Pickett's Top 50
 

OK, we've had more Juniors declare and I've watched some more bowl games. The updated list is now expanded to my top 50 overall.

1 OT Michael Oher Ole Miss
2 OT Eugene Monroe Virginia
3 QB Matt Stafford Georgia
4 CB Malcom Jenkins Ohio St.
4 OLB Aaron Curry Wake Forest
6 WR Jeremy Maclin Missouri
7 MLB James Laurinaitis Ohio St.
8 OT Andre Smith Alabama
9 S Taylor Mays USC
10 OT Jason Smith Baylor
11 FS William Moore Missouri
12 CB D. J. Moore Vanderbilt
13 DE Everette Brown Florida St.
14 DE Brian Orakpo Texas
15 MLB Rey Maualuga USC
16 WR Percy Harvin Florida
17 OLB Brian Cushing USC
18 DT Peria Jerry Ole Miss
19 DE Greg Hardy Ole Miss
20 DE Michael Johnson Ga Tech
21 TE Brandon Pettigrew Oklahoma St.
22 DT Sen'Derrick Marks Auburn
23 CB Alphonso Smith Wake Forest
24 CB Vontae Davis Illinois
25 QB Sam Bradford Oklahoma
26 OLB Clint Sintim Virginia
27 RB Knowshon Moreno Georgia
28 OLB Brandon Spikes Florida
29 WR Juaquin Iglesias Oklahoma
30 DT B.J. Raji Boston College
31 TE Chase Coffman Missouri
32 OG Duke Robinson Oklahoma
33 DE George Selvie South Florida
34 CB Mike Mickens Cincinnati
35 DE Larry English Northern Illinois
36 WR Hakeem Nicks North Carolina
37 WR Derrick Williams Penn St
38 OT Eben Britton Arizona
39 RB Shonn Greene Iowa
40 OC Alex Mack California
41 OLB Tyrone McKenzie South Florida
42 OT Phil Loadholt Oklahoma
43 OC Max Unger Oregon
43 S Myron Rolle Florida St.
44 WR Darrius Heyward-Bey Maryland
45 DE Connor Barwin Cincinnati
46 RB James Davis Clemson
47 DE Tyson Jackson LSU
48 S Patrick Chung Oregon
49 OLB Darry Beckwith LSU
50 RB Donald Brown Connecticut

As usual nice job Roy. I have to say there are some surprises though. I have Bradford #1 overall. Also surprised that you have William Moore and James Laurinaitis so high.

My top 15 look like this so far with plenty of changes to come Im sure.

1 QB Sam Bradford Oklahoma
2 OT Michael Oher Ole Miss
3 OT Eugene Monroe Virginia
4 OT Andre Smith Alabama
5 CB Malcom Jenkins Ohio St.
6 OLB Aaron Curry Wake Forest
7 QB Matt Stafford Georgia
8 DT B.J. Raji Boston College
9 S Taylor Mays USC
10 DT Peria Jerry Ole Miss
11 WR Jeremy Maclin Missouri
12 DE Everette Brown Florida St.
13 TE Brandon Pettigrew Oklahoma St.
14 OT Jason Smith Baylor
15 DE Brian Orakpo Texas

If Rey Rey were to be there for us at the #15 hole, I wouldn't mind taking him and moving DeMeco to the Will. That is if Rey can control his anger issues and alcohol.

I am kind of imagining the Dante Whitner and A.J. Hawk draft. If William Moore is as good as Brian Dawkins and if Laurinaitis is comparable to Brian Urlacher, then my rankings are in the ball park. Now, if Laurinaitis is closer to Paul Posluszny and Moore is the next Brandon Merriweather, then I may have them ranked too highly.

agreed with the above poster. Great job but quick glance: Moore and Laurinaitis rated too high. Moreno rated too low.

Roy, you may wish to clarify what this mock represents. Draft board for the Texans? Draft board for a generic NFL team? Order in which you'd grade players? Order in which you'd expect them to be picked? Thanks.

Personally, I'd like to see somebody on the Texans defense with some anger issues. We need somebody out there who plays like the opposition raped his mother. If he's too anti-social, we can just keep him in a cage in the bowels of Reliant Park except on game days.

Good point.

These are the top 50 players that I think the NFL teams will covet. This is not a mock because I have not gone through and looked at which team will be picking when. This is not necessarily how I would grade the players either, but in essence how I think the players will eventually be graded.

For example, I wouldn't have thought that Ted Ginn Jr. would have been drafted by the Dolphins 9th overall, but that was how they went about their business. That's why I have Maclin listed as a top ten prospect

If this were my draft board for the Texans, I'd have Taylor Mays higher and the QBs much lower.

I guess this list is just a generic rule of thumb to gauge where players might still be available for trade down scenarios and our 2nd round pick. Mostly, just for fun and to use as a stepping stone.

Steven Jackson was the 1st RB picked in 2004 at #24.

It seems to me that NFL teams are no longer taking RB's as high as they once did, unless you are the 2nd coming of Earl Campbell. Adrian Peterson and Mcfadden went high because of their elite speed and overall game, but years ago, they would have been the unquestioned 1st choice. I think WRs are beginning to be that way as well. So, as it stands right now, which may change after the combine, unless Crabtree has a change of heart and comes back, I don't see a WR going in the top 10.

Oklahoma's big overweight OL kind of got mistreated by Florida's quick DL, last night in the BCS Bowl. At least in the passing game.

Chris Johnson, Johnathon Steward, Richard Medenhall, Felix Jones, Matt Forte, Ray Rice: 6 in the top 50

Knowshon Moreno is probably most like Chris Johnson in that he won't be a 3-Down back, but a very good complimentary back for a 1-2 punch. That's why I put him in the 20's.

Which one?

Loadholt and Robinson will both be Guards in the NFL. They have feet like bricks, and I don't mean "Brick's" (D'Brickashaw Ferguson).