But the big story was when they surprised everyone by using their first draft pick on Virginia Tech tackle Duane Brown. Few draftniks had Brown rated as a first round pick, but he was certainly the best one left standing after the run on tackles in round one, and he is very much suited to Gibbs' style of play. The Texans had certainly targeted him; they could have stayed with their 18th pick and taken Jeff Otah or Sam Baker, but they picked up an extra third and sixth by trading down with Baltimore to 26, and taking Brown then. A converted TE, he reminds me a lot of Matt Lepsis, who played RT in Barcelona and then in Denver, eventually moving to the left side. Brown is apparently being slotted right in at LT, which is their point of greatest need, with Winston set on the right, and with some work he could become their left tackle of the long-term future. If Spencer is still the guy who looked so good in 2006, this might be redundant, but it's a sign of Kubiak and GM Rick Smith's confidence that they are willing to spend that pick on the future. Since Smith is the NFL's youngest GM and just signed a four-year deal means he probably has a future.
