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Texans get Bs, Cs in 2012 draft gradesPosted by Nick Scurfield on April 30, 2012
The Texans’ 2012 draft class was mildly well-received by media pundits, several of whom have graded the draft for all 32 NFL teams over the last couple of days.
It’s impossible to truly evaluate a draft class until a few seasons have passed (2006, anyone?), but that doesn’t stop people from posting draft grades anyway. And as long as they’re out there, we feel obligated to pass them along. Without further ado:
Houston Chronicle (John McClain): B
Analysis: “GM Rick Smith took a chance by trading out of the second round before getting [DeVier] Posey, suspended for 10 games last season, and [Brandon] Brooks, who wasn’t invited to the combine. [Ben] Jones was ranked second at center. [Jared] Crick was an excellent pick. [Randy] Bullock is first kicker drafted in team history.”
ESPN.com (Mel Kiper): B
Analysis: “I had Whitney Mercilus as a good fit at defensive end as high as No. 19 with the Bears, so he’s a pretty good value at No. 26. He isn’t Mario Williams, but the defense made a huge leap in 2011, and the Texans clearly want to make sure Wade Phillips has the tools he needs. He’s not a great value at No. 68 overall, but I’m intrigued by the DeVier Posey pick. He had to sit out so many games last year I don’t think scouts saw enough of him. He has really good hands, can create some matchup problems, and might be a little underrated in his ability to stretch the field. I also really like Keshawn Martin. He creates space and should stick with this team. Ben Jones and Brandon Brooks help the interior of that offensive line. I was surprised the Texans didn’t get a linebacker. At one time I saw Jared Crick as a second-rounder. If he regains form, that’s a good value in the fourth.”
NFL.com (Michael Lombardi): B
Analysis: “I always believe when you can strengthen a strength – and I think that’s the 49ers’ greatest testimony when they drafted Aldon Smith last year; it was a part of a strength – this year the Houston Texans can come off the edge. Whitney Mercilus can do that. I think that was outstanding. Brandon Brooks gives them another inside, strong player. I gave them a B. I like it.”
Sporting News (Vinnie Iyer): B
Analysis: “Key picks: OLB/DE Whitney Mercilus, WR DeVier Posey, DT Jared Crick. Following up the J.J. Watt-Brooks Reed combination, Wade Phillips should feel very good how his elite 3-4 just reloaded, again.”
FOXSports.com (John Czarnecki): B-
Analysis: “Houston has consistently selected defensive players in the first round, and didn’t disappoint its fans with Illinois pass rusher Whitney Mercilus, who had 16 sacks last season. Some teams pegged Mercilus as a one-year wonder, but he suits what defensive coordinator Wade Phillips loves to do. … Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick was another gem with the 126th overall pick. … Apparently, the Texans want to cut Jacoby Jones loose based on taking two more receivers in Ohio State’s DeVier Posey and Michigan State’s Keshawn Martin, who’s not afraid to go over the middle. Martin has 4.46 speed and figures to be a plus in the return game as well.”
SportsIllustrated.com: C+
Analysis: “There was the good - Whitney Mercilus gives Houston another excellent pass-rusher after Mario Williams’ departure - and the very good - G Brandon Brooks (76) and DE/DT Jared Crick (126) could both be huge for the Texans. There was also a complete meltdown at wide receiver with red flag-heavy DeVier Posey (68) and inconsistent Keshawn Martin (121).”
Yahoo! (Jason Cole): C
Analysis: “There’s nothing wrong with the [Whitney] Mercilus pick, but I keep coming back to the idea that if the Texans needed a pass rusher, why didn’t they just spend the money and keep Mario Williams? That would have freed the team to use its first-round pick on another need or do something more creative. Williams was expensive, but there are times in the building of a team that you spend big to get big results. The Texans are finally at the point of making a big run and they made a move that screamed of remaining middle of the pack. [DeVier] Posey is an intriguing athlete with return ability and [Brandon] Brooks and [Ben] Jones could be starters in fairly short order if the team wants to push them.”
CBS Sports (Rob Rang): C
Analysis: “With a talented group of linebackers already in the fold, it was a surprise to some that the Texans elected to add another pass rusher in Illinois’ Whitney Mercilus in the first round but considering his production and upside, he may have been simply too good to ignore at No. 26. Some veteran talent evaluators thought he was limited to remaining as a 4-3 defensive end. Frankly, this wasn’t Houston’s only head-scratcher. There were better receivers still on the board for the Texans when they instead selected Devier Posey and Keshawn Martin in the second and fourth rounds, respectively. On the other hand, the Texans may wind up with steals in guard Brandon Brooks in the third and versatile, high-effort defensive lineman Jared Crick in the fourth.”
