Looking back at 2002

[Errant Hothy]

So threes easons have passed since the Texans first rookie draft, and now is probaly a good time to evaluate how they did and assign them a grade if you so desire. All grades adjusted in relation to where they were picked.

2002 DRAFT:

1 1 David Carr QB Fresno St. - Still don't know if his paly has leveld up to number 1 pick status, but then again he's one of the best young QBs in the league and easily the best of those choosen #1 recently. Superbly better then the other option we had; and the FO was pretty adamnt about picking a QB with the franchises first pick; which I understand. Grade = B-

2 33 Jabar Gaffney WR Florida - Easily the best of teh FLorida recievers to come out in recent years. Showed signs of finally startint ot put things in order this year. Still makes some mental mistakes, ala the endzone approaching fumble, if he can take another step this year he will be a solid #2 for us. The second best reciever picked in the first two rounds, the first being Javon Walker. Grade = B-

2 50 Chester Pitts OG San Diego St. - Only player to start aevery single Texans game. Was asked to step in for Tony Boselli, and did as best as could be expected, mover to LG for the 2004 season and made teh transition reasonable well, despite playing nest to a different pearson for the third year and a row. Maybe the best run blocker on the O-line. Grade = B-

3 66 Fred Weary C Tennessee - Has not developed like teh team probably wanted him to. Does nothing more then provide depth. Grade = C-

3 83 Charles Hill DT Maryland - Gone Grade = F, only becasue he was a third round pick On a side note there really wasn't a whole lot around at the pick, the best probally being Brian Westbrook and Matt Schobel

4 99 Jonathan Wells HB Ohio St. - FINALLY showed some signs of developing into a powerful runner. Still backs into the hole to often. Grade = C

5 136 Jarrod Baxter FB New Mexico - Started till teh arrival of Moran Norris, and at that time was a fine FB. Grade = C

5 153 Ramone Walker S Pittsburgh - A good special teamer, who provides decent depth at the safety spots; if he can only stay healthy. Grade = C-

6 173 Howard Faggins CB Kansas St. - Maybe the best value pick in the teams short history. Was the nickel corner last year, and looks to only improve in that role in the coming years. Grade = A

6 190 Howard Green DT LSU - Gone

7 229 Greg White DE Minnesota - Gone

7 261 Ahmad Miller DT UNLV - And gone, then then again how many players from pick 190 on down do much. No grade given, since none of these guys were going to be much more then bodies for year 1.

Overall thats 3 starters, 5 back-ups, 1 guy on another team and 1 guy out of the NFL. Greg White was the required DE/OLB tweener pick in 2002.

All and all I think it was a great first draft for an expansion franchise, much better then Cleveland's; and a great start to building a team and still the draft that has yeild the most players (starters and back-ups) yet with 8.

[Vinny]

2002 had a weak draft class. The 3rd round and back is not lined with gold. I think we had a pretty good draft considering the talent and our forced needs due to fielding a team for the first time.

http://drafthistory.com/years/2002.html

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by Hoth-Boy

5 153 Ramone Walker S Pittsburgh - A good special teamer, who provides decent depth at the safety spots; if he can only stay healthy. Grade = C-

I don't see how you can grade Walker a C-. He is a 5th round pick who is not just a good special teamer he is a fantastic special teamer. I don't think anyone around here knows how good a SS he is because we have never had the opportunity to see. Holding a single injury against a player is silly IMO--it is the NFL, not the girls' putt-putt golf league.

[Errant Hothy]

I know, if there was nobody drafted Hill who wasn't at least producing then I'd give it a higher grade. Problem is there were still several decent players around, and those first day picks cannot be dismissed as quickly as Hill was; especially for a team making in it's first draft. You have to admit it was a a bad pick.

Then again I gav ethe Faggin's pick an A, because he has been more then we ever thought he'd, and was picked up in the 6th round of a weak Day 2 draft.

[Errant Hothy]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

I don't see how you can grade Walker a C-. He is a 5th round pick who is not just a good special teamer he is a fantastic special teamer. I don't think anyone around here knows how good a SS he is because we have never had the opportunity to see. Holding a single injury against a player is silly IMO--it is the NFL, not the girls' putt-putt golf league.

First it's two injuries, one to his ankle and one to his knee. To suggest that I don't know how tough the NFL is one the players bodies is a bit narrow minded of you.

Also the reason I did this was to see how other people view our first draft. I am not a professional sports writer or an analyist on TV. Just a fan who decied to look back at a draft that we could form soem opinions on, unlike the one that occured last weekend. The grade is probably a bit harsh, but I think Walker's job may be in jeopardy if he isn't 100% in traingn camp, as Simmons seamed to become the team's best special teamer and if Starling can continue to develop...who knows.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by Hoth-Boy

To suggest that I don't know how tough the NFL is one the players bodies is a bit narrow minded of you.

Read the sentence a little more closely. I didn't make any comment about your knowledge, I made a comment that IMO you were excessively downgrading Walker for something beyond his control, i.e. injuries, which are an everyday occurrence in the NFL.

[Errant Hothy]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

Read the sentence a little more closely. I didn't make any comment about your knowledge, I made a comment that IMO you were excessively downgrading Walker for something beyond his control, i.e. injuries, which are an everyday occurrence in the NFL.

Fair enough, but injuries are a part of teh game, and while they aren;t anybodies fault they do effect a plyers value. Also Walker may be losing his SS job due to Earl's emergance.

If you disagree with the grade, give one of your own.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by Hoth-Boy

Fair enough, but injuries are a part of teh game, and while they aren;t anybodies fault they do effect a plyers value. Also Walker may be losing his SS job due to Earl's emergance.

If you disagree with the grade, give one of your own.

Walker isn't losing his job--his job was SS depth to Brown and now he is SS depth for Earl. Without having seen Walker try to start at SS it is hard to grade him IMO. Based on what he has done in the role he has been called upon to do I would give him at least a B--hasn't shown himself to be a gem like DD or Faggins but has played solidly.

[wags]

David Carr should have a higher grade than Pitts. Carr had a good season last year and was in the top half of QB's. Pitts is not in the top half of guards(or tackles) in the NFL.

[Errant Hothy]

Originally Posted by wags

David Carr should have a higher grade than Pitts. Carr had a good season last year and was in the top half of QB's. Pitts is not in the top half of guards(or tackles) in the NFL.

Carr was also the #1 pick in the draft. If he had palyed the back half of the year like he did the front I would have given him a higher grade; but sadly his production trailed off some.

I'm also in the group that Pitts is a pretty good, who has only gotten better since he entered the NFL.

If you disagree with the grades, do your own; I'm not likely to change mine unless somebody makes a compelling arguement. That being said, is that a B-- infantrycak?

[beerlover]

Originally Posted by Vinny

2002 had a weak draft class. The 3rd round and back is not lined with gold. I think we had a pretty good draft considering the talent and our forced needs due to fielding a team for the first time.

how does 2002 draft class compare to 2005? be very interested to hear your take

Going back over the DT's drafted early 2002, Ryan Sims (6) John Henderson (9) Wendell Bryant (12) Albert Haynesworth (15) thats four pretty early picks on DT's from here the trend is clearly down with less early picks made on DT's

In 2003 Dewayne Robertson (4) Johnathan Sullivan (6) Jimmy Kennedy (12) Ty Warren (13)

2004 Tommie Harris (14) now I believe he had to be very high on the Texans draft board. Vince Wilfork (21) & Marcus Tubbs (23).

Now this year Travis Johnson (16) only DT taken (Spears rated as DE) until Luis Castillo (28) taken by another 3-4 team the Chargers.

[WildBlackBear32]

Originally Posted by Hoth-Boy

Carr was also the #1 pick in the draft. If he had palyed the back half of the year like he did the front I would have given him a higher grade; but sadly his production trailed off some.

I don't get why that should count against him. If the system doesnt allow him to produce, why should it be a knock??? Look at the numbers.

Weeks 1-10 with more than 30 attempts = 5
Weeks 11-17 with more than 30 attempts = 0

Sacks Weeks 1-10 = 25
Sacks Week 11-17 = 24

We have a serious gunslinger at QB but the system doesnt allow him to throw enough or give him enough time when they do want him to throw.