2013 Mocks and Needs

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I know many of you hate to think about next years draft just a week after the current one. And I understand that. But I like to look the building of a roster, and the building of this team.

Also I like to give myself names to watch for this upcoming college season.

As for the Texans, this draft addressed most current needs very well. So what needs jump out at me.

IMO I want this team to become the Steelers, and that means you don't over pay for players, except for a few unique cases. We have a couple of important guys in the last years of their contracts. Matt Schaub, Duane Brown, Conner Barwin and Rashad Butler are all in contract years. In a perfect world they all have good years and need pay increases (after the 2012 season). I see Schaub and Brown as the only must sign guys. I can let Barwin and Butler walk if I like their backups. When is Cushing's contract year, is it this year? If so then he becomes a priority also.

Again this is very early and full of speculation, and I am making some leaps of faith. My needs for the 2013 draft are the following: OG, OLB, ILB, S, developmental QB, RB, developmental #1 WR.

Of course you cannot get this all in one draft, but you can try.

draftsite.com has a 3 round 2013 mock up, and they have use taking the following:

27 Luke Joeckel* OT Texas A&M 6' 6" 304
58 Chase Thomas ILB Stanford 6' 4" 240
90 Adewale Ojomo DE Miami 6' 4" 253

If I resign Brown, I do not need Joeckel. I might look at this:

27 Jackson Jeffcoat* OLB Texas 6' 5" 250
58 Montee Ball RB Wisconsin 5' 11" 234 bye-bye Ben Tate? trade
90 Chris McDonald OG Michigan State 6-5 300

Some guys to watch this coming college season.

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Matt Barkley QB Southern California Sr 6-1 218
Landry Jones QB Oklahoma rSr 6-4 230
Tyler Wilson QB Arkansas rSr 6-3 220
Logan Thomas QB Virginia Tech Jr 6-5 254
Tyler Bray QB Tennessee Jr 6-6 210

Montee Ball RB Wisconsin Sr 5-09 212
Knile Davis RB Arkansas Sr 6-0 226
Marcus Lattimore RB South Carolina 5-11 233
Joseph Randle RB Oklahoma St. 6-0 191

Da'Rick Rogers WR Tennessee Jr 6-2 215
Robert Woods WR USC Jr 6-1 181

Tyler Eifert TE Notre Dame Jr 6-6 249

James Hurst OT North Carolina Jr 6-6 313
Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M Jr 6-5 310
Morgan Moses OT Virginia Jr 6-5 335
Taylor Lewan OT Michigan Jr 6-7 305
Jake Matthews OT Texas A&M 6-5 305

Alex Okafor OLB/DE Texas Sr 6-4 260
Jackson Jeffcoat OLB/DE Texas Jr 6-5 253
Barkevious Mingo OLB LSU Jr 6-4 245
Corey Lemonier OLB Auburn Jr 6-3 242
Sam Montgomery OLB LSU Jr 6-4 245
William Gholston DE Michigan ST Jr 6-7 280

Kawann Short DT Purdue rSr 6-3 310
Star Lotulelei DT Utah Sr 6-3 325
Johnathan Hankins DT Ohio St Jr 6-3 335

Manti Te'o ILB Notre Dame Sr 6-2 255 love this kid and we no shot at him
Kevin Reddick ILB North Carolina Sr 6-2 240
Chase Thomas ILB/ OLB Stanford rSr 6-4 240

T.J. McDonald FS Southern California Sr 6-2 205

Tyrann Mathieu CB LSU Jr 5-9 185
David Amerson CB NC St. Jr 6-3 194
Tharold Simon CB LSU Jr 6-3 188
Xavier Rhodes CB Florida St Jr 6-2 210
Carrington Byndom CB Texas Jr 6-0 181

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Walter Football has us doing the following:

29 Johnathan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
Kareem Jackson will have one more shot to be the starting cornerback across from Johnathan Joseph next year. If he struggles again, Houston will be in the market for a replacement.

60 Jesse Williams, NT, Alabama
The Texans didn't want to address the nose tackle position this offseason, but maybe they'll have a different attitude toward that next spring.

[HPF Bob]

You never know who's going to get injured or who's going to come out early so it's almost pointless now, even if it gets a little conversation going during our off-off-season.

I will say this - if there's a choice when we pick between Jeffcoat and Byndom, I'd choose Byndom. He's been much more impressive to me.

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Originally Posted by HPF Bob

You never know who's going to get injured or who's going to come out early so it's almost pointless now, even if it gets a little conversation going during our off-off-season.

I will say this - if there's a choice when we pick between Jeffcoat and Byndom, I'd choose Byndom. He's been much more impressive to me.

The list of players I have is all the 5 star players that will be draft eligible next year. There are 35 players listed. Some will fall, and other will come out of nowhere, to be added to this list.

I am speculating from a place where everyone improves, and no one gets hurt. Both of those speculations are going to happen, players backslide and players get hurt, so yes that does change everything.

One thing I am trying to do is account now for losing a few guys to FA again. One of the biggest loses I foresee is Conner Barwin. If he has another year like last year, he will be in line for a big pay raise. And I do not see the team being ale to pay everyone that is going to be due a raise.

So I hope that clears up why I have OLB at the top of my mock. And for the record, IMO Ball has no chance right now of being available at 58. So this is just to kill some time in the off off season.

[Nconroe]

This planning ahead with another tight salary cap is eye opening. I could see this affecting 53 man rosters, trades, and draft next year. Hopefully Texans can extend some of these guys early and keep some team consistency .

I think there is a long list of UFA and RFA next year.

UFA - Matt Schaub, Rashad Butler, Shaun Cody, Bradie James, Brice Mccain, Conner Barwin, Duane Brown, Glover Quin, Antione Caldwell, james Casey, Tim Jamison, Troy Nolan.

RFA
Brian Cushing, Antonio Smith, Wade Smith, Earl Mitchell, Daryl Sharpton, Ben Tate.

Lots of guys who will deserve to get paid.

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Added a few names to the watch list, give me some more names to add.
Added names are in green.



Matt Barkley QB Southern California Sr 6-1 218
Landry Jones QB Oklahoma rSr 6-4 230
Tyler Wilson QB Arkansas rSr 6-3 220
Logan Thomas QB Virginia Tech Jr 6-5 254
Tyler Bray QB Tennessee Jr 6-6 210

Montee Ball RB Wisconsin Sr 5-09 212
Knile Davis RB Arkansas Sr 6-0 226
Marcus Lattimore RB South Carolina 5-11 233hurt
Joseph Randle RB Oklahoma St. 6-0 191
Theo Riddick RB Notre Dame 5' 11" 198

Da'Rick Rogers WR Tennessee Jr 6-2 215
Robert Woods WR USC Jr 6-1 181
Terrance Williams WR Baylor 6' 3" 205

Tyler Eifert TE Notre Dame Jr 6-6 249

James Hurst OT North Carolina Jr 6-6 313
Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M Jr 6-5 310
Morgan Moses OT Virginia Jr 6-5 335
Taylor Lewan OT Michigan Jr 6-7 305
Jake Matthews OT Texas A&M 6-5 305
Zach Martin OT Notre Dame 6' 4" 280

Alex Okafor OLB/DE Texas Sr 6-4 260
Jackson Jeffcoat OLB/DE Texas Jr 6-5 253
Barkevious Mingo OLB LSU Jr 6-4 245
Corey Lemonier OLB Auburn Jr 6-3 242
Sam Montgomery OLB LSU Jr 6-4 245
William Gholston DE Michigan ST Jr 6-7 280
Bjoern Werner* DE Florida State 6' 4" 273
Lerentee McCray OLB Florida 6' 3" 249

Kawann Short DT Purdue rSr 6-3 310
Star Lotulelei DT Utah Sr 6-3 325
Johnathan Hankins DT Ohio St Jr 6-3 335
Spencer Nealy DT Texas A&M Sr 6-5 277

Manti Te'o ILB Notre Dame Sr 6-2 255 love this kid and we no shot at him
Kevin Reddick ILB North Carolina Sr 6-2 240
Chase Thomas ILB/ OLB Stanford rSr 6-4 240
Shayne Skov ILB Stanford 6' 3" 242
*Kevin Minter ILB LSU rJr 6-1 245

T.J. McDonald FS Southern California Sr 6-2 205
Shawn Williams SS Georgia 6' 1" 220
Bacarri Rambo FS Georgia 6' 1" 208

Tyrann Mathieu CB LSU Jr 5-9 185
David Amerson CB NC St. Jr 6-3 194
Tharold Simon CB LSU Jr 6-3 188
Xavier Rhodes CB Florida St Jr 6-2 210
Carrington Byndom CB Texas Jr 6-0 181

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32 Stedman Bailey* WR West Virginia 5' 10" 190
62 Shawn Williams S Georgia 6' 1" 220
94 Jamie Collins OLB Southern Miss 6' 3" 239
126 Brad Madison DE Missouri 6' 4" 250
158 Russell Shepard RB LSU 6' 1" 188
190 Taylor Reed ILB Southern Methodist 5' 11" 215

Decent enough mock for this time of year.

My attempt:

32 Bjoern Werner* DE Florida State 6' 4" 273.
62 Shawn Williams S Georgia 6' 1" 220
94 Shayne Skov ILB Stanford 6' 3" 242
126 Lerentee McCray OLB Florida 6' 3" 249
158 Theo Riddick RB Notre Dame 5' 11" 198
190 Marcus Davis WR Virginia Tech Sr 6'4" 232
222 Spencer Nealy NT Texas A&M 6'4" 280

Cheated a little bit, can you find it? Werner is a big play maker when big plays are needed, sound familiar? He has the size to groom into a DE in this system.

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31 Houston Texans: Matt Elam, S, Florida
Glover Quin is a free agent this upcoming offseason. It'll be difficult to retain him with Connor Barwin also hitting the market. Besides, Houston needs a boost in the secondary after allowing Chad Henne and Matthew Stafford to torch them in a span of five days.

Pick change; previously Tavon Austin, WR

61 Houston Texans: Cobi Hamilton, WR, Arkansas
The Texans have needed a No. 2 receiver for years, but now that Andre Johnson is into his 30s, it won't be long before they have to secure a new No. 1 wideout for Matt Schaub.

Pick change; previously Oday Aboushi, OT

93 Houston Texans: Brian Winters, OT, Kent State
The Texans were interested in bringing in a right tackle early in the 2012 NFL Draft, but they never got the chance. Well, here's their opportunity. The position will have to be addressed if the currently injured Rashad Butler can't properly fill in for Eric Winston.

Pick change; previously Phillip Thomas, S

I don't disagree with taking a S and a WR in the early part of this upcoming draft, but I have been impressed with the growth that Newton has shown. Especially when I factor in the learning curve that Brown had to undergo, Newton played at a small school and had a huge jump up in quality of talent he was playing against. Not saying he is All Pro, but he is doing well.

That all said, If I was doing these picks I would go with Barrett Jones, G/C/OT, Alabama (who they take 32), and then I would run to the podium with the Cobi Hamilton pick at 62. I would address Safety, NT or ILB in the 3rd.

Jones can play all 5 positions on the OL, he has started and excelled at LT and OC at Bama. He, Jones and Brooks would give you versatility in the OL.

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32 DeAndre Hopkins* WR Clemson 6' 2" 194
62 Oday Aboushi OT Virginia 6' 6" 310
94 Desmond Trufant CB Washington 6' 0" 172.
126 Bruce Taylor ILB Virginia Tech 6' 2" 246
158 Tobias Smith OG Mississippi State 6' 3" 305
190 Mario Benavides OC Louisville 6' 4" 304

Not a bad mock and not a great one either. To many OL prospects to go along with the young OL talent currently on the team.

32 Bacarri Rambo S Georgia 6' 1" 208
62 Prentiss Waggner CB Tennessee 6' 2" 181
94 Shayne Skov ILB Stanford 6' 3" 242
126 Devon Kennard DE USC 6' 3" 255
158 Cameron Marshall RB Arizona State 5' 11" 217
190 Michael Williams TE Alabama 6-5 272