CBS mock - Texans trade down twice

[HPF Bob]

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/...rent-in-trade/

I noticed with amusement a CBS columnist's mock which had the Texans trading down twice to escape the entire first round. They deal #23 to the Patriots, along with their 6th, for #32 and #73 (a mid-third).

Note: CBS listed the pick as the 74th which belongs to Buffalo, which is consistent with the Patriots' cheating ways, but I will presume he meant the 73rd which New England currently owns.

My opinion: Dropping nine places in the lower first round to get only a third and giving up the sixth-round choice is settling way too low. Add in their fourth-rounder (134th) and I might consider it. Otherwise, not enough.

Back to the CBS guy, he then has us trade down from #32 to the New York Giants for #37 and adding a pair of fifths (#142 and #143).

My opinion: Dropping five spots and getting a pair of fifths sounds adequate if you think the value in this draft is in the fifth round. Otherwise, I would have held out for a third or fourth. Perhaps, we could package the two fifths for a 4th.

What it would leave us is:

No first-rounder,
3 second-rounders,
2 third-rounders,
no fourth-rounders,
3 fifth-rounders,
no sixth-rounders,
1 seventh-rounder.

I guess if you are targeting a lot of second-round talent you think are just as good as what you'd get in the first round, it might be a sound strategy. Otherwise, I'd recommend staying at #23 and using the second second-round choice (#55) as my bait for trading down to add choices.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

I guess if you are targeting a lot of second-round talent you think are just as good as what you'd get in the first round, it might be a sound strategy. Otherwise, I'd recommend staying at #23 and using the second second-round choice (#55) as my bait for trading down to add choices.

Just me playing GM on fanspeak is showing not a lot of guys at 23 that meet our needs, at least in the mock world.

But Brian Gaines has said in some interviews he would like to get a pick back in the 4th round, so a trade down is not out of the question.

[HPF Bob]

I guess the first part is to agree on which part of the offensive line is the most desperate for an upgrade. Martin and Rankin represent recent drafts and should be given the chance to prove themselves. Davenport was a lower-round pick who demonstrated left tackle skills and he's been a mix of good play and bad plays.

In the draft hierarchy, LTs rule the roost followed by RTs, centers then guards. If you think Davenport or Rankin are adequate LTs, you can start looking at RTs. If you think whomever we have at RT is good enough, then start looking at C then G.

My first priority is LT and if Andre Dillard or Greg Little are still on the board, we'd be foolish to pass on them (Ditto Jonah Williams but he should be long gone). Jawaan Taylor and David Edwards are RT candidates although most rate Edwards as a second-rounder. Cody Ford and Dalton Risner are, like Rankin, college tackles who may be better suited for guards at the NFL level. They will at least have versatility going for them. Some of these should be there at #23.

Since we have two back-to-back picks in the lower second, that's where it makes more sense to fall back and pick up a fourth. I find myself regularly doing that in my mocks.

[HPF Bob]

As I suspected, I could trade down my pick #55 and get a fourth so I had a pick in every round and still had two picks in the second:

TRADE PARTNER:
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
SENT:
ROUND: 2 PICK: 23

RECEIVED:
ROUND: 2 PICK: 25
ROUND: 4 PICK: 36

Using the most recent Fanspeak board and that one trade-down, Here's what I got:

23: R1P23
OL DALTON RISNER
KANSAS STATE

Taylor and Dillard went in the two previous picks making this a choice between Risner and Yosny Cajuste. If you really need someone to try at LT, I'd go with Cajuste but Risner is the safer pick.

54: R2P22
CB AMANI ORUWARIYE
PENN STATE

We're still a man short on CB depth. Oruwariye is solid value at this point.

57: R2P25
QB TYREE JACKSON
BUFFALO

A little earlier than I'd like to take him but this board has him rated highly and I don't think he'd be available at pick #86.

86: R3P22
OT DAVID EDWARDS
WISCONSIN

That's okay. I didn't think Edwards would fall to here so it all worked out.

138: R4P36
WR DAVID SILLS V
WVU

Hunter Renfrow was taken three picks earlier or he would have been my choice. Sills is a very good compliment WR that was Will Grier's go-to guy at West Virginia. Clean routes and good hands.

161: R5P23
RB BENNY SNELL JR.
KENTUCKY

Several RBs to choose from and this guy is my pick from this group. (I've been seeing some higher ratings on him lately). The guy can tote the rock 30 times, catches passes and has enough speed to break out the home run. Go watch his bowl game against Penn State if you want to be impressed.

195: R6P22
LB GARY JOHNSON
TEXAS

I've taken him before in these mocks. A little small but he makes plays and should be a demon on special teams.

220: R7P6
S MARVELL TELL III
USC

We replaced Honey Badger in free agency so safety isn't as big a need with Justin Reid and Andre Hal available. Still, some depth and ST help can't hurt.

As always, your feedback is welcome.

[HPF Bob]

CBS came out with a new three-round mock and it was a bit of a head-scratcher but always interesting to consider.

Texans traded up in round one going from #23 to #12:

Texans get No. 12 from Green Bay for No. 23, 54 and then chose:

Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State

Yes, the Texans added Matt Kalil to help their league-worst blocking situation, but he hasn't been simultaneously healthy and good in years so counting on him isn't a good Plan A. The better plan: trading up for the best pass-blocking left tackle in this class who can come in and start out the gate, giving Deshaun Watson a chance at surviving in 2019.

So there goes one of our second-rounders. And the other second, it gets traded down:

Texans get No. 65, 103 from Arizona for No. 55, 161 and selected:

Yodny Cajuste, OT, West Virginia

The Texans make another trade before snapping up a second tackle in Cajuste, who can be the longterm bookend to first-round pick Andre Dillard. Considering their issues blocking last year, Houston should be planning to come out of the first two days of the draft with at least two O-linemen.

They managed to keep their own third-rounder at #86:

Darrell Henderson, RB, Memphis

The Texans focused on the offensive line earlier, but here they add a back who averaged nearly nine yards per carry last year and could potentially quickly emerge as the team's starter at the position.

We picked up Arizona's first pick of the fourth round and lost our fifth-rounder so we wound up with a higher pick in the first, no seconds, two thirds, one fourth, no fifth, one sixth and one seventh.

Now, my reaction.

Moving up 11 places in the first round and giving away only a second is magical unless the Pack were desperate to trade down and had no other takers. If you *are* trading up like that, Dillard is okay but maybe they should look at some other ideas in the higher-rent district such as (in this mock) ILB Devin White, WR D.K. Metcalf or DE Montez Sweat.

About two months ago, the mocks had Cajuste going in the lower first and Dillard going in the upper third. What changed? Dillard killed it at the Senior Bowl and Cajuste hasn't measured out as well as he looked on tape. You'd get two guys, however, that have legit LT potential so the Texans would, if nothing else, have likely fixed the most important position on the line.

If the Texans wanted Cajuste, why wouldn't they have just taken him in the second and not traded down? I don't think in real life he'll last until the third. It would have been very risky.

As for Henderson, I've never watched him and know nothing about him. I know eventually we need to replace Lamar Miller who has given us more than I would have ever expected. I think I'd still prioritize a CB though.

Your thoughts?

[bikerack]

The Texans kicked the tires on Henderson this week and seem to be high on him.

Another RB I have heard that they REALLY like is Josh Jacobs. They see him as a Sony Michel type. Pretty doubtful he will be there when they pick though...but it does make me wonder if they are thinking about trading both 2nds so they can get another 1st.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by bikerack

The Texans kicked the tires on Henderson this week and seem to be high on him.

Kid can run, check out his highlight's on youtube. Interesting back, not sure he worth a 3rd round pick based on size, his playing in lessor conference. But if the Texans take him I would not complain.

My question is am I the only person who likes Bryce Love from Stanford. He is being projected back from his ACL tear by training camp. He did not have a good senior season. But watching his tape, I like his homerun ability.

[bikerack]

Originally Posted by painekiller

My question is am I the only person who likes Bryce Love from Stanford. He is being projected back from his ACL tear by training camp. He did not have a good senior season. But watching his tape, I like his homerun ability.

Before the ACL news came out, I would have been OK with them spending one of their 2nds on him. If he is somehow still there in the 5th or they pick up a 4th rounder, I'd be OK with them drafting him and sitting him for the year.

[HPF Bob]

Ditto. I know I mentioned him in one of the draft threads. He was a first-round talent in 2017 and Stanford had some senior linemen that went in the draft. Love was dinged up last season then blew out his knee in the team's final game. I'd draft and stash if he fell to the fifth round hoping a year of rehab would get him back to form.

[bikerack]

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1111625951669039106

West Virginia offensive tackle prospect Yodny Cajuste underwent surgery to repair his quad muscle yesterday from Dr. William Meyers in Philly, source said. Surgery went as expected and the Big 12 co-O-lineman of the year should be fully cleared in three months.

[HPF Bob]

Thanks. That explains why he's falling. That's good news if he'll be around for our second-round picks.