Death to Google Ads! Texans Talk Tip Jar! 🍺😎👍
Thanks for your support!

Grading the Texans Draft

WolverineFan

Hall of Fame
#20 (1) - CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama
- Should be the starting CB opposite Glover Quin this season.
Grade: A-
- The only way I could grade this higher was if we got Joe Haden. CB was our biggest need and we addressed it. Enough said.

#58 (2) - RB Ben Tate, Auburn
- Should be the bigger, physical RB we needed that platoons with Steve Slaton.
Grade: B+
- I know a lot of people are upset about losing Gerhart, but Tate fits the system better. The only RB I liked better was Mathews.

#81 (3) - DT Earl Mitchell, Arizona
- Will probably platoon with DelJuan Robinson to spell Okoye at the 3' technique.
Grade: B
- Admittedly a bit of a reach but he is a good fit for the penetrating style we use and is a good combo against the run or pass.

#102 (4) - MLB Daryl Sharpton, Miami
- Will be a special teams player and DeMeco's primary backup
Grade: B-
- We needed to add LB depth so there it is.

#118 (4) - TE Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
- One of the top 2 TE's in this draft IMO. Gronkowski being the other. Should be the successor to Owen Daniels
Grade: A
- We didn't really need a TE but how can you pass up a player like this? He reminds me of Jason Witten coming out years ago.

#144 (5) - CB Sherrick McManis, Northwestern

- Will be a nickel or dime back unless he moves to FS.
Grade: C+
- Would rather a FS here but maybe this is a sign that someone is transitioning to the position from within. Molden maybe?

#187 (6) - G Shelley Smith, Colorado State
- We needed a lineman, but Smith was not on my list of wants. Probably nothing more than depth during his career.
Grade: C-
- We needed interior line, but this is not what I anticipate. Could have done better.

#197 (6) - RB/KR Trindon Holliday, LSU
- I'm not a proponent of wasting roster spots on return specialists.
Grade: D-
- Don't understand drafting a return specialist. We have a good return tandem in Davis and Jones.

#227 (7) - WR/TE Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh
- Should be a good redzone target outside with his combinations of size and athleticism.
Grade: A-
- We wanted to add another WR and Kubiak has expressed that this is him.

Overall Draft Grade: B
- Nothing sexy, but business is always. The board is going nuts right now and calling for heads, but I think it's a solid draft. Addressed most of our needs and added some impact players. I don't understand the problem.

Best Player: Kareem Jackson
Best Pick: Garrett Graham
Worst Player: Shelley Smith
Worst Pick: Trindon Holliday
 

WolverineFan

Hall of Fame
I also have to add that many people have been expressing that they would like the Texans to use more of a BPA style of drafting. Then we go out and get a guy like Graham in the 4th and a guy like Dickerson in the 7th and all I see is people bitching about the fact that we drafted more TE's.

The hypocisy of the Houston Texans fan is astounding.
 

rmartin65

Phil Kessel: Nice Guy. Tries Hard.
#20 (1) - CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama
- Should be the starting CB opposite Glover Quin this season.
Grade: A-
- The only way I could grade this higher was if we got Joe Haden. CB was our biggest need and we addressed it. Enough said.

#58 (2) - RB Ben Tate, Auburn
- Should be the bigger, physical RB we needed that platoons with Steve Slaton.
Grade: B+
- I know a lot of people are upset about losing Gerhart, but Tate fits the system better. The only RB I liked better was Mathews.

#81 (3) - DT Earl Mitchell, Arizona
- Will probably platoon with DelJuan Robinson to spell Okoye at the 3' technique.
Grade: B
- Admittedly a bit of a reach but he is a good fit for the penetrating style we use and is a good combo against the run or pass.

#102 (4) - MLB Daryl Sharpton, Miami
- Will be a special teams player and DeMeco's primary backup
Grade: B-
- We needed to add LB depth so there it is.

#118 (4) - TE Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
- One of the top 2 TE's in this draft IMO. Gronkowski being the other. Should be the successor to Owen Daniels
Grade: A
- We didn't really need a TE but how can you pass up a player like this? He reminds me of Jason Witten coming out years ago.

#144 (5) - CB Sherrick McManis, Northwestern

- Will be a nickel or dime back unless he moves to FS.
Grade: C+
- Would rather a FS here but maybe this is a sign that someone is transitioning to the position from within. Molden maybe?

#187 (6) - G Shelley Smith, Colorado State
- We needed a lineman, but Smith was not on my list of wants. Probably nothing more than depth during his career.
Grade: C-
- We needed interior line, but this is not what I anticipate. Could have done better.

#197 (6) - RB/KR Trindon Holliday, LSU
- I'm not a proponent of wasting roster spots on return specialists.
Grade: D-
- Don't understand drafting a return specialist. We have a good return tandem in Davis and Jones.

#227 (7) - WR/TE Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh
- Should be a good redzone target outside with his combinations of size and athleticism.
Grade: A-
- We wanted to add another WR and Kubiak has expressed that this is him.

Overall Draft Grade: B
- Nothing sexy, but business is always. The board is going nuts right now and calling for heads, but I think it's a solid draft. Addressed most of our needs and added some impact players. I don't understand the problem.

Best Player: Kareem Jackson
Best Pick: Garrett Graham
Worst Player: Shelley Smith
Worst Pick: Trindon Holliday
Wow. After rounds 1 and 2, we differ drastically.

3) Mitchell was a huge reach. And I know he "fits the system", but the "system" has not shown great results. We will see.

4) I hate this pick. Earlier than he should have been taken, slow for a WLB (both in the 40 and on film), pretty much just a blah player.

4) Really, the second best? What about Gresham? Dickson? Hernandez? Not an A pick.

6) Smith is a mean, athletic and explosive guard. How is that not what the Texans need?

6) Holliday is a speed demon, that could very well become an all-pro returner. You might be the only person to dislike the pick.
 

dalemurphy

Hall of Fame
#20 (1) - CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama
- Should be the starting CB opposite Glover Quin this season.
Grade: A-
- The only way I could grade this higher was if we got Joe Haden. CB was our biggest need and we addressed it. Enough said.

#58 (2) - RB Ben Tate, Auburn
- Should be the bigger, physical RB we needed that platoons with Steve Slaton.
Grade: B+
- I know a lot of people are upset about losing Gerhart, but Tate fits the system better. The only RB I liked better was Mathews.

#81 (3) - DT Earl Mitchell, Arizona
- Will probably platoon with DelJuan Robinson to spell Okoye at the 3' technique.
Grade: B
- Admittedly a bit of a reach but he is a good fit for the penetrating style we use and is a good combo against the run or pass.

#102 (4) - MLB Daryl Sharpton, Miami
- Will be a special teams player and DeMeco's primary backup
Grade: B-
- We needed to add LB depth so there it is.

#118 (4) - TE Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
- One of the top 2 TE's in this draft IMO. Gronkowski being the other. Should be the successor to Owen Daniels
Grade: A
- We didn't really need a TE but how can you pass up a player like this? He reminds me of Jason Witten coming out years ago.

#144 (5) - CB Sherrick McManis, Northwestern

- Will be a nickel or dime back unless he moves to FS.
Grade: C+
- Would rather a FS here but maybe this is a sign that someone is transitioning to the position from within. Molden maybe?

#187 (6) - G Shelley Smith, Colorado State
- We needed a lineman, but Smith was not on my list of wants. Probably nothing more than depth during his career.
Grade: C-
- We needed interior line, but this is not what I anticipate. Could have done better.

#197 (6) - RB/KR Trindon Holliday, LSU
- I'm not a proponent of wasting roster spots on return specialists.
Grade: D-
- Don't understand drafting a return specialist. We have a good return tandem in Davis and Jones.

#227 (7) - WR/TE Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh
- Should be a good redzone target outside with his combinations of size and athleticism.
Grade: A-
- We wanted to add another WR and Kubiak has expressed that this is him.

Overall Draft Grade: B
- Nothing sexy, but business is always. The board is going nuts right now and calling for heads, but I think it's a solid draft. Addressed most of our needs and added some impact players. I don't understand the problem.

Best Player: Kareem Jackson
Best Pick: Garrett Graham
Worst Player: Shelley Smith
Worst Pick: Trindon Holliday

Okay:

2006, overall an 'A'
1. Mario A
2. Demeco A
3 Spencer D (injured, unfortunately)
3. Winston A-
4. OD A
5. (Eric Moulds) F
6. Wali Lundy D-
7. David Anderson B-

2007, overall a "B"
1. Okoye C-
2. (1/2 of Matt Schaub trade) A
3. Jac. Jones B+
4. Fred Bennett D
5. Brandon Frye F
6. Kasey Studdard C
7. Zac Diles B+

too early to grade '08, '09, '10
 

WolverineFan

Hall of Fame
Wow. After rounds 1 and 2, we differ drastically.

3) Mitchell was a huge reach. And I know he "fits the system", but the "system" has not shown great results. We will see.

4) I hate this pick. Earlier than he should have been taken, slow for a WLB (both in the 40 and on film), pretty much just a blah player.

4) Really, the second best? What about Gresham? Dickson? Hernandez? Not an A pick.

6) Smith is a mean, athletic and explosive guard. How is that not what the Texans need?

6) Holliday is a speed demon, that could very well become an all-pro returner. You might be the only person to dislike the pick.
Mitchell was graded as a mid-round prospect who we grabbed near the end of the 3rd round. Not that big of a reach. And the system got us the #10 ranked rush defense last year which was a huge improvement.

Sharpton isn't playing WLB, he will be a MLB. He was also drafted as a special teamer and a backup. He's replacing Bentley, who's production is dwindling every year. Teams need good role players.

Yes, the 2nd best. Can Gresham, Dickson, & Hernandez block as good as they catch? Didn't think so. Gronkowski and Graham are the two most complete TE's in this draft. Getting a guy like that in the 4th is a steal.

Admittedly I don't know much about Smith. I was targeting other players earlier in the draft so I'll accept your take on it.

I dislike the Holliday pick because I'm not a proponent of using draft picks on guys that only return kicks. Maybe he becomes the next Dante Hall and then I'll eat crow.
 

Thorn

Dirty Old Man
I think it was a good draft over all.

If Jackson and Tate aren't starting by the 1st game though, something is wrong.

Mitchell will see playing time though out the year, and he might even be starting some this year.

Sharpton may very well be starting on special teams this year, but not at his LB position.

If Graham is our starting TE this year, we got problems. But still, he's a good pick and someday he probably will be our starting TE.

McManis won't be starting unless we got huge problems. meh on this pick.

Smith is a backup for now. He could turn into something someday, but again, hopefully we don't need him to start.

Holliday either is our starting return specialist or he is probably out the door. He's to small to do anything else, and if he can't be returning balls, he's taking up a spot on the roster we need for something else.

Dickerson is a future starting WR, but not anytime soon.
 

Wolf6151

All Pro
My assessment:

1. Kareem Jackson, great size and speed, physicality, lots of playing experience, big school SEC experience. A

2. Ben Tate, downhill RB who runs with power and speed, very productive in 4 different Offensive schemes, low mileage, no injury history, good blocker and pass catcher. A

3. Earl Mitchell, undersized DT who's got speed but lacks size and doesn't have the height to really add much more weight and still be effective. I felt he was a reach and is projected as a backup. I felt we should have still been looking for starters in the 3rd round with a draft as deep as this one. I'd rather have a starting O-lineman instead of a backup DT. I think Kubiak made up his mind a long time ago to go after Shelley Smith at OG and once he did he overlooked all other players who might have been better. He got tunnel vision on Shelley Smith. Mitchell might not be bad but the pick could have been used better. C

3B. The trade. I'd rather have a good 3rd round pick from a very deep draft than an extra 4th and 5th rounder. Again we could have possibly gotten a starter at OG/C or FS or even another DT or quality CB.

4. Darryl Sharpton, kinda small for a MLB and we've already got good depth at LB with Bentley and Adibi. Again I'd rather see a need filled at OG/C, FS, OT, SS depth. He might not be a bad player, time will tell, but we've got bigger holes than backup LB that need to be filled and the pick could have been used better. C

4. Garrett Graham, wasted pick we've already got to many TE. I understand several are injured but they're healing and rehabing and we've got a probowler and quality depth. Completely wasted pick. D

5. Sherrick McManis, I don't know anything about him but I like the extra CB pick, added depth at CB is always a good thing. I think he makes either Bennett or Molden expendable, which is a good thing as well. B

6. Shelley Smith, he's got good size and speed and he's actually got good numbers from the Combine. In the shuttle, cone, and broadjump he actually got some of the best numbers amongst OG. If he were from anywhere but CSU Texans fans probably wouldn't hesitate to jump on his bandwagon. I haven't seen him play but it is a position of need and I really hope that he can contribute early though I'd like to see him add about 10-15 lbs. without losing his speed and agility. I just wish OG had been addressed earlier in the draft than the 6th round. There was some good talent available to us that we passed on. Again I think Kubiak got tunnel vision on Smith a long time ago and made up his mind that was his guy and thus overlooked other better players. C

6. Trindon Holliday, I like this pick because he's got great speed and return skills and he most likely makes Andre Davis and his retarded contract expendable thus freeing up some money to hopefully go after a FA at OG/C, CB, FS, or DT. A

7. Dorin Dickerson, small TE that will be playing WR, he's got some skill and speed. As I understand it he was good value here as well. Developmental player but he probably fills Andre Davis WR slot. A

I give this draft a C but only time will tell for sure. If they had addressed OG/C earlier and FS when there were quality players available instead of more TE then this draft could have been so much better. They started out great in the 1st and 2nd rounds, the 3rd 4th and 5th rounds suck, the 6th and 7th rounds aren't to bad. Having an undersized DT and MLB aren't going to do us much good when playing those power running teams with huge O-linemen.
 

Corrosion

Idealist
Staff member
#20 (1) - CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama
- Should be the starting CB opposite Glover Quin this season.
Grade: A-
- The only way I could grade this higher was if we got Joe Haden. CB was our biggest need and we addressed it. Enough said.

A I had Jackson as the 3rd CB in the draft - with Wilson and Haden (in that order ahead of him). Obviously they had them listed differently. I'll take their scouting report ahead of mine .... Solid pick.


#58 (2) - RB Ben Tate, Auburn
- Should be the bigger, physical RB we needed that platoons with Steve Slaton.
Grade: B+
- I know a lot of people are upset about losing Gerhart, but Tate fits the system better. The only RB I liked better was Mathews.
A+ Tate was my #1 RB for the Texans needs. Spiller may be a more explosive player but he isnt what this team needs. I didnt like Mathews and think he's pretty over rated. Gerhart would have been second on my list even with my concerns about ball security.


#81 (3) - DT Earl Mitchell, Arizona
- Will probably platoon with DelJuan Robinson to spell Okoye at the 3' technique.
Grade: B
- Admittedly a bit of a reach but he is a good fit for the penetrating style we use and is a good combo against the run or pass.
C Its a need position but I dont know much about the player and there were higher rated DT's on the board. I hope he makes me eat crow.


#102 (4) - MLB Daryl Sharpton, Miami
- Will be a special teams player and DeMeco's primary backup
Grade: B-
- We needed to add LB depth so there it is.
C Would really liked to have them take a FS or interior OL here.
Sharpton is said to be able to play all three LB spots in the 4-3. Thats not such a bad guy to have around and he should at least contribute on ST.
If they didnt have such a hole in the back end of the secondary this grade would be higher.


#118 (4) - TE Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
- One of the top 2 TE's in this draft IMO. Gronkowski being the other. Should be the successor to Owen Daniels
Grade: A
- We didn't really need a TE but how can you pass up a player like this? He reminds me of Jason Witten coming out years ago.
A- With OD still in rehab mode and unsigned , Hill hurt (Joppru2?) and Dreessen recovering from surgery ..... I can see this pick. He's got a whole lot of potential .... hard to pass on him in that spot. Probably BPA.


#144 (5) - CB Sherrick McManis, Northwestern

- Will be a nickel or dime back unless he moves to FS.
Grade: C+
- Would rather a FS here but maybe this is a sign that someone is transitioning to the position from within. Molden maybe?
C Not a bad player but they spent the #1 on a CB , dont see the need for another here. Maybe they felt he was BPA.


#187 (6) - G Shelley Smith, Colorado State
- We needed a lineman, but Smith was not on my list of wants. Probably nothing more than depth during his career.
Grade: C-
- We needed interior line, but this is not what I anticipate. Could have done better.
A+ Good player - hell of a value in the 6th round. Has a nasty streak that this OL really lacks. This guy is gonna surprise some of you.

#197 (6) - RB/KR Trindon Holliday, LSU
- I'm not a proponent of wasting roster spots on return specialists.
Grade: D-
- Don't understand drafting a return specialist. We have a good return tandem in Davis and Jones.
A+ Speed Kills. They need to find a way to get this kid the ball within the offense .... He'll change field position on KR/PR. See ya later Andre Davis.

#227 (7) - WR/TE Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh
- Should be a good redzone target outside with his combinations of size and athleticism.
Grade: A-
- We wanted to add another WR and Kubiak has expressed that this is him.
A+ Guy's with this kind of size and speed combination just shouldnt last until the 7th round. He'll likely earn his spot on the roster with his ST play. He's played LB , TE , WR and RB. Many had a 2nd or 3rd round grade on him. Probably takes Glenn Martinez roster spot.
He'll present some mismatches in the redzone .... The Texans likely wont come up a yard shot very often this season if they can line up AJ , JJ , OD and this kid in a red zone package with Tate in the backfield.


Overall Draft Grade: B
- Nothing sexy, but business is always. The board is going nuts right now and calling for heads, but I think it's a solid draft. Addressed most of our needs and added some impact players. I don't understand the problem.
I agree , they had a real nice draft - The top two picks should start and make a real impact. The middle rounds kinda fell off a bit at least in my opinion , mainly because they didnt address OG early enough and FS at all. The bottom picks .... I cant really believe they were on the board to be honest. They got some real quality in the late rounds.

Best Player: Kareem Jackson
Best Pick: Garrett Graham
Worst Player: Shelley Smith
Worst Pick: Trindon Holliday
I think Tate is best pick - moving back , gaining a pick and getting the right guy ....

Worst pick ? probably Daryl Sharpton .... I think they could have done more to address OG and FS.
They dont seem to think that the problems with the running game are related to C/OG as much as it does with the failure of the backs.
I think they made this pick because they just didnt see a guy on the board who they felt was better than what they already have at those spots and picked a guy who they thought could help them at all the LB spots as well as ST.

Overall I'm pretty satisfied with this draft and cant wait for the preseason to get underway so we can see them in action. :tiphat:
 

Rey

Guest
It seems like a lot of fans have unrealistic expectations for these draft picks as a whole...JMO

Odds are, some of these players will have no real impact their first or second year...or ever...

I'm not a pessimist, but I expect atleast one of these players to have injury problems and maybe for another one to just not be that good...If we can get 3 or 4 productive contributing players from every draft and our first rounders play up to that level then I think it's a win...

I guess that I'm saying that with us having 9 picks in this draft if some of these players don't pan out I think that the draft can still be an A.

We took 2 players at much needed positions in Tate and Jackson that should be heavy contributers right away, and we took a bunch of guys that can play specialty roles and could possibly add something of value to this team. In a business where nothing is a sure thing I think we did an excellent job of adressing serious needs and grabing guys who bring a special skill or have shown flashes of a high level of play.

I'm not big on grading drafts, but if I had to grade the way the Texans handled this draft I would have to give them an A for the simple fact that every single pick should make this roster more competitive and every single pick can and should challenge for a spot on this team. Really, what more can you ask for?
 

BIG TORO

TERADACTYL #23
It seems like a solid draft, but I think its going to be about half way through the season before we really know how we did. I give it a B.
 

BigBull17

Hall of Fame
Andre Davis runs to the first tackler he can find and falls down. I'm tired of watching him poorly return kick offs. JJ is a good punt returner, but lacks the skills to return kick offs. I love the Holliday pick.
 

dalemurphy

Hall of Fame
Andre Davis runs to the first tackler he can find and falls down. I'm tired of watching him poorly return kick offs. JJ is a good punt returner, but lacks the skills to return kick offs. I love the Holliday pick.

Andre Davis has very good speed but is not that explosive with change of directions. Last year's rule changes that outlawed the wedge on the kickoff had a bigger impact on him. Now, under the new rules, kickoffs are a lot more like punt returns so he's much less effective.
 

BIG TORO

TERADACTYL #23
Andre Davis runs to the first tackler he can find and falls down. I'm tired of watching him poorly return kick offs. JJ is a good punt returner, but lacks the skills to return kick offs. I love the Holliday pick.
lol, I have to agree, anytime Im watching the game and I see Davis waiting for the ball I have to throw an F bomb because he sucks as a returner.

:clap:
 

BIG TORO

TERADACTYL #23
Andre Davis has very good speed but is not that explosive with change of directions. Last year's rule changes that outlawed the wedge on the kickoff had a bigger impact on him. Now, under the new rules, kickoffs are a lot more like punt returns so he's much less effective.
Can you explain the wedge and why it was outlawed?
 

TD

Super Bowl Mascot
Is grading the draft at this point anything more than a fancy way of saying "this is how what they did compares to what I would have done"?

A's or F's at this point could simply mean you both would have made the same good pick / mistake.
 
Of course, it'll be years before a grade really takes shape but here goes:

1. Jackson CB-A+. Biggest need, complete skill package, done, done.
2. Tate RB A. 2nd biggest need, complete skill package, done, done.
3. Mitchell DT C Athlete more than footballer from what I can see but with coaching should round out into some fine DT depth and push Okoye as his "replacement if you suck again this year"
4. Sharpton LB D Least favorite. Athlete more than footballer with an unimpressive scouting report.
4. Graham TE C+ obviously TE is overloaded and this pick doesn't help unless someone is going to miss this season. Seems like a nice player though
5. McMannis CB C Not truly a need with Jackson slotted as a starter. Depth is just fine too, really curious how little value safety has amongst the Texans front office. This is another Smithiak CB mold. 6' 200, smaller school standout who looks like a FS but has zero chance of that ever being considered. Meh.
6. Smith OG C Definitely not a need pick. OG depth here is just stupid and now they are reportedly looking at Faneca? Studdard, Caldwell, Brisiel, White, Smith, Smith...we're not going 6 deep at OG are we? The Kubiak connection pulls this one in so people aren't going to be thrilled about that but lets give this dude a fair shake.
6. Holliday PR/KR A Hell of a pick. JJ you ready for WR reps? I sure hope so. Elite speed for a 6th, hard to be mad at that.
7 Dickerson WR B Confusing at first but as a 6'1'' 220 lb-er guy who has decent WR speed he's got a shot to sit and learn, make an impact later. The Texans couldn't have been the only team checking him out as a WR. For a 7th, getting a mega athlete is not bad.

I give it a B overall. Top 2 picks are dynamite, a few later picks are alright but geez, for now anyway the middle rounds seem like a black hole.
 

dalemurphy

Hall of Fame
Can you explain the wedge and why it was outlawed?
Sure, on kickoffs, usually 4 guys would essentially hold hands and form a "wedge" as the kickoff returner caught the ball. As the kickoff returner neared them, they beginning running downfield and blocking while attempting to maintain the integrity of the formation. The kickoff team would have a "wedge-buster", whose job it was to throw himself into the wedge and attempt to disrupt it. It was outlawed in order to reduce the risk of serious injuries.
 

Corrosion

Idealist
Staff member
Is grading the draft at this point anything more than a fancy way of saying "this is how what they did compares to what I would have done"?

A's or F's at this point could simply mean you both would have made the same good pick / mistake.
Pretty much :cool:
 

Thorn

Dirty Old Man
I give it a B overall. Top 2 picks are dynamite, a few later picks are alright but geez, for now anyway the middle rounds seem like a black hole.
The beginning and late two rounds do seem the best for picks considering the draft position and the player. If Holliday makes the team and does some nice returning it will really help the team with field position and having Tate helps even more.

"On paper" seems like a good draft, with the middle section being kind of boring. But as lots of folks have said, we'll just have to wait and see. The first three picks and the last two are the most interesting to me in terms of potential impact.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
Rd1 Jackson A- I had Wilson rated higher but Jackson is more ready to start day 1.

Rd2 Tate A- Tate is a perfect fit for what the Texans do.

Rd3 Mitchell C- I would've traded this and the Sharpton pick to trade up for Burnett.

Rd4 Sharpton D- Horrible value, I dont care for his uncle Al either. LOL

Rd4 Graham C+ -Very talented, This pick kinda tells you where the 50 TE's are in their rehab. Get well soon OD.

Rd5 McMannis C - This guy has all of the measuables, I will defer to Gibbs on this pick. Gibbs has had alot of success with late rd CB's

Rd6 Holliday B - Has what you cant teach world class speed. That alone makes him worth a pick this late in the draft.

Rd7 Smith C - Dont know much about him, Kubes has had luck with CSU OL (Brisiel) So this is a good gamble this late in the draft.

Rd7 Dickerson A - Dickerson is a mathup nightmare for defenses. Men this big aren't supposed to be able to run that fast. He's been a man without a position. Learning fhow to put that talent to use under AJ's wing could net the Texans a great player.
 

Second Honeymoon

Hall of Fame
I give the players an incomplete grade as for who we picked. As for need and value, I give the 1st 2 Rounds an A- but the rest of the draft has to get a C- for need and value.

our passing game was fine, yet we spent 2 picks on passing targets. our special teams return guys were fine, yet we spent a pick on a return guy. our Center position is STILL woefully inadequate 8 years into the franchise. our FS position is STILL woefully inadequate unless Wilson comes back to form and stays healthy, and that is another problem I had with the draft.

if they make a serious play at grabbing Faneca to shore up the interior line, the draft/offseason FA period looks a lot better. We shall see what transpires.

Not a horrible draft but C, OG, DT, and FS still remain urgent needs after the initial FA period and the draft. We had 6 urgent needs going into the offseason and they only addressed 2 of those needs with players that look like they can help us in 2010 (Tate and Jackson)

I guess this is what happens when you sit on your hands in Free Agency and hopefully they will make up for their lack of activity by bringing in a quality interior lineman or FS in the latter portion of FA or with June casualties. even though there is no cap, there could be some money-based releases like Faneca.
 

Texanmike02

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
I also have to add that many people have been expressing that they would like the Texans to use more of a BPA style of drafting. Then we go out and get a guy like Graham in the 4th and a guy like Dickerson in the 7th and all I see is people bitching about the fact that we drafted more TE's.

The inconsistency of the Houston Texans fan is astounding.
I don't think its hypocracy so much as indecision.

Mike
 

Texanmike02

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
I give the players an incomplete grade as for who we picked. As for need and value, I give the 1st 2 Rounds an A- but the rest of the draft has to get a C- for need and value.

our passing game was fine, yet we spent 2 picks on passing targets. our special teams return guys were fine, yet we spent a pick on a return guy. our Center position is STILL woefully inadequate 8 years into the franchise. our FS position is STILL woefully inadequate unless Wilson comes back to form and stays healthy, and that is another problem I had with the draft.

if they make a serious play at grabbing Faneca to shore up the interior line, the draft/offseason FA period looks a lot better. We shall see what transpires.

Not a horrible draft but C, OG, DT, and FS still remain urgent needs after the initial FA period and the draft. We had 6 urgent needs going into the offseason and they only addressed 2 of those needs with players that look like they can help us in 2010 (Tate and Jackson)

I guess this is what happens when you sit on your hands in Free Agency and hopefully they will make up for their lack of activity by bringing in a quality interior lineman or FS in the latter portion of FA or with June casualties. even though there is no cap, there could be some money-based releases like Faneca.
I don't know that this is "sitting on our hands" so much as there wasn't really anything out there to go after. A bunch of old/washed up RBs and a very mediocre class of DBs. Who were we going to go get? Who was really an upgrade in free agency? Boden was the best of a very average DB group. Who else that you didn't have to break the bank for? Tell me, would you give up a 2nd and a 3rd next year for Haynesworth? Is Faneca your answer at G? Do healthy players make you any better next year?

I've called for DT for like 3 years, but if you go back and watch, as long as the safety is in the right place (see the first 3 games) and makes the tackle, this team is pretty good at run defense. I moved it down my need list as the offseason went along. We finished 10th in the league against the run, that is including weeks 1-3 when we were terrible. If you go back and look at those 3 weeks, we played ok with the exception of a few long plays where the safety didn't get into place. I would LOVE to have a DT that can crash the line, but this coaching staff sees that as a luxury and not a necessity. Honestly that is probably the difference between us being a playoff team and making a deep playoff run. I fully expect this team to go to the playoffs next year.

Last years failures were related to specific players failing. We replaced the safety tandem that failed mid season. Kris Brown has legitimate competition and our OL should be healthy. We also brought in a RB who should be be able to fight for the two feet we lacked last year. And we addressed the DBs.


I just don't see it as a failure. I would love to go get that blue chip player. They weren't there.

Mike
 

Second Honeymoon

Hall of Fame
[replying to Mike's quote]
I'd give up a 2011 2nd Rounder to get haynesworth for just over $5million per season, but not a 2nd and a 3rd.

anywho, the Skins claim he is not going to be traded but if he was, maybe it would be to his good friend and protege Smithiak in Houston.

as for the aging and washed up RBs, I don't think that is the case at all. Chester Taylor was 29 years old and only cost $10 million guaranteed. Jones signed with the Chiefs for a pretty fair price and he was the main part of the #1 rushing attack in 2010. Even LT had some decent numbers but he was hurt by his yards-per-carry number, but in my opinion still had some tread left on the tires.

It's not like we need a workhorse back anyway as our passing attack is our strength and I want us to play to our strengths and not feel somehow forced to run the ball when its not there. The rules now are favored for passing so take that for what its worth, but I love getting Tate because he gives us the toughness, versatility, and short yardage capabilities that we need and looks to be able to provide us those much-needed traits for a much longer time than any of the veteran RBs could of.
 

Texanmike02

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
I'd give up a 2011 2nd Rounder to get haynesworth for just over $5million per season, but not a 2nd and a 3rd.

anywho, the Skins claim he is not going to be traded but if he was, maybe it would be to his good friend and protege Smithiak in Houston.
My point is that he is really the only DT i'm interested in as a big time run stuffer. Henderson might be nice too, but there isn't a player available to fill that need in FA.

as for the aging and washed up RBs, I don't think that is the case at all. Chester Taylor was 29 years old and only cost $10 million guaranteed. Jones signed with the Chiefs for a pretty fair price and he was the main part of the #1 rushing attack in 2010. Even LT had some decent numbers but he was hurt by his yards-per-carry number, but in my opinion still had some tread left on the tires.
Taylor is the only of the three that I think is a good solution. Everyone else, if you ask me, is a bandaid on a broken bone. I think you had as good of a shot of Foster working out as LT. LT will have a few bursts this year I'm sure, but his whole body of work will be that of the guy who just doesn't have it any more. I know, I'm crazy, everyone says that.

Mike
 

Blake

MMQB
Cornerback: Check

Running Back: Check

Defensive Tackle: Check

Offensive Guard: Check

Free Safety: Miss

Owen Daniels Insurance: Check

I think they did a good job overall. I think in 2 years we will know if they worked out or not. But right now I am happy with the haul.
 

JB

Innocent Bystander
Contributor's Club
Cornerback: Check

Running Back: Check

Defensive Tackle: Check

Offensive Guard: Check

Free Safety: Miss- *

Owen Daniels Insurance: Check

I think they did a good job overall. I think in 2 years we will know if they worked out or not. But right now I am happy with the haul.
* But we did sign an UDFA FS in Nick Polk
 
The beginning and late two rounds do seem the best for picks considering the draft position and the player. If Holliday makes the team and does some nice returning it will really help the team with field position and having Tate helps even more.

"On paper" seems like a good draft, with the middle section being kind of boring. But as lots of folks have said, we'll just have to wait and see. The first three picks and the last two are the most interesting to me in terms of potential impact.
Totally. You're likely picking for depth in the middle round, hoping to find that diamond. The LB/TE/OG picks are astonishingly off base from my view. That's 3 chances to address safety, a top 3 need in any list that went to probably the team's strength (LB), a position with health problems but fine players (TE) and a position that has already been addressed adequately (OG). I suppose you can never have enough good CB help but with Jackson the problem was solved (being in need of a starter).
 

keyser

Veteran
OK, here are my 2 cents. I'll give each a grade as far as need, as far as value, and as far as my overall feel. And just to head off comments, no, I don't spend my time researching draft picks like scouts do, and yes, I get most of my information from other websites/people (some of which do spend their time researching players like scouts do). So, I don't have any great insight - hopefully all these players turn out to be pro-bowlers.

Rd1 Jackson:
Need: A- CB was one of our bigger needs.
Value: B Not generally considered a top 20 pick, but not a huge reach. Probably the top on their board at one of the positions of need.
Overall: B+ Got a player at a position of need, for decent value. He will be compared to Kyle Wilson for a while, so he better turn out as good or better. I don't know that we could have done much better, given the circumstances.

Rd2 Tate:
Need: A RB was, to me, our biggest need.
Value: B Was picked earlier than most had him rated, but again, not a huge reach. The move up was probably indication that some other team might have taken him before the Texans could pick.
Overall: A Texans made sure they got the player they wanted, and filled a big need. I'm very happy with this pick.

Rd3 Mitchell:
Need: B We needed a DT. Maybe not as important (to me) as some other spots, but certainly a need.
Value: D+ Picked a fair amount ahead of where he was expected to go, and did not seem to clearly be the best DT still out there, much less the best overall or best at a position of need.
Overall: C This was an OK pick, I guess, but not one I'm excited about. I'm not convinced that he's going to be the solution, or even that much of a help, to our DT problems.

Rd4 Sharpton:
Need: D- We have a good set of starting LBs, and some good backups already.
Value: D+ Although some have said they saw him rated around this spot, most of my info showed him as a much later-round pick.
Overall: F He should at least make the roster, although he's likely to be buried on the depth chart. And, he doesn't seem like the "project" who is going to light the world on fire with a little experience. I hope I'm all wrong, but I really hate this pick, and am still confused by it.

Rd4 Graham:
Need: C+ We have a lot of TEs. However, there are so many question marks, it makes sense they would go for another one.
Value: C+ He went about where he should have gone in the draft.
Overall: C+ If our current guys heal well, we'll probably drop someone good. But, if we end up losing one or more of our current TEs, this will probably be a worthwhile pick.

Rd5 McManis:
Need: C- I don't think another CB was a big need. We already have an army of so-so CBs, and drafted another CB in the first. I don't see this guy being much of a contributor.
Value: D Was not a good value here. There were lots of CBs to choose from, and better value at other positions.
Overall: D I don't see the point of this pick. We have depth at CB, and I dont' see this guy competing for a starting postion. However, if the plan is to convert him to a FS, or if they feel that having him lets them convert someone else to FS, then I would raise my opinion of this pick quite a bit.

Rd6 Holliday:
Need: C+ I would not have put a kick returner high on our list of needs, although it is something we could improve on.
Value: B+ Probably the best KR option out there, but limited in what else he'll be able to do.
Overall: A- We're in the 6th round now, and they found someone with a lot of potential who could make a real difference. This is what I want out of 6th round picks.

Rd6 Smith:
Need: A- Getting OL was one of our biggest needs. Too bad it took this long to pick someone.
Value: B+ He was a good value where he was picked.
Overall: A This pick has really grown on me, and I'm excited about it. I don't think he'll offer massive improvement, but he should at least be some solid depth at OL, which we've been needing. I can't ask for much more in the 6th round.

Rd7 Dickerson:
Need: F We probably had even less need for a WR at this point in the draft than for a LB. We had to carry an "extra" WR last year, because we had too many good ones, and our KR will probably need to be considered as a WR in terms of the roster.
Value: A+ He was actually the highest rated player left on my list at the time he was taken.
Overall: B+ I won't gripe about going for the best player available in the 7th round, even if not at a positon of need. Could turn out to be a major steal.

Whole Draft:
Need: C I felt that our biggest needs were (in order): RB, CB, OL, FS, DT, OL (maybe swap the FS/CB). Only the first two were really addressed well, along with maybe DT, and one OL spot if we're lucky. So, we filled some of our biggest holes, but I think we still have some significant gaps.
Value: C Not until the end of the draft were we really getting good value with our picks. Several of the earlier picks were tiny reaches (justifiable based on need and team evaluation, certainly), but some in the middle of the draft seemed to be pretty large reaches.
Overall: C So-so draft. I felt we did well in rounds 1, 2, 6, and 7, but was not happy with 3, 4, and 5.
 

Hardcore Texan

Magnet Man
#20 (1) - CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama
- Should be the starting CB opposite Glover Quin this season.
Grade: A-
- The only way I could grade this higher was if we got Joe Haden. CB was our biggest need and we addressed it. Enough said.




#197 (6) - RB/KR Trindon Holliday, LSU
- I'm not a proponent of wasting roster spots on return specialists.
Grade: D-
- Don't understand drafting a return specialist. We have a good return tandem in Davis and Jones.
A couple of things, IMO, Reeves will be starting at CB before Quinn. And Andre Davis has not been productive at WR or KR, he needs to go.
 

The Pencil Neck

Hall of Fame
Can you explain the wedge and why it was outlawed?
In the olden days, like 2 years ago, the team receiving the kickoffs would take 4 really big guys (usually linemen of some sort) and put them shoulder to shoulder (sometimes with arms linked) in front of the kick returner and have those guys run up the field. This was The Wedge. The returner would run behind those guys until he saw a crease.

The team kicking off would send guys running down the field whose job was to crash into the wedge. These guys were basically kamikazis. They would run down full speed and try to break up the wedge.

This lead to a lot of violent contact. And several guys in the wedge over the years had broken necks and/or serious concussions. Like Cedric Killings for the Texans and that guy from the Bills and several others.

So the wedge was ruled to be too dangerous and was outlawed last year. Now you can't have more than two guys bunch up like that.
 

Corrosion

Idealist
Staff member
A couple of things, IMO, Reeves will be starting at CB before Quinn. And Andre Davis has not been productive at WR or KR, he needs to go.
I think Quinn starts , Reeves will be the nickle. Kubiak and Bush are both high on Quinn .... He was the best CB on the team last season imo.
 

The Pencil Neck

Hall of Fame
Well, heck. Since everyone's doing it:

Round 1 - Kareem Jackson, CB
Grade: A
He's an immediate starter. I had Wilson and McCourty rated higher on my board but I suspect that's because I'm don't understand enough about how each of these guys would fit into our secondary.

Round 2 - Ben Tate, RB
Grade: A
He's an immediate starter. On my list of RBs that I wanted for us, I had this guy as #2 after Mathews.

Round 3 - Earl Mitchell, DT
Grade: C+
Some people have this guy rated high. Sports Illustrated actually has this guy as our 2nd best pick. From everything I've heard, he could be an immediate upgrade of Okoye especially in passing situations. I won't be surprised if this is our starting UT by the beginning of the season.

Round 4 - Daryl Sharpton, LB
Grade: C-
This pick puzzles me. They say they see him as a Will but he doesn't seem fast enough for that. But he could be an upgrade over Diles. And if so, he could start. I see him as more of a possible replacement for Bentley and a special teamer.

Round 4 - Garrett Graham, TE
Grade: B+
We have no tight ends. Prior to the draft, I didn't really see TE as a need because on paper, we've got 4. But we don't. We've only got 1, James Casey. Everyone else is injured and may not make it back. I see this pick as saying that Dreessen or Hill are not recovering as expected.

Round 5 - Sherrick McManis, CB
Grade: C+
I had a lot of other corners rated higher but again, I believe that's because I don't understand enough about what we need and what all these guys do. This guy is probably a special teamer and could spell the end for Molden or Bennett. And if he's an improvement over those guys, great.

Round 6 - Trindon Holliday, KR
Grade: A+
Great pick. This guy improves our KR and possibly our PR (JJ was pretty good.) I think this guy has surer hands on punts than JJ and personally, I don't need to have my heart stopped by JJ any more. Although a specialist, this guy could be special. And with Kubiak's offensive creativity, we could find some other ways to get this guy the ball in space. Which would be gravy.

Round 6 - Shelley Smith, OG
Grade: A+
Great pick. You get a guy who has spent his entire college career learning our type of system at CSU (an offense set up by Gibbs). He's agile, mobile, and hostile. I see this guy taking over a guard spot early on.

Round 7 - Dorin Dickerson, WR
Grade: B
This could turn out to be the best pick in the draft. A highly rated guy who doesn't fit the conventional positions. It may take a year or two to get this guy ready but he could be more than worth it.

Overall, I grade this draft an A. For me, the first two picks carry the most weight with each pick thereafter carrying less weight because you don't expect to get immediate starters later in the draft. We've got 3 guys (Jackson, Tate, and Holliday) who are immediate starters and immediately make our team better. We've got 2 guys (Mitchell and Smith) who could surprise us and become starters before the year is out. To me, that's a successful freaking draft.
 

Rey

Guest
I know he got better as the season went on, and they like how he hits, but I still thought they were favoring Reeves as the #1 CB.
I see...

But I hope that isn't the case. If we are going to field a defense that is aggressive and likes to hit, Reeves isn't the way to gfo..
 

ChampionTexan

Hall of Fame
I know he got better as the season went on, and they like how he hits, but I still thought they were favoring Reeves as the #1 CB.
Quin became the starter in game four, and started every game the remainder of the season with the exception of one in which he was out with an injury.

Reeves started five games, four of those were when we were in nickel to begin the game, and Quin was also starting. The fifth was the game Quin was out injured.

I think Quin defnitely goes into TC as one of the starting CB's
 

WolverineFan

Hall of Fame
Owen Daniels and Joel Dressen are our 2 main TE's. Anthony Hill is another, but he is limited in his receiving skills. Casey is more of an H-Back and Dickerson is going to be a WR. I just don't understand the backlash against taking a guy like Garrett Graham. He's going to be better than Dressen in a year or two and should eventually replace Daniels.

Out of all the "TE's" we've taken the past 2 years only 2 of them are actually TE's. This is what a lot of guys are missing.
 

Hardcore Texan

Magnet Man
Quin became the starter in game four, and started every game the remainder of the season with the exception of one in which he was out with an injury.

Reeves started five games, four of those were when we were in nickel to begin the game, and Quin was also starting. The fifth was the game Quin was out injured.

I think Quin defnitely goes into TC as one of the starting CB's
I guess I didn't realize he started that much, thanks! Let's hope he doesn't pull a Bennet and regress.
 

HOU-TEX

Ah, Football!
Well, heck. Since everyone's doing it:

Round 1 - Kareem Jackson, CB
Grade: A
He's an immediate starter. I had Wilson and McCourty rated higher on my board but I suspect that's because I'm don't understand enough about how each of these guys would fit into our secondary.

Round 2 - Ben Tate, RB
Grade: A
He's an immediate starter. On my list of RBs that I wanted for us, I had this guy as #2 after Mathews.

Round 3 - Earl Mitchell, DT
Grade: C+
Some people have this guy rated high. Sports Illustrated actually has this guy as our 2nd best pick. From everything I've heard, he could be an immediate upgrade of Okoye especially in passing situations. I won't be surprised if this is our starting UT by the beginning of the season.

Round 4 - Daryl Sharpton, LB
Grade: C-
This pick puzzles me. They say they see him as a Will but he doesn't seem fast enough for that. But he could be an upgrade over Diles. And if so, he could start. I see him as more of a possible replacement for Bentley and a special teamer.

Round 4 - Garrett Graham, TE
Grade: B+
We have no tight ends. Prior to the draft, I didn't really see TE as a need because on paper, we've got 4. But we don't. We've only got 1, James Casey. Everyone else is injured and may not make it back. I see this pick as saying that Dreessen or Hill are not recovering as expected.

Round 5 - Sherrick McManis, CB
Grade: C+
I had a lot of other corners rated higher but again, I believe that's because I don't understand enough about what we need and what all these guys do. This guy is probably a special teamer and could spell the end for Molden or Bennett. And if he's an improvement over those guys, great.

Round 6 - Trindon Holliday, KR
Grade: A+
Great pick. This guy improves our KR and possibly our PR (JJ was pretty good.) I think this guy has surer hands on punts than JJ and personally, I don't need to have my heart stopped by JJ any more. Although a specialist, this guy could be special. And with Kubiak's offensive creativity, we could find some other ways to get this guy the ball in space. Which would be gravy.

Round 6 - Shelley Smith, OG
Grade: A+
Great pick. You get a guy who has spent his entire college career learning our type of system at CSU (an offense set up by Gibbs). He's agile, mobile, and hostile. I see this guy taking over a guard spot early on.

Round 7 - Dorin Dickerson, WR
Grade: B
This could turn out to be the best pick in the draft. A highly rated guy who doesn't fit the conventional positions. It may take a year or two to get this guy ready but he could be more than worth it.

Overall, I grade this draft an A. For me, the first two picks carry the most weight with each pick thereafter carrying less weight because you don't expect to get immediate starters later in the draft. We've got 3 guys (Jackson, Tate, and Holliday) who are immediate starters and immediately make our team better. We've got 2 guys (Mitchell and Smith) who could surprise us and become starters before the year is out. To me, that's a successful freaking draft.
PN, I don't think you could get much closer than how I felt/feel about the guys we drafted. I questioned the Sherrick pick and still really haven't found what we found intriguing about him. Initially, I questioned the Graham pick too, but after doing a little homework on him I came away impressed with his game. I think he will be an early contributer to our team. However, I do wonder who might be on the TE bubble going into camp.

Gotta spread the rep, dadgummit
 

keyser

Veteran
That made me shudder...we are screwed if that happens
For a long time, I've heard people talk about a "sophomore slump" for CBs. I think it has to do with teams getting more tape of them, and being able to target them (or not) much more effectively in the second year. The good players will push through this and be solid players by year 3. I don't know how true it is (and I'm sure there are many exceptions - e.g. I bet Revis had a good 2nd year), but it makes sense to me. I sometimes wonder if we basically gave up on Bennett too soon - i.e. if his drop-off from 2007 to 2008 was just part of a natural "progression" at CB, and he might have improved if we had stuck with him longer. It also worries me that if Quin shows problems this year, we might be too quick to pull him.
 

Corrosion

Idealist
Staff member
PN, I don't think you could get much closer than how I felt/feel about the guys we drafted. I questioned the Sherrick pick and still really haven't found what we found intriguing about him. Initially, I questioned the Graham pick too, but after doing a little homework on him I came away impressed with his game. I think he will be an early contributer to our team. However, I do wonder who might be on the TE bubble going into camp.

Gotta spread the rep, dadgummit
I didnt like the Sherrick pick much either. Im assuming they didnt see anyone at FS/C/OG who was an upgrade over those already on the roster and took a guy who fits what they want to do defensively.

The Graham pick to most is questionable but when you consider the facts - OD is recovering from injury and has yet to sign and likely wants big money.
Dreessen is recovering from multiple injury.
Hill is recovering from injury.
Casey hasnt set the world on fire.
And how important the TE position is to this team's success / production.

Its easy to see why they took him.

The pick that puzzles me the most is Daryl Shapton in the 4th round. Im sure there was someone who could help at a need position available. They could definately use another swing tackle an upgrade at C/OG and FS.
Another tackle behind Butler who can play both spots would sure be nice. One injury and they are behind the 8ball.
 

Goldensilence

hipster elite
I think our starting CBs to start the season are Quinn and Reeves, unless Jackson completely impresses in TC and nabs the starting role from Reeves. during the season they'll ease Jackson into the starting role.
 

Dutchrudder

Hall of Fame
I didnt like the Sherrick pick much either. Im assuming they didnt see anyone at FS/C/OG who was an upgrade over those already on the roster and took a guy who fits what they want to do defensively.

The Graham pick to most is questionable but when you consider the facts - OD is recovering from injury and has yet to sign and likely wants big money.
Dreessen is recovering from multiple injury.
Hill is recovering from injury.
Casey hasnt set the world on fire.
And how important the TE position is to this team's success / production.

Its easy to see why they took him.

The pick that puzzles me the most is Daryl Shapton in the 4th round. Im sure there was someone who could help at a need position available. They could definately use another swing tackle an upgrade at C/OG and FS.
Another tackle behind Butler who can play both spots would sure be nice. One injury and they are behind the 8ball.
I was kind of hoping they would pick Bruce Campbell with that pick. I doubt he fits into the mold for their o-line ZBS, but for a 4th round pick why not?
 

Texanmike02

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
I like our CB's now. Jackson comes in as kind of a fast version of Petey, as far as I can tell. For all that we maligned petey he was golden within the first 10-15 yards.. it was when you asked him to run with someone longer than that that he had problems. If this guy can cover guys say 20-25 yard deep routes then we have us a great nickel back. If he can do more than that then Reeves/Quinn have a new home as a nickel back. If he plays well enough to push either Reeves or Quinn to the nickel back in his rookie year then we will have a respectable set of CBs and may be able to hide the deficiencies of any safety not named Pollard.


Mike
 

HOU-TEX

Ah, Football!
I didnt like the Sherrick pick much either. Im assuming they didnt see anyone at FS/C/OG who was an upgrade over those already on the roster and took a guy who fits what they want to do defensively.

The Graham pick to most is questionable but when you consider the facts - OD is recovering from injury and has yet to sign and likely wants big money.
Dreessen is recovering from multiple injury.
Hill is recovering from injury.
Casey hasnt set the world on fire.
And how important the TE position is to this team's success / production.

Its easy to see why they took him.

The pick that puzzles me the most is Daryl Shapton in the 4th round. Im sure there was someone who could help at a need position available. They could definately use another swing tackle an upgrade at C/OG and FS.
Another tackle behind Butler who can play both spots would sure be nice. One injury and they are behind the 8ball.
I took all the injuries at TE under consideration when I initially reacted surprised. They were all cut on, but all but Hill will be back by the time camp begins. That said, as I mentioned, I have no problem with this pick after doing my due diligence.

I look at Sharpton as a total BPA pick. I liked the way Diles played last season when he was on the field.

I was kind of hoping they would pick Bruce Campbell with that pick. I doubt he fits into the mold for their o-line ZBS, but for a 4th round pick why not?
Smith spoke of why there wasn't an OT taken this year in his PC and in this latest video. Basically says there wasn't much available at the value of each pick.

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv/index.asp?mm_file_id=4071&play_clip=y
 
Top