2012 mocks

[WMH]

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.......

[HPF Bob]

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.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

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 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).

[HPF Bob]

Originally Posted by painekiller

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.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

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.

[painekiller]

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.

[painekiller]

Charlie Casserly has done a two round mock

26) Houston Texans: Rueben Randle, WR, LSU. Houston needs to upgrade the receiver position opposite Andre Johnson.

58) Texans: Bruce Irvin, OLB/DE, West Virginia. Wade Phillips likes depth at outside linebacker and the Texans just lost Mario Williams. Offensive tackle is a consideration ,too, after the release of Eric Winston.

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