Hottoddie
Veteran
Ive been working on this off & on for the last couple of weeks & I've finally put together six mock drafts that are all dependent upon our 1st round pick. Ive waffled back & forth on some players, but believe this is the way well go. The general consensus of the fans on this board is that our 1st round pick will be either Kyle Wilson, Ryan Mathews, or Earl Thomas. So, with that in mind, I put together what I believe will happen depending upon the player available to us at #20. I've also thrown in a couple of mocks involving trade downs & one "I didn't see that one coming" mock. I hope you enjoy them. Critique away.
Scenario #1 - This is the one I think is least likely to happen, because I dont believe the Texans will take Mathews in the first round. But, if Im wrong then Im wrong.
1st) Ryan Mathews (RB) - Mathews has all the intangibles you look for, with great vision, power & good speed. He has been injury prone throughout his college career. He also is a poor receiver & drops a lot of balls. I just dont think hes that much better than the RBs we can get in the 2nd & 3rd rounds. These are the reasons why I don't believe the Texans will select him in the first & will try to trade down if he's there at 20 & theres no one else wed rather take at that spot.
2nd) Morgan Burnett (FS) - I like Burnett because he's got great size, speed & athleticism. He's a ballhawk (14 int's in 2 years) & he gives the Texans flexibility because he can play both FS & SS.
3rd) Matt Tennant (C) Good lateral agility & explosiveness. Able to play both center & guard. Plays with a nasty attitude. Good foot work with ability to get to the second level & adjust to a moving target. Hes very durable, having played in 41 consecutive games. He comes from a school (Boston College) thats known for producing NFL caliber linemen.
4th) Donovan Warren (CB/FS) - Warren is flying under the radar & would be a steal in the 4th round. Imo, he's dropped because he had a bad 40 at the combine & his pro day. Warren is a very instinctive player with great anticipation. That alone will shave some time off his 40 time under actual game conditions. Hes great against the run, very athletic & physical. He can also play safety. A couple of draft sites are comparing his style of play to Dunta Robinson.
5th) Mike Neal (DT) Good closing speed & quickness. Able to drop into coverage on zone blitzes. Very strong & commands a double team. However, does have an injury history that will have to be taken into account.
6a) Joique Bell (RB) Very productive runner that is very strong & patient. Should be able to thrive in the ZBS. Wont quit fighting for the extra yard.
6b) David Gettis (WR) 63 217lbs. & ran a 4.39 40 at his Pro Day. Very good hands with good body control to make the acrobatic catches & amazing acceleration for a player of his size. He does catch a lot of balls against his chest rather than catching with his hands alone. He might make a nice compliment to AJ on the opposite side.
7th) Stevenson Sylvester (OLB) Very athletic, quick, & productive. Has a great burst to get to the QB on blitzes, but doesnt possess any blitz technique. Has good change of direction abilities. Is a work in progress & not very instinctive. Primarily relies on speed & athleticism to make plays. Will need a lot of coaching up, but he does have speed & you cant coach speed. Should be a huge asset to special teams early on.
Scenario #2 This is the one I think will most likely happen.
1st) Kyle Wilson (CB) If Joe Haden slips to 20 as BeerLover & Awtysst suggests, Id take him over Wilson. However, if he doesnt, then Wilson is a no-brainer in my opinion. He should be able to start opposite of Quin from day one.
2nd) Jonathan Dwyer (RB) In my opinion, Dwyer is the RB the Texans want out of this draft. Hes big, strong, athletic, & has just enough break away speed to rip off some long runs. Hes got good vision & the ability to make one cut & hit the hole. Hes only been a starter for 2 years, so hes got a lot of tread left on his tires. Hes got good ball control & demonstrated excellent hands at catching the ball out of the backfield during his Pro Day. He has never missed a game due to injury.
3rd) Matt Tennant (C) Good lateral agility & explosiveness. Able to play both center & guard. Plays with a nasty attitude. Good foot work with ability to get to the second level & adjust to a moving target. Hes very durable, having played in 41 consecutive games. He comes from a school (Boston College) thats known for producing NFL caliber linemen.
4th) Donovan Warren (CB/FS) - Warren is flying under the radar & would be a steal in the 4th round. Imo, he's dropped because he had a bad 40 at the combine & his pro day. Warren is a very instinctive player with great anticipation. That alone will shave some time off his 40 time under actual game conditions. Hes great against the run, very athletic & physical. He can also play safety. A couple of draft sites are comparing his style of play to Dunta Robinson.
5th) Mike Neal (DT) - Good closing speed & quickness. Able to drop into coverage on zone blitzes. Very strong & commands a double team. However, does have an injury history that will have to be taken into account.
6a) Joique Bell (RB) - Very productive runner that is very strong & patient. Should be able to thrive in the ZBS. Wont quit fighting for the extra yard.
6b) David Gettis (WR) 63 217lbs. & ran a 4.39 40 at his Pro Day. Very good hands with good body control to make the acrobatic catches & amazing acceleration for a player of his size. He does catch a lot of balls against his chest rather than catching with his hands alone. He might make a nice compliment to AJ on the opposite side.
7th) Stevenson Sylvester (OLB) Very athletic, quick, & productive. Has a great burst to get to the QB on blitzes, but doesnt possess any blitz technique. Has good change of direction abilities. Is a work in progress & not very instinctive. Primarily relies on speed & athleticism to make plays. Will need a lot of coaching up, but he does have speed & you cant coach speed. Should be a huge asset to special teams early on.
Scenario #3 If Thomas drops to us at #20.
1st) Earl Thomas (FS) I havent been as impressed with Thomas as most on this board have. Of course, I havent watched him play as much either. Ive always been a believer that you can pick up a solid safety in the later rounds & that theyre not as important as a great CB is to the secondary. Well, Pollard shot my theory all full of holes last year. I now see the importance of us getting a quality FS out of this draft & if all the scouts think this kid is a great one, then who am I to question it?
2nd) Jonathan Dwyer (RB) - In my opinion, Dwyer is the RB the Texans want out of this draft. Hes big, strong, athletic, & has just enough break away speed to rip off some long runs. Hes got good vision & the ability to make one cut & hit the hole. Hes only been a starter for 2 years, so hes got a lot of tread left on his tires. Hes got good ball control & demonstrated excellent hands at catching the ball out of the backfield during his Pro Day. He has never missed a game due to injury.
3rd) D'Anthony Smith (DT) Very quick, strong & athletic. Hes got good lateral movement, an explosive burst into the backfield & a strong bull rush. He doesnt play with the nasty attitude youd expect & doesnt have much in the way of pass rush moves. He is very durable & has played in 44 straight games.
4th) Matt Tennant (C) - Good lateral agility & explosiveness. Able to play both center & guard. Plays with a nasty attitude. Good foot work with ability to get to the second level & adjust to a moving target. Hes very durable, having played in 41 consecutive games. He comes from a school (Boston College) thats known for producing NFL caliber linemen.
5th) Jamar Wall (CB) Instinctive player that can play both man & zone coverages equally well. Sticks to his man like glue all over the field. Solid tackler & plays the run well. Has a great vertical (40.5) & uses it to defeat larger WRs in the endzone. Is a strong special teams player & return man.
6a) Joique Bell (RB) - Very productive runner that is very strong & patient. Should be able to thrive in the ZBS. Wont quit fighting for the extra yard.
6b) David Gettis (WR) 63 217lbs. & ran a 4.39 40 at his Pro Day. Very good hands with good body control to make the acrobatic catches & amazing acceleration for a player of his size. He does catch a lot of balls against his chest rather than catching with his hands alone. He might make a nice compliment to AJ on the opposite side.
7th) Stevenson Sylvester (OLB) Very athletic, quick, & productive. Has a great burst to get to the QB on blitzes, but doesnt possess any blitz technique. Has good change of direction abilities. Is a work in progress & not very instinctive. Primarily relies on speed & athleticism to make plays. Will need a lot of coaching up, but he does have speed & you cant coach speed. Should be a huge asset to special teams early on.
Scenario #4 This is the first trade down mock involving San Diego so they can take Mathews. We send our 1st (#20), 2nd (#51) & 6th (#197) to the Chargers in exchange for their 1st (#28), 2nd (#40), & 3rd (#91). This trade is (49) points in our favor.
1st) Brian Price (DT) Very strong & quick enough to command double teams. Has a burst off the line at the snap & can penetrate into the backfield. Is immovable off the line & has a great array of moves in rushing the passer as well as a solid bull rush. Poor conditioning & tires easily.
2nd) Morgan Burnett (FS) - I like Burnett because he's got great size, speed & athleticism. He's a ballhawk (14 int's in 2 years) & he gives the Texans flexibility because he can play both FS & SS.
3a) Jonathan Dwyer (RB) - In my opinion, Dwyer is the RB the Texans want out of this draft. Hes big, strong, athletic, & has just enough break away speed to rip off some long runs. Hes got good vision & the ability to make one cut & hit the hole. Hes only been a starter for 2 years, so hes got a lot of tread left on his tires. Hes got good ball control & demonstrated excellent hands at catching the ball out of the backfield during his Pro Day. He has never missed a game due to injury.
3b) Matt Tennant (C) Good lateral agility & explosiveness. Able to play both center & guard. Plays with a nasty attitude. Good foot work with ability to get to the second level & adjust to a moving target. Hes very durable, having played in 41 consecutive games. He comes from a school (Boston College) thats known for producing NFL caliber linemen.
4th) Donovan Warren (CB/FS) - Warren is flying under the radar & would be a steal in the 4th round. Imo, he's dropped because he had a bad 40 at the combine & his pro day. Warren is a very instinctive player with great anticipation. That alone will shave some time off his 40 time under actual game conditions. Hes great against the run, very athletic & physical. He can also play safety. A couple of draft sites are comparing his style of play to Dunta Robinson.
5th) Joique Bell (RB) - Very productive runner that is very strong & patient. Should be able to thrive in the ZBS. Wont quit fighting for the extra yard.
6b) David Gettis (WR) 63 217lbs. & ran a 4.39 40 at his Pro Day. Very good hands with good body control to make the acrobatic catches & amazing acceleration for a player of his size. He does catch a lot of balls against his chest rather than catching with his hands alone. He might make a nice compliment to AJ on the opposite side.
7th) Stevenson Sylvester (OLB) Very athletic, quick, & productive. Has a great burst to get to the QB on blitzes, but doesnt possess any blitz technique. Has good change of direction abilities. Is a work in progress & not very instinctive. Primarily relies on speed & athleticism to make plays. Will need a lot of coaching up, but he does have speed & you cant coach speed. Should be a huge asset to special teams early on.
Scenario #1 - This is the one I think is least likely to happen, because I dont believe the Texans will take Mathews in the first round. But, if Im wrong then Im wrong.
1st) Ryan Mathews (RB) - Mathews has all the intangibles you look for, with great vision, power & good speed. He has been injury prone throughout his college career. He also is a poor receiver & drops a lot of balls. I just dont think hes that much better than the RBs we can get in the 2nd & 3rd rounds. These are the reasons why I don't believe the Texans will select him in the first & will try to trade down if he's there at 20 & theres no one else wed rather take at that spot.
2nd) Morgan Burnett (FS) - I like Burnett because he's got great size, speed & athleticism. He's a ballhawk (14 int's in 2 years) & he gives the Texans flexibility because he can play both FS & SS.
3rd) Matt Tennant (C) Good lateral agility & explosiveness. Able to play both center & guard. Plays with a nasty attitude. Good foot work with ability to get to the second level & adjust to a moving target. Hes very durable, having played in 41 consecutive games. He comes from a school (Boston College) thats known for producing NFL caliber linemen.
4th) Donovan Warren (CB/FS) - Warren is flying under the radar & would be a steal in the 4th round. Imo, he's dropped because he had a bad 40 at the combine & his pro day. Warren is a very instinctive player with great anticipation. That alone will shave some time off his 40 time under actual game conditions. Hes great against the run, very athletic & physical. He can also play safety. A couple of draft sites are comparing his style of play to Dunta Robinson.
5th) Mike Neal (DT) Good closing speed & quickness. Able to drop into coverage on zone blitzes. Very strong & commands a double team. However, does have an injury history that will have to be taken into account.
6a) Joique Bell (RB) Very productive runner that is very strong & patient. Should be able to thrive in the ZBS. Wont quit fighting for the extra yard.
6b) David Gettis (WR) 63 217lbs. & ran a 4.39 40 at his Pro Day. Very good hands with good body control to make the acrobatic catches & amazing acceleration for a player of his size. He does catch a lot of balls against his chest rather than catching with his hands alone. He might make a nice compliment to AJ on the opposite side.
7th) Stevenson Sylvester (OLB) Very athletic, quick, & productive. Has a great burst to get to the QB on blitzes, but doesnt possess any blitz technique. Has good change of direction abilities. Is a work in progress & not very instinctive. Primarily relies on speed & athleticism to make plays. Will need a lot of coaching up, but he does have speed & you cant coach speed. Should be a huge asset to special teams early on.
Scenario #2 This is the one I think will most likely happen.
1st) Kyle Wilson (CB) If Joe Haden slips to 20 as BeerLover & Awtysst suggests, Id take him over Wilson. However, if he doesnt, then Wilson is a no-brainer in my opinion. He should be able to start opposite of Quin from day one.
2nd) Jonathan Dwyer (RB) In my opinion, Dwyer is the RB the Texans want out of this draft. Hes big, strong, athletic, & has just enough break away speed to rip off some long runs. Hes got good vision & the ability to make one cut & hit the hole. Hes only been a starter for 2 years, so hes got a lot of tread left on his tires. Hes got good ball control & demonstrated excellent hands at catching the ball out of the backfield during his Pro Day. He has never missed a game due to injury.
3rd) Matt Tennant (C) Good lateral agility & explosiveness. Able to play both center & guard. Plays with a nasty attitude. Good foot work with ability to get to the second level & adjust to a moving target. Hes very durable, having played in 41 consecutive games. He comes from a school (Boston College) thats known for producing NFL caliber linemen.
4th) Donovan Warren (CB/FS) - Warren is flying under the radar & would be a steal in the 4th round. Imo, he's dropped because he had a bad 40 at the combine & his pro day. Warren is a very instinctive player with great anticipation. That alone will shave some time off his 40 time under actual game conditions. Hes great against the run, very athletic & physical. He can also play safety. A couple of draft sites are comparing his style of play to Dunta Robinson.
5th) Mike Neal (DT) - Good closing speed & quickness. Able to drop into coverage on zone blitzes. Very strong & commands a double team. However, does have an injury history that will have to be taken into account.
6a) Joique Bell (RB) - Very productive runner that is very strong & patient. Should be able to thrive in the ZBS. Wont quit fighting for the extra yard.
6b) David Gettis (WR) 63 217lbs. & ran a 4.39 40 at his Pro Day. Very good hands with good body control to make the acrobatic catches & amazing acceleration for a player of his size. He does catch a lot of balls against his chest rather than catching with his hands alone. He might make a nice compliment to AJ on the opposite side.
7th) Stevenson Sylvester (OLB) Very athletic, quick, & productive. Has a great burst to get to the QB on blitzes, but doesnt possess any blitz technique. Has good change of direction abilities. Is a work in progress & not very instinctive. Primarily relies on speed & athleticism to make plays. Will need a lot of coaching up, but he does have speed & you cant coach speed. Should be a huge asset to special teams early on.
Scenario #3 If Thomas drops to us at #20.
1st) Earl Thomas (FS) I havent been as impressed with Thomas as most on this board have. Of course, I havent watched him play as much either. Ive always been a believer that you can pick up a solid safety in the later rounds & that theyre not as important as a great CB is to the secondary. Well, Pollard shot my theory all full of holes last year. I now see the importance of us getting a quality FS out of this draft & if all the scouts think this kid is a great one, then who am I to question it?
2nd) Jonathan Dwyer (RB) - In my opinion, Dwyer is the RB the Texans want out of this draft. Hes big, strong, athletic, & has just enough break away speed to rip off some long runs. Hes got good vision & the ability to make one cut & hit the hole. Hes only been a starter for 2 years, so hes got a lot of tread left on his tires. Hes got good ball control & demonstrated excellent hands at catching the ball out of the backfield during his Pro Day. He has never missed a game due to injury.
3rd) D'Anthony Smith (DT) Very quick, strong & athletic. Hes got good lateral movement, an explosive burst into the backfield & a strong bull rush. He doesnt play with the nasty attitude youd expect & doesnt have much in the way of pass rush moves. He is very durable & has played in 44 straight games.
4th) Matt Tennant (C) - Good lateral agility & explosiveness. Able to play both center & guard. Plays with a nasty attitude. Good foot work with ability to get to the second level & adjust to a moving target. Hes very durable, having played in 41 consecutive games. He comes from a school (Boston College) thats known for producing NFL caliber linemen.
5th) Jamar Wall (CB) Instinctive player that can play both man & zone coverages equally well. Sticks to his man like glue all over the field. Solid tackler & plays the run well. Has a great vertical (40.5) & uses it to defeat larger WRs in the endzone. Is a strong special teams player & return man.
6a) Joique Bell (RB) - Very productive runner that is very strong & patient. Should be able to thrive in the ZBS. Wont quit fighting for the extra yard.
6b) David Gettis (WR) 63 217lbs. & ran a 4.39 40 at his Pro Day. Very good hands with good body control to make the acrobatic catches & amazing acceleration for a player of his size. He does catch a lot of balls against his chest rather than catching with his hands alone. He might make a nice compliment to AJ on the opposite side.
7th) Stevenson Sylvester (OLB) Very athletic, quick, & productive. Has a great burst to get to the QB on blitzes, but doesnt possess any blitz technique. Has good change of direction abilities. Is a work in progress & not very instinctive. Primarily relies on speed & athleticism to make plays. Will need a lot of coaching up, but he does have speed & you cant coach speed. Should be a huge asset to special teams early on.
Scenario #4 This is the first trade down mock involving San Diego so they can take Mathews. We send our 1st (#20), 2nd (#51) & 6th (#197) to the Chargers in exchange for their 1st (#28), 2nd (#40), & 3rd (#91). This trade is (49) points in our favor.
1st) Brian Price (DT) Very strong & quick enough to command double teams. Has a burst off the line at the snap & can penetrate into the backfield. Is immovable off the line & has a great array of moves in rushing the passer as well as a solid bull rush. Poor conditioning & tires easily.
2nd) Morgan Burnett (FS) - I like Burnett because he's got great size, speed & athleticism. He's a ballhawk (14 int's in 2 years) & he gives the Texans flexibility because he can play both FS & SS.
3a) Jonathan Dwyer (RB) - In my opinion, Dwyer is the RB the Texans want out of this draft. Hes big, strong, athletic, & has just enough break away speed to rip off some long runs. Hes got good vision & the ability to make one cut & hit the hole. Hes only been a starter for 2 years, so hes got a lot of tread left on his tires. Hes got good ball control & demonstrated excellent hands at catching the ball out of the backfield during his Pro Day. He has never missed a game due to injury.
3b) Matt Tennant (C) Good lateral agility & explosiveness. Able to play both center & guard. Plays with a nasty attitude. Good foot work with ability to get to the second level & adjust to a moving target. Hes very durable, having played in 41 consecutive games. He comes from a school (Boston College) thats known for producing NFL caliber linemen.
4th) Donovan Warren (CB/FS) - Warren is flying under the radar & would be a steal in the 4th round. Imo, he's dropped because he had a bad 40 at the combine & his pro day. Warren is a very instinctive player with great anticipation. That alone will shave some time off his 40 time under actual game conditions. Hes great against the run, very athletic & physical. He can also play safety. A couple of draft sites are comparing his style of play to Dunta Robinson.
5th) Joique Bell (RB) - Very productive runner that is very strong & patient. Should be able to thrive in the ZBS. Wont quit fighting for the extra yard.
6b) David Gettis (WR) 63 217lbs. & ran a 4.39 40 at his Pro Day. Very good hands with good body control to make the acrobatic catches & amazing acceleration for a player of his size. He does catch a lot of balls against his chest rather than catching with his hands alone. He might make a nice compliment to AJ on the opposite side.
7th) Stevenson Sylvester (OLB) Very athletic, quick, & productive. Has a great burst to get to the QB on blitzes, but doesnt possess any blitz technique. Has good change of direction abilities. Is a work in progress & not very instinctive. Primarily relies on speed & athleticism to make plays. Will need a lot of coaching up, but he does have speed & you cant coach speed. Should be a huge asset to special teams early on.