the contract and get ahead of the Jags at 33. I am going to use the trade of the 27 pick for the 39th and 72nd picks. That would give us 5 picks in the top 100. A very good way to rebuild depth.

39 Robert Woods* WR USC 6' 1" 185
57 Keenan Allen* WR Cal 6' 3" 195
72 Kiko Alonso ILB Oregon 6' 4" 242
89 Shawn Williams S Georgia 6' 1" 220
95 Bacarri Rambo S Georgia 6' 1" 208
124 William Gholston* DE Michigan State 6' 7" 280 (I don't think he will be here at 124)
160 Kevin Reddick ILB UNC 6' 3" 230
195 Knile Davis* RB Arkansas 6' 0" 220
201 Joseph Fauria TE UCLA 6' 8" 252
233 Lawrence Okoye DT United Kingdom (Great Britain) 6' 6" 308

Obviously I need to take an OT somewhere in this thing and taking two WRs in the 2nd round would mean that the team would have 4 WRs under 2 years on the roster when Posey comes back in the late season. But WR is a position that you have to stockpile playmakers and the competition should push all these kids to get better faster. Adding two safeties also means that our ST captain Keo could be a late cut. Williams is a Keo type leader but with more speed. And Rambo and Williams have proven to play well together so why not.

Gholston is a guy that could be a 3-4 DE or maybe he could be an OLB similar to Mario, I'm not sure how Wade will want to use him. Most of these guys will play special teams in some form and should improve it. I think we need depth and this draft would do that. Okoye is a discuss thrower who played rugby, he is an explosive athlete who would be a project for the NT position.

I don't see this as a Texans style draft, but I would have to look at these guys at this picks.

With the draft a little over a week away, I want to say that I am now firmly in the trade down camp. Some of you may remember that I am a strong proponent of trading down and gathering picks in top 100 picks. Currently we have 3 picks in the top 100, and we could easily add another pick into the top 100 with a trade down.

With the way the current draft is stacking up, few players are jumping out as potential superstars, but many are looking like solid NFL starters. And that trend is looking like solid player will be garnered into the early 4th round.

So in my book, I would trade down and gather picks.

Don't forget there is the comp pick after the third and another after the 6th. They cannot be traded but they allow you some flexibility to trade other picks while still having a spot to use for someone you've targeted.

Including the comp for Mario, I thought we had 4 ?

You both are correct, I knew that it was already 4, but had a senior moment and kept typing 3. I should have have said I want 5 picks in the top 100, we currently have 4 in the top 95.

Thanks for pointing this out.

draftsite 4.24.13
 

27 Datone Jones DE UCLA 6' 4" 275
57 Keenan Allen* WR Cal 6' 3" 195
89 Phillip Thomas S Fresno State 6' 1" 215
95 Sam Montgomery* DE LSU 6' 4" 245
124 Everett Dawkins DT Florida State 6' 2" 269
160 Leon McFadden CB San Diego State 5' 10" 180
195 Kerwynn Williams RB Utah State 5' 9" 185
201 Keith Pough OLB Howard 6' 3" 235
233 Tony Jefferson* S Oklahoma 5' 10" 199

How many DE/OLBs do the Texans need?

My Cherry pick, again with a trade down. Our 27 for Detroit's 36 and 65.

36 Menelik Watson* OT Florida State 6' 6" 320
57 Keenan Allen* WR Cal 6' 3" 195
65 Kiko Alonso ILB Oregon 6' 4" 242
89 Shawn Williams S Georgia 6' 1" 220
95 William Gholston* DE Michigan State 6' 7" 280
124 Kwame Geathers* DT Georgia 6' 6" 355
160 A.J. Klein ILB Iowa State 6' 1" 240
195 Knile Davis* RB Arkansas 6' 0" 220
201 Joseph Fauria TE UCLA 6' 8" 252
233 Lawrence Okoye DT United Kingdom (Great Britain) 6' 6" 308

Drafttek.com 4.23.2013
 

27 Jesse Williams Alabama DT34
57 David Amerson North Carolina St CB
89 Chris Harper Kansas State WRF
95 Jonathan Bostic Florida SILB
124 Brandon Jenkins Florida State OLB34
160 Tharold Simon LSU CB
195 Jake Stoneburner Ohio State TE
201 Kapron Lewis-Moore Notre Dame DE34
233 Jakar Hamilton South Carolina State FS

My Cherry pick from Draftsite mock, no trades.

27 Tyler Eifert TE ND
57 Quinton Patton WR Lou.Tech
89 Chase Thomas OLB Stanford
95 Chris Harper WR Kansas St.
124 Duke Williams S Nevada
160 Kevin Reddick ILB UNC
195 Knile Davis RB Arkansas
201 Eric Herman OG Ohio (nickname: IronMan)
233 Spencer Nealy DT TAMU

I could live with this one. Good job!

Well, lots of good players left to select in draft tomorrow, round 2 and 3.

If one of those three picks by Texans is a TE, seems to be plenty tall, good catching and blockig TE to choose from.

The rank of remaining TE by Walters Football -

Zach Ertz*, TE, Stanford
Height: 6-5. Weight: 249. Arm: 31.68. Hand: 9.68.
40 Time: 4.76.
Projected Round (2013): 1-2.

Gavin Escobar*, TE, San Diego State
Height: 6-6. Weight: 254. Arm: 33.58. Hand: 9.68.
40 Time: 4.84.
Projected Round (2013): 2-3.

Travis Kelce, TE, Cincinnati
Height: 6-5. Weight: 255. Arm: 33.68. Hand: 9.58.
Projected 40 Time: 4.73.
Projected Round (2013): 2-4.

Jordan Reed*, TE, Florida
Height: 6-3. Weight: 236. Arm: 33.08. Hand: 10.08.
40 Time: 4.72.
Projected Round (2012): 2-4.

Vance McDonald, TE, Rice
Height: 6-4. Weight: 267. Arm: 34 1/2. Hand: 10.18.
40 Time: 4.69.
Projected Round (2013): 3-4.

Nick Kasa, TE, Colorado
Height: 6-6. Weight: 271. Arm: 32 1/8. Hand: 9.
40 Time: 4.71.
Projected Round (2013): 3-4.

Ryan Otten, TE, San Jose State
Height: 6-5. Weight: 240. Arm: 32 1/8. Hand: 9 5/8.
Projected 40 Time: 4.71.
Projected Round (2013): 3-4.

Dion Sims*, TE, Michigan State
Height: 6-5. Weight: 262. Arm: 33.18. Hand: 10.48.
40 Time: 4.75.
Projected Round (2013): 3-5.