Doppelganger's February Mock Version 1.0

[Doppelganger]

1. Phil Taylor, NT Baylor
Yall may think I am crazy and maybe I am, but this guy dominated the line at the Senior game. He held his ground and pushed forward. He answered a lot of questions at the Senior Bowl and I think he will shoot up the boards. Remember how some people thought BJ Raji was a second rounder and then he shot up the boards to GB? I think the same thing happens here. The sad thing is he may be taken in the 5-10 range. A large DT who can play the run stoutly and can still penetrate will be coveted. But if he is there at #11 I would seriously consider taking him. A monster NT who can hold how own against the run and can penetrate does not grow on trees. Immediate starter.

2. Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
Again, yall may be questioning my pick here. Paea is a player who serves multiple roles and represents amazing value. He is a strong man who can pass rush and play the run. To me, that sounds like a great complimentary piece to the Wade Phillips Defense. In a 3-4 alignment, you play Mario and Paea at DE (along with Antonio Smith to rotate in and provide relief). Then on pass plays, Mario moves to DE, Paea to DT, Smith to DT, and Cush /Barwin to DE. If a 3-4 can provide pressure from the front 3 then the 3-4 is going to be powerful. Will compete for a DL starter spot.

3. Brooks Reed, DE/OLB, Arizona
Hustle, Hustle, Hustle. That’s what led him to overwhelm the O line at the Senior bowl. He can be part of a OLB rotation with Barwin and whoever else the Texans deem is a 4-3 DE who can transition to 3-4OLB

4. Vincent Brown, WR, San Diego State
Good hands. Decent size. Everyone likes fast WRs, but the important thing is good hands. This guy has them. He provides depth and a possibly replacement for Walter.

5. Steven Friday, DE/OLB, Virginia Tech
A potential sleeper OLB prospect. Good motor, quick, and can even cover a bit. Will compete for an OLB spot with Barwin/Reed/whichever 4-3 DEs on roster the Texans think they can convert into a 3-4 OLB.

6. Nate Williams, S, Washington
A safe and reliable safety. He won’t be sensational but he will be consistently solid. He will be around the ball and will make plays. Safety is not a great class this year. Outside of Moore, Carter, Williams, and maybe Sands the safety class looks weak. I expect those 4 to be gone by the end of the second. Williams will eventually be a solid backup but for now solid may actually give him a shot to start...scary!

7. Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama
A nice safe QB backup. He doesn’t turn the ball over. He is really good at handing off the ball to the RB real well. When asked to make plays he makes accurate throws. He is not the strongest guy in the world but he can make enough throws to be a very servicable backup. Here is the big one: he does not throw any INTs. He is a classic game manager QB. If God forbid Schaub is hurt, he will not lose the game for you. A nice safe option to backup Schaub.

7. Eric Peitz, TE, Colorado State,
He is a TE and a Colorado state player. Kills two birds with one stone. Meets all the prerequisites for a Gary Kubiak draft.

7. Ok, so the Eric Peitz pick was a joke. Here is the real pick. Chase Beeler, C/G, Stanford.
A smart heady combo player who can play interior O line. Decent depth.

[kiwitexansfan]

No secondary help till late?

Oh my.

Are you hoping for big things in FA?

[Doppelganger]

Originally Posted by kiwitexansfan

No secondary help till late?

Oh my.

Are you hoping for big things in FA?

My thinking is we have a TON of holes on defense and cannot possibly fix them all in one draft. Aside from Mario, Meco, and Cush nobody else on the Defense is a virtual guaranteed starter. Part of what i did was draft for the 3-4 switch. In the 3-4 the important positions are the NT and the OLBs. If you don't have a good NT your defense is screwed. If you don't have good OLBs your D is screwed. So I chose to address the front 7 as areas of need.

4 of the first 5 picks address these areas
1. NT: Phil Taylor
2. DE/DT: Stephen Paea
3. OLB: Brooks Reed
5. OLB: Steven Friday

These 4 picks completely overhaul our front 7. Now it looks like this

___________Mario_________Taylor________Paea/Smith_________________
______Reed________Cushing______Meco___________Barw in/Friday_______

This represents a significant improvement over the 4-3 we put out last year.

The second issue is after the top 4 safetys the drop off is massive. Rather than reach for a safety in the 3rd I get better value for the same talent level in the 6th. I do not grab a CB simply becuase of the decision to focus on the front 7. As I previously said, we had major holes all over the place. And we cannot fix a Defense THIS bad in only a single draft. This year we address the front 7 and get some pieces. Next year we focus on the DBs, fill in some holes, and look for Offense.

[Ndevine7]

If paea is healthy i think that pick is a steal but i think you are reaching a bit for taylor i think he will be a late first round pick that hopefully we can trade back for and also get a 2nd round pick to take sands or williams

[beerlover]

to quote LZ -

don't think they would trade up for Phil. I think if he's there in he 2nd, then that's fine, but if not, there are other guys available in the 3rd or 4th who they could draft.

[bah007]

The last few years everyone always gets a hard on for one of these big NTs in the first round. And they hardly ever pan out.

Last year it was Dan Williams. He went higher and higher and higher on everybodys' board up until the very end. And then gets drafted #26. And everyone made a big deal about Terrence Cody and he barely squeezes into the second round.

In 07 it was Alan Branch. I remember mocks with him going top 10. And he goes #33.

[IDEXAN]

That's what I'd call your "wishful thinking" Draft if you believe that Paea
gets out of the 1st round and Reed gets out of the 2nd round.

[steelbtexan]

Originally Posted by Doppelganger

1. Phil Taylor, NT Baylor
Yall may think I am crazy and maybe I am, but this guy dominated the line at the Senior game. He held his ground and pushed forward. He answered a lot of questions at the Senior Bowl and I think he will shoot up the boards. Remember how some people thought BJ Raji was a second rounder and then he shot up the boards to GB? I think the same thing happens here. The sad thing is he may be taken in the 5-10 range. A large DT who can play the run stoutly and can still penetrate will be coveted. But if he is there at #11 I would seriously consider taking him. A monster NT who can hold how own against the run and can penetrate does not grow on trees. Immediate starter.

2. Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
Again, yall may be questioning my pick here. Paea is a player who serves multiple roles and represents amazing value. He is a strong man who can pass rush and play the run. To me, that sounds like a great complimentary piece to the Wade Phillips Defense. In a 3-4 alignment, you play Mario and Paea at DE (along with Antonio Smith to rotate in and provide relief). Then on pass plays, Mario moves to DE, Paea to DT, Smith to DT, and Cush /Barwin to DE. If a 3-4 can provide pressure from the front 3 then the 3-4 is going to be powerful. Will compete for a DL starter spot.

3. Brooks Reed, DE/OLB, Arizona
Hustle, Hustle, Hustle. That’s what led him to overwhelm the O line at the Senior bowl. He can be part of a OLB rotation with Barwin and whoever else the Texans deem is a 4-3 DE who can transition to 3-4OLB

4. Vincent Brown, WR, San Diego State
Good hands. Decent size. Everyone likes fast WRs, but the important thing is good hands. This guy has them. He provides depth and a possibly replacement for Walter.

5. Steven Friday, DE/OLB, Virginia Tech
A potential sleeper OLB prospect. Good motor, quick, and can even cover a bit. Will compete for an OLB spot with Barwin/Reed/whichever 4-3 DEs on roster the Texans think they can convert into a 3-4 OLB.

6. Nate Williams, S, Washington
A safe and reliable safety. He won’t be sensational but he will be consistently solid. He will be around the ball and will make plays. Safety is not a great class this year. Outside of Moore, Carter, Williams, and maybe Sands the safety class looks weak. I expect those 4 to be gone by the end of the second. Williams will eventually be a solid backup but for now solid may actually give him a shot to start...scary!

7. Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama
A nice safe QB backup. He doesn’t turn the ball over. He is really good at handing off the ball to the RB real well. When asked to make plays he makes accurate throws. He is not the strongest guy in the world but he can make enough throws to be a very servicable backup. Here is the big one: he does not throw any INTs. He is a classic game manager QB. If God forbid Schaub is hurt, he will not lose the game for you. A nice safe option to backup Schaub.

7. Eric Peitz, TE, Colorado State,
He is a TE and a Colorado state player. Kills two birds with one stone. Meets all the prerequisites for a Gary Kubiak draft.

7. Ok, so the Eric Peitz pick was a joke. Here is the real pick. Chase Beeler, C/G, Stanford.
A smart heady combo player who can play interior O line. Decent depth.

I like your mock and agree with you that everything on this defense cant be fixed in one draft. You're Taking a huge risk selecting Taylor. I'm a risk taker so I've got no problen with this mock.

I'm not a fan of Paea in a 3-4. So put a DE/DT like Wilkerson in his spot or a S like Carter and this would be the optimal draft for me.

[Doppelganger]

Highly regarded 1st round Defensive Tackles from 2005-2009

2005
1. Travis Johnson: Texans, BUST
2. Luis Castillo: Chargers, serviceable albeit injured DT, 1 probowl
3. Mike Patterson: Eagles, long time starter.

2006
1.Haloti Peria Jerry:Ravens, multiple time probowler. Possibly best player taken in his draft
2.Brodrick Bunkley: Eagles, initially depth. Started for 2 seasons beside Patterson then injured this year, solid.
3. John McCargo: Bills, BUST

2007
1. Amobi Okoye: Texans, BUST for a top 10 first rounder
2. Adam Carriker: Rams, played out of position. Now with Redskins, looks like a serviceable 3-4 DE
3. Justin Harrell: BUST, played 14 games

2008
1. Glenn Dorsey:Chiefs, drafted to be a DT but is a natural 3-4 DE. BUST as DT, likely will be serviceable as a 3-4 DE
2. Sedrick Ellis: Saints, started as depth and is now a starter. Good progression.

2009
1. B. J. Raji: Packers, as advertised
2. Peria Jerry, Falcons, missed the 09 season pay attention this year.

Of those named who was REALLY hyped as a big time player? I would say only Ngata and Raji were really hyped up as big time game changers.

I see Taylor as something between a Vince Wilfork and Shaun Rogers.
I may be wrong, but I really think he is THAT good of a player. He showed power, athleticism, and commitment to weight (was 335 not the 350 speculated prior to the Senior Bowl) and dominated. Right now, Taylor is a late first rounder. As soon as he looks great at the combine, I see him shooting into the mid first.

[Honoring Earl 34]

Originally Posted by Doppelganger

Highly regarded 1st round Defensive Tackles from 2005-2009

2005
1. Travis Johnson: Texans, BUST
2. Luis Castillo: Chargers, serviceable albeit injured DT, 1 probowl
3. Mike Patterson: Eagles, long time starter.

2006
1.Haloti Peria Jerry:Ravens, multiple time probowler. Possibly best player taken in his draft
2.Brodrick Bunkley: Eagles, initially depth. Started for 2 seasons beside Patterson then injured this year, solid.
3. John McCargo: Bills, BUST

2007
1. Amobi Okoye: Texans, BUST for a top 10 first rounder
2. Adam Carriker: Rams, played out of position. Now with Redskins, looks like a serviceable 3-4 DE
3. Justin Harrell: BUST, played 14 games

2008
1. Glenn Dorsey:Chiefs, drafted to be a DT but is a natural 3-4 DE. BUST as DT, likely will be serviceable as a 3-4 DE
2. Sedrick Ellis: Saints, started as depth and is now a starter. Good progression.

2009
1. B. J. Raji: Packers, as advertised
2. Peria Jerry, Falcons, missed the 09 season pay attention this year.

Of those named who was REALLY hyped as a big time player? I would say only Ngata and Raji were really hyped up as big time game changers.

I see Taylor as something between a Vince Wilfork and Shaun Rogers.
I may be wrong, but I really think he is THAT good of a player. He showed power, athleticism, and commitment to weight (was 335 not the 350 speculated prior to the Senior Bowl) and dominated. Right now, Taylor is a late first rounder. As soon as he looks great at the combine, I see him shooting into the mid first.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azQ7K...eature=related

[Ndevine7]

Originally Posted by steelbtexan

I like your mock and agree with you that everything on this defense cant be fixed in one draft. You're Taking a huge risk selecting Taylor. I'm a risk taker so I've got no problen with this mock.

I'm not a fan of Paea in a 3-4. So put a DE/DT like Wilkerson in his spot or a S like Carter and this would be the optimal draft for me.

i would love to get wilkerson in the second but i doubt he falls out of the first. I can easily see the jets taking him in the first

[Corrosion]

Ive seen several mocks showing Stephen Paea going in the early to mid first round , with more than one having the Texans take him at #11 overall .... Having him fall all the way to the Texans pick in the second round is a bit unrealistic to me.

[Doppelganger]

Originally Posted by Corrosion

Ive seen several mocks showing Stephen Paea going in the early to mid first round , with more than one having the Texans take him at #11 overall .... Having him fall all the way to the Texans pick in the second round is a bit unrealistic to me.

Were those mocks updated after his injury at the Senior bowl or aware of it? Also, Paea weighed in lighter than expected at 295(many thought he was in the 310 range.)

[Doppelganger]

Originally Posted by Honoring Earl 34

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azQ7K...eature=related

Not really sure what your point is, but most of the players that were featured int he video were game changing NTs.

[Corrosion]

Originally Posted by Doppelganger

Were those mocks updated after his injury at the Senior bowl or aware of it? Also, Paea weighed in lighter than expected at 295(many thought he was in the 310 range.)

They were updated within the last couple days .... Sure he could drop , but I just dont see him dropping out of the first round all together. But hey , if it falls that way , I sure wouldnt complain.