Doppelganger's March Mock Version 2.0

[Doppelganger]

1. Justin Houston, OLB
While a DE like Watt or Jordan would be great, the 5 technique class is really deep. In contrast, the OLB group is not. I think we can get a good DE later whereas quality OLBs tend to go early. The dropoff from top group to next group is not as big with the 5-techs this year whereas its massive with the OLBs. I take Houston over Quinn because while Houston has less upside, he is a safer choice. You know what you are getting. Quinn is too much of an Amobi Okoye type of selection.

2. Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
I think he falls to us and we must grab him. He instantly brings depth to the CB position and can compete with Jackson, McCain, McManis, FA signee, and Allen. This move allows us to move Quin to FS. It potentially upgrades 2 spots.

3. John Moffitt, G, Wisconsin
Too much value here to pass up on. Comes from Wisconsin, which is known for great Oline. He can compete for a spot at one of the OG positions and will probably be a depth player. In the future, I could see him as a starter.

4. Lawrence Guy, DE, Arizona State
This Guy is a Wade type of DE: shoots the gaps, has a good first step, and good motor. Good character and leader so that passes the McNair and Kubiak qualifications. Isn’t the greatest against the run, but he is a smart hard worker and can learn. Initially he will be part of the DE rotation with Mario and Smith.

5. Cedric Thornton, DT, Southern Arkansas
A sleeper DT who can grow into a Wade NT. Good quickness and good strength. Knock on him is competition, but give him some time and he may surprise you.

6. Steven Friday, OLB, Virginia Tech
I have had this guy mocked here for so many mocks, I am running out of superlatives for him.

7. Nate Williams, S, Washington
A solid non flashy reliable safety for depth

7. Zach Pianalto, TE, North Carolina
A blocking machine who can be used on two TE sets. He would be perfect for short yardage runs and goal line plays. He would be a great compliment to our pass catching TEs. He would replace Anthony Hill who has not been able to stay healthy.

 

[Doppelganger]

bump

 

[Wolf6151]

I really like picks 1-4 and 6, 5 very good picks, though I have doubts that Brandon Harris falls to the 2nd round or that Lawrence Guy falls to the 4th. I think they each go a round earlier. I'm not familiar with your other picks. I'd like to see more than 1 CB or more than 1 Safety chosen. I think we're very weak in those areas and could use the depth of extra picks. Overall very good.

 

[beerlover]

honestly I would be somewhat disappointed with this draft as a Texan. Which means its probably par for the course.

 

[Doppelganger]

I really like picks 1-4 and 6, 5 very good picks, though I have doubts that Brandon Harris falls to the 2nd round or that Lawrence Guy falls to the 4th. I think they each go a round earlier. I'm not familiar with your other picks. I'd like to see more than 1 CB or more than 1 Safety chosen. I think we're very weak in those areas and could use the depth of extra picks. Overall very good.

Thanks! The thing is I tried to go value. I felt that in the 5th, BIg Ced was the kind of NT Phillips could develop into his scheme. I also thought in the 7th you need to go BPA rather than try to reach. Nate is a very solid depth player. He isn't flashy, but he can play ST and can be in position to make tackles. He has a nose for the ball. My other 7th (the compensatory pick I am projecting) is a TE who is a blocking machine. He would replace Anthony Hill, a pick I loved at the time, and will help our running and passing game.

The thing about Harris is that there are always players that fall. A great example is OT Marcus McNeil in 2006. Almost everyone gave him a mid to late first round grade. Yet he fell all the way to the mid to late second round where SD scooped him up. There is always someone who falls farther than they should. For me, Harris has that feel.

 

[Doppelganger]

honestly I would be somewhat disappointed with this draft as a Texan. Which means its probably par for the course.

How come you are disappointed?

We get a top notch OLB who has played the 3-4 and knows the 3-4 responsibilities. We get a very good CB who can be depth and a possible starter down the line. We get a great OG who will challenge for a starter position down the line. We get a prototypical Wade DE that can become part of the DE rotation immediately. We get the type of NT that Wade covets. We get extra depth at S and OLB. We get a blocking TE who would replace perennially injured Anthony Hill and can be a blocking machine to help on short yardage situations.

It's not the sexiest mock, I give you that, but why disappointed?

 

[rmartin65]

1. Justin Houston, OLB
While a DE like Watt or Jordan would be great, the 5 technique class is really deep. In contrast, the OLB group is not. I think we can get a good DE later whereas quality OLBs tend to go early. The dropoff from top group to next group is not as big with the 5-techs this year whereas its massive with the OLBs. I take Houston over Quinn because while Houston has less upside, he is a safer choice. You know what you are getting. Quinn is too much of an Amobi Okoye type of selection.

2. Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
I think he falls to us and we must grab him. He instantly brings depth to the CB position and can compete with Jackson, McCain, McManis, FA signee, and Allen. This move allows us to move Quin to FS. It potentially upgrades 2 spots.

3. John Moffitt, G, Wisconsin
Too much value here to pass up on. Comes from Wisconsin, which is known for great Oline. He can compete for a spot at one of the OG positions and will probably be a depth player. In the future, I could see him as a starter.

4. Lawrence Guy, DE, Arizona State
This Guy is a Wade type of DE: shoots the gaps, has a good first step, and good motor. Good character and leader so that passes the McNair and Kubiak qualifications. Isn’t the greatest against the run, but he is a smart hard worker and can learn. Initially he will be part of the DE rotation with Mario and Smith.

5. Cedric Thornton, DT, Southern Arkansas
A sleeper DT who can grow into a Wade NT. Good quickness and good strength. Knock on him is competition, but give him some time and he may surprise you.

6. Steven Friday, OLB, Virginia Tech
I have had this guy mocked here for so many mocks, I am running out of superlatives for him.

7. Nate Williams, S, Washington
A solid non flashy reliable safety for depth

7. Zach Pianalto, TE, North Carolina
A blocking machine who can be used on two TE sets. He would be perfect for short yardage runs and goal line plays. He would be a great compliment to our pass catching TEs. He would replace Anthony Hill who has not been able to stay healthy.

I dont exatly know what to say. I like it for the most part, but there are parts I would like to see changed.

1) Houston is interesting. At 270, he is almost too big for 3-4 OLB, and seems like a better fit as a Freeny type DE at the next level.

2) Love this pick, if he falls the Texans better grab him (so long as a CB was not the first pick).

3) Meh. Does he fit the Texans' scheme? He is a big guy, not as athletic as the other guys on the OL. Still, cant go wrong with an lineman from Wisconsin.

4) Good with the Guy pick. Provides solid value, and can contribute in his rookie season.

5) I think Thorton is more of a 4-3 DT. He looks too bulky at his current weight, and needs to get back down closer to his playing weight of around 290. Also, Wade has worked with both big guys and smaller guys. I really think he will choose the best one in his mind, and not limit himself to a certain type of player.

6) I honestly dont know a lot about Friday. Seems undersized, and never stood out to me on film. Still, this late in the game all of us have "our" prospects. I wont knock this one.

7) If we are going depth S, I would prefer Prosinski. More athletic, and can play both FS and SS in a pinch.

7) Solid pick, if Anthony Hill does not return.

 

[beerlover]

How come you are disappointed?

We get a top notch OLB who has played the 3-4 and knows the 3-4 responsibilities. We get a very good CB who can be depth and a possible starter down the line. We get a great OG who will challenge for a starter position down the line. We get a prototypical Wade DE that can become part of the DE rotation immediately. We get the type of NT that Wade covets. We get extra depth at S and OLB. We get a blocking TE who would replace perennially injured Anthony Hill and can be a blocking machine to help on short yardage situations.

It's not the sexiest mock, I give you that, but why disappointed?

I'm not on the Houston bandwagon. While there is definite athleticism his football moves are raw, few & far between, in other words he gets by mostly on his athletic ability. Right now he seems more like a DE. I'm not comfortable projecting him to be a dominant OLB, Texans cannot afford to miss if they want to take a chance on somebody & project them to OLB it should be Aldon Smith, he is more similar to a Demarcus Ware clone.

Getting Brandon Harris in the second is a great comeback pick but I see nothing to suggest he will be available here or even in the 2nd rd. at all. He is one of the more developed, well rounded corners in this draft.

Little early for Moffitt, plus does he really fit Texans scheme? not very athletic, best could hope for is something similar to what Myers brings, his lunch pale, blue collar approach, not the elite center piece of the OL we've coveted. People can kill me if they want but instead of taking Houston in the first or Moffitt in the 3rd give me Mike Pouncey at least we get a guy who will be a stud for years and years.

Don't know maybe Guy can play the 5 tech at least gives some depth but I don't see anything about his game that wows me. While Thornton would really need to stretch to play NG in the NFL, could take him a couple years on the PS in fact.

I actually like Friday but you could probably still get him in the 6th. He will primarily be a special teams demon & situational pass rusher. I do like his upside & think he could bulk up to around 240 & compete for some starting reps @ OLB.

I really don't want any more late round safety prospects, only starting material. Nate seems like Nolan good for depth purposes & once again special teams.

The obligatory TE pick, huh? seems like a wasted pick, why not a big NG project to develop instead like the guy rmartin65 dug up Blaine Sumner?

trying not to be negative, but I see only two starters out of this draft one (Houston) who could struggle but since we invested a first round pick (see Kareem) gotta stick with him through his growing pains because that's what we do.

 

[Wolf6151]

1. Justin Houston-very good pick with explosiveness and experience in the 3-4 he did bulk up to 270 lbs. for the Combine but that was to show teams his versatility as a possible 4-3 DE so that he doesn't get type cast as being one dimensional. If we took him to play 3-4 OLB he'd easily drop those pounds and get back to around 250 lbs.

2. Brandon Harris-I love this guy he's got everything to be a great CB in the NFL. If he's available then he's a no brainer pick but I highly doubt he's available. I see him going late teens to early 20's on the 1st round.

3. John Moffitt-great OG that doesn't fit a ZBS but we don't play ZBS exclusively anymore and mixed it up alot last year with alot of man blocking. Moffitt is going to be a stud OG in the NFL.

4. Lawrence Guy-I think he's a developmental player with very good potential at 3-4 DE which is exactly what your looking for in the 4th round. He'll add depth immediately and starter potential in the next couple years.

5. Cedric Thornton-I don't know squat about this guy.

6. Steven Friday-great size and potential for the position, immediate quality depth, but I've read of some character issues with him so the Texans will probably pass on him. He's not in the VT baptist choir.

7. Nate Williams-again don't know anything about this guy.
7. Zach Pianalto-don't know anything about this guy but I'd be looking for more secondary depth here, we got TE's to last the decade.

 

[Doppelganger]

I dont exatly know what to say. I like it for the most part, but there are parts I would like to see changed.

1) Houston is interesting. At 270, he is almost too big for 3-4 OLB, and seems like a better fit as a Freeny type DE at the next level.

2) Love this pick, if he falls the Texans better grab him (so long as a CB was not the first pick).

3) Meh. Does he fit the Texans' scheme? He is a big guy, not as athletic as the other guys on the OL. Still, cant go wrong with an lineman from Wisconsin.

4) Good with the Guy pick. Provides solid value, and can contribute in his rookie season.

5) I think Thorton is more of a 4-3 DT. He looks too bulky at his current weight, and needs to get back down closer to his playing weight of around 290. Also, Wade has worked with both big guys and smaller guys. I really think he will choose the best one in his mind, and not limit himself to a certain type of player.

6) I honestly dont know a lot about Friday. Seems undersized, and never stood out to me on film. Still, this late in the game all of us have "our" prospects. I wont knock this one.

7) If we are going depth S, I would prefer Prosinski. More athletic, and can play both FS and SS in a pinch.

7) Solid pick, if Anthony Hill does not return.

1. Houston played at 250 at Georgia. He can easily get back there. The word is production. He was productive in the 3-4 as an OLB. In my mind he is a low risk player.

2. Agreed.

3. He does, becuase we don't exclusively play a ZBS anymore. We play a hybrid which utilizes players who can block and move a bit. He can move enough to play great here. Wisconsin guards have a great pedigree. We need more O line help.

4. Thanks, I like Guy too.

5. Thornton is hard to project. He could be a 4-3 DT, but remember, Wade likes penetrators, not typically sloth NTs. Thornton may or may not be that guy. Hard to say.

6. I may be completely wrong, but he seems to have that blue collar lunch pail, high motor leave it all on the field mentality. At this point, I will take the teachable high motor guy over the uber athlete that doesn't play hard.

7. Prosinski is great. I actually have him as a fifth rounder, but if he was here in the 6th, I'd grab him.

7. Thanks!

 

[Doppelganger]

I'm not on the Houston bandwagon. While there is definite athleticism his football moves are raw, few & far between, in other words he gets by mostly on his athletic ability. Right now he seems more like a DE. I'm not comfortable projecting him to be a dominant OLB, Texans cannot afford to miss if they want to take a chance on somebody & project them to OLB it should be Aldon Smith, he is more similar to a Demarcus Ware clone.

Getting Brandon Harris in the second is a great comeback pick but I see nothing to suggest he will be available here or even in the 2nd rd. at all. He is one of the more developed, well rounded corners in this draft.

Little early for Moffitt, plus does he really fit Texans scheme? not very athletic, best could hope for is something similar to what Myers brings, his lunch pale, blue collar approach, not the elite center piece of the OL we've coveted. People can kill me if they want but instead of taking Houston in the first or Moffitt in the 3rd give me Mike Pouncey at least we get a guy who will be a stud for years and years.

Don't know maybe Guy can play the 5 tech at least gives some depth but I don't see anything about his game that wows me. While Thornton would really need to stretch to play NG in the NFL, could take him a couple years on the PS in fact.

I actually like Friday but you could probably still get him in the 6th. He will primarily be a special teams demon & situational pass rusher. I do like his upside & think he could bulk up to around 240 & compete for some starting reps @ OLB.

I really don't want any more late round safety prospects, only starting material. Nate seems like Nolan good for depth purposes & once again special teams.

The obligatory TE pick, huh? seems like a wasted pick, why not a big NG project to develop instead like the guy rmartin65 dug up Blaine Sumner?

trying not to be negative, but I see only two starters out of this draft one (Houston) who could struggle but since we invested a first round pick (see Kareem) gotta stick with him through his growing pains because that's what we do.

We disagree on Houston, but that is part of the fun. Prior to bulking up at the combine, he looked like a great OLB prospect. Plus he ran well at the heavier weight. Imagine his speed when he gets back down to OLB playign weight.

Harris is a great player, but I can see other CBs going ahead of him. Peterson and Prince should. Even though Jimmy Smith has some personal probs, I can see a team like New England taking a flier on him. They like to turn around players with personal problems, and he has a ton of talent. I can also see Aaron Williams going off before Harris. Williams went to Texas, aka DB University. Texas is known for producing NFL Dbacks, so that association may help Williams go before Harris. That could easily knock Harris into the early .mid second round.

Moffit has some athleticism but he is not a ZBS OG. Then again, the Texans have moved into a hybrid scheme anyway that requires some but not outstanding athleticism. Wisconsin is Oline U , just like Texas is DB U.

Guy is quick off the ball and can penetrate. He is also a hard worker high motor guy. He can be a rotational player and if he can learn to stop the run a complete DT. I think he could do it.

Thornton is hard to predict. You may be right on him. I just like his high motor hard work approach.

Yeah, he is like Nolan, and that's not a bad thing. I think Nolan will surprise and be a solid starter. We can't fix our putrid D over night. Getting more depth is never a bad thing, especially in the 6th round.

I loved the idea behind the Anthony Hill pick a few years ago. Here was a block first TE who could be used on 2 TE sets. I envisioned having him and Daniels work brilliantly together. Problem is, Hill can't stay healthy. Now, when we use 2 TE sets we bring out Daniels and Dreesen. They are in essence the same kind of pass first block second kind of player. Hill would have been a perfect compliment to Daniels.

I see Houston and Harris as starters immediately. I think Moffit can be solid depth and will become a starter around game 8 or so. I see Guy as a depth player and rotating in around Game 10. I see Friday as a Special Teams Demon and getting some work at the OLB spot next year. Our new TE can contribute immediately on 2 TE sets/goal line situations.

Thornton and our new S would be depth.

 

[rmartin65]

5. Thornton is hard to project. He could be a 4-3 DT, but remember, Wade likes penetrators, not typically sloth NTs. Thornton may or may not be that guy. Hard to say.

I have 2 problems with this:

1) You keep saying that Wade likes penetrators, but there is no real proof to that. He worked wonders with Ratliff in Dallas, a definitely a quick NT. However, his NT in SD was Jamal Williams, who, at 340+ lbs, was far from being the quick shooting type. In Buffalo his NT was Ted Washington, who was 350+. In Atlanta (02/03) he had another small NT in Ed Jasper at about 295. So in his last 4 stops we are at 2 big guys, and 2 smaller guys.

2) Thorton is not at his best at 310 lbs. In college he was very quick and disruptive at what I estimate to be around 290 lbs. He looks sluggish at his current weight, and did not add much strength, with numbers of 5.25 40 (not penetrating speed), 1.82 10 yard (also not penetrating), and only 22 reps. This leads me to believe that he is strictly a 4-3 DT, and needs to get back to his college weight.