Mock Draft 1

[mussop]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Seems to me that Kubiak/Smith are struggling almost as much to Draft/sign-FA playmaker DLinemen as Capers had to acquire OLBs for his 3-4 ?
OK Mario is a success, a great success but that's only 1 out of the 3 big deals because they've wiffed badly on Weaver and Okoye, after the completion of his second full season, is not looking like a first-round talent least of all a top 10 pick ?

The thing is the kid is still just a kid. This is why we signed him to a 6 year deal. Everyone knew it would take awhile. I really dont expect much from him for another year.

Wasnt Weaver a product of Casserly as GM?

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by mussop

Wasnt Weaver a product of Casserly as GM?

It was Kubiaks call to convert to a 4-3 and Weaver was his choice as much as Casserly's to fill the strongside DE position.
BTW Casserly and not Smith was Kubiak's GM for the 2006 Draft, which was easily the best Draft the Texans have ever had.

[Bigtinylittle]

I think it will always be a bit of a mystery as to who was responsible for the selections in that draft. Weaver has had some health problems since he was signed, and if he had stayed healthy maybe we would have a better opinion of that signing.

I was all for the Okoye pick, but in hindsight I think Willis is a no brainer. I still wonder whether Okoye isn't being misused, and am hoping the new DC uses him more as a penetrater. I thought that was what we got him for.

By the way, I'm not stuck on the idea we must go D-line. We have enough weaknesses on this team that we could go with a number of positions and it wouln't bother me.

[papabear]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

It was Kubiaks call to convert to a 4-3 and Weaver was his choice as much as Casserly's to fill the strongside DE position.
BTW Casserly and not Smith was Kubiak's GM for the 2006 Draft, which was easily the best Draft the Texans have ever had.

Yes he was, and it was also well known that Casserly was a lame duck. I'm not saying Casserly didn't have any input, but he definitely had diminished power when it came to making the final call on the picks.

OK Mario is a success, a great success but that's only 1 out of the 3 big deals because they've wiffed badly on Weaver and Okoye, after the completion of his second full season, is not looking like a first-round talent least of all a top 10 pick ?

Like mussop said Okoye was 19 when we drafted him to play one of the toughest positions in the game. He showed flashes early in his rookie year. He was hurt most of this year, but I thought he played much better over the last few games. I'll be ready to make some kind of judgment on him once we get through a good portion of next season. 3 years is the minimum to really judge a draft pick. Some guys give you a pretty good idea before that sure, but with Okoye's age and position I'm not close to calling him a bust.

[Keith]

Okoye is probably still younger than most of the DTs in this draft, right? That was my biggest beef with the selection at the time... that the Texans were going to be paying this starlet millions (I think he probably cashed around $9 or $10 million already) with the built-in age excuse for any performance deficiency.

It's not that it isn't a valid excuse - it is - but it really clouds any ability to really evaluate Okoye's first couple years in the league, especially at his position. I think if he were 24 or 25 right now with two years under his belt, there would be less doubt cast on any evaluation. That said, he seemed to be misused in the scheme this year. Hopefully the new DC will rectify that.

Back on topic, nice effort jppaul. January mocks are like miniature time capsules when the real thing rolls around in April, and while they might look radically different four months later, they help us gauge our perceptions as they change over that timespan.

[NBT]

Speaking of DL coach, I hear Jethro reupped with his old USC team from 3 years ago.

[Roy P]

As I look at how the Eagles use Broderick Bunkley and Mike Patterson, I wonder how much more productive Travis Johnson and Okoye would be in a penetrating defense. Instead of engaging with the OL and then reading where the ball is, I'd love to see them getting up field and disrupting things behind the line of scrimmage. Who we get as our Def Coordinator and DL coach, will determine how smart a move it was in drafting Okoye instead of Patrick Willis.

[jppaul]

Just noticed that the ESPN big board has changed and in recognition that there is not a chance that Taylor Mays will be around when we select:

1. Andre Smith* OT Alabama 98
2. Aaron Curry OLB Wake For. 98
3. Michael Crabtree** WR Texas Tech 98
4. Eugene Monroe OT Virginia 97
5. Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State 97
6. Taylor Mays* S USC 91
7. Aaron Maybin** DE/OLB Penn State 96
8. Gerald McCoy* DT Oklahoma 96
9. Sam Bradford** QB Oklahoma 96
10. Brian Orakpo DE Texas 95
11. Jason Smith OT Baylor 95
12. Mark Sanchez* QB USC 95
13. Matthew Stafford* QB Georgia 94
14. Jeremy Maclin** WR Missouri 94
15. Knowshon Moreno** RB Georgia 94
16. Jermaine Gresham* TE Oklahoma 94
17. B.J. Raji* DT Boston Coll. 93
18. Vontae Davis* CB Illinois 93
19. Brandon Pettigrew TE Okla. State 93
20. Rey Maualuga ILB USC 93
21. Everette Brown* DE Florida State 93
22. Russell Okung* OT Okla. State 92
23. Brandon Spikes* ILB Florida 92
24. Tyson Jackson DE LSU 92
25. James Laurinaitis ILB Ohio State 91
26. Brian Cushing OLB USC 91
27. Michael Oher OT Mississippi 91
28. Chris Wells* RB Ohio State 91
29. Percy Harvin* WR Florida 91
30. Greg Hardy* DE Mississippi 91
31. Terrence Cody* DT Alabama 91
32. Jerry Hughes** DE TCU 90

The prospect of a capped year is bringing out the best of the underclassmen. This is easily one of the best underclassmen drafts I have seen.

Just judging by what they say will be available when we draft, I like:

Maluluaga because I think he is an ideal candidate to shift to Strongside linebacker or we could shift Demeco outside. He is a real thumper, with great athleticism. I like Laurnitis to be a strongside linebacker. I also like Cushing. I know LB is not a need position but I think it could be a huge bump to our line to add an elite LB>

I am not sold on Everette Brown but might look at Beanie Wells for a one two punch.