After seeing how well our last mock was received, we decided to create another one. This took just as long as our last effort, and we are all very pleased with its outcome. We limited ourselves to a couple of rules. One being we had to pick players we think the Texans would pick (Character, Position Need, etc), the other being no trades (although we did come up with a couple interesting scenarios, which I am sure one of the other two will post).
Then without further ado, here it is:
*Round 1: Texas FS Earl Thomas, 510 208 lbs
Red-shirt sophomore entry. Playmaker with above average ball skills. Smooth, fluid in breaks, good hip flip, functional strength with strong core power. instinctive reads, quick to recognize & provides good run support w/ability to improve technique. Lacks second gear but has game speed & takes good angles, aggressive, competitive has CB experience for added value. Ran a 4.4 forty @ combine & repped out 21 times on bench press (225). Led the nation with 24 pass break-ups (WOW) & 2nd in nation with eight INT's returning two for TD's also 65 tackles, 143 since 08.
Round 2: Stanford RB Toby Gerhart, 6 231 lbs
Sticking with our original 2nd rd. pick Toby is the complete power package out of the backfield, can convert critical short yardage situations, red zone scoring machine led the nation with 29 TD's (yeah baby). Demonstrates great balance, one-cut downhill pile driver with great vision & intellgence then finishes always going forward for extra yards. Will take a pounding but has ability to absorb contact, strong leg drive, deliberate downfield then flashes suddenness to avoid tackles. Dangerous option for Texans in screen packages. Work ethic/character not in question. Finished 2nd in the nation running only to Ryan Mathews with 143.92 yds. per game amassing 1871 yards on 343 carries for a 5.45 avg. per carry. Combine ran 4.53 38" vert 4.25 shuttle & 22 reps.
Round 3: Indiana (PA) CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, 6 207 lbs
Here we again turn to the secondary. With the departure of Dunta Robinson, the Texans need another upper tier corner. The team cannot rely on the likes of Reeves, Quinn, and McCain to shut down the pass happy attacks that are so popular in the NFL, especially in the same division as the Colts. Owusu-Ansah has number one corner potential. He is a bigger corner, yet as fast and nimble as those smaller corners. He falls because he played D2 ball, hence his technique will need some work. He gets by on athleticism a lot, something that wont always work at the next level. Owusu-Ansah is the definition of ballhawk, 10 career interceptions, 8 as a junior and 2 as a senior (a late bloomer). He is also a very dangerous man with the ball in his hands, as evident by his 9 TDs (7 on special teams). Owusu-Ansah will be a diamond in the rough that takes very little polishing, and could be the first true shutdown corner in Texans history.
Round 4: Georgia DT Jeff Owens, 61 304 lbs
Owens is the type of player that does not stand out during the game, unless you truly focus on him. Nor does he fill up the stat sheet. What he does do is make everyone else on the defense better. Jeff Owens is an incredibly strong player, both in the weight room, and on the field. He couples that strength with his leverage to dominate multiple blockers along the line of scrimmage. However, he is not a Mt. Cody type player, a ball of fat that has little to no impact behind the line of scrimmage. Owens is athletic enough to push the pocket, making it nearly impossible for the QB to step up and deliver the ball. A player like Owens is ideal for the Texans, as he will occupy blockers, letting the underachieving Okoye have a one-on-one matchup. The Texans also run a rotational defensive line, another plus for drafting Owens. It looks like Owens runs out of steam at times; he will need to be spelled occasionally.
Round 5: Notre Dame OC/OG Eric Olsen, 64 306 lbs
Solidify interior OL needs along with free agent aquistion Wade Smith. Texans could also look at a swing tackle to develop later behind Butler but for now we focus on interior specific upgrading the Center position long term. Currently the Texans have a group of depth players who fill a starting roster spot. Olsen upgrades starting talent moving forward, has leadership qualities you look for in position & fits the clubhouse mentality/good teammate. Olsen provides upgrade talent wise & good fit personality & clubhouse wise. Nasty combo with LG Studdard & Caldwell RG. Quick, powerful pop, ability to anchor, tough & plays to the whistle. Known for punch thrown by Michigan LB Jonas Mouton (later suspended). Eric was part of Jimmy Clausen success & Notre Dame ranked 5th in the nation passing 323.3 yds. per game.
Round 6A: Wayne State RB Joique Bell, 511 220 lbs
It is the Year of the Runningback, and the Texans should take advantage of it. If we draft Gerhart to be the power/short yardage back, then we should also draft a powerful backup to be protected against injuries. Bell is a very powerful back that dominated the D2 level, and was flying up the draft boards until the combine. His pedestrian 40 time coupled with his D2 past will knock him down the draft boards. However, the other teams loss is the Texans gain. Bell looks the part of an NFL back; a well developed, muscular upper body, and tree trunks for legs. One of his best assets is his patience, a great quality for a ZBS back to possess. He knows how to wait for the hole to develop, and has enough burst to hit it when available. He also has the LT-like quality to score TDs in short yardage, whether it is powering through on the ground or leaping over the pile. With Bell and Gerhart, the RB situation would look like this: Gerhart, Slaton, Foster, and Bell.
Round 6B: LSU KR Trindon Holliday, 55 166 lbs
Another repeat from our earlier mock, Holliday has done nothing to dispel our belief in him. He is a lightning fast player, running an official time of 4.34, but several stopwatches had him below Chris Johnsons magic mark of 4.24. In addition to blazing straight line speed, Holliday possesses excellent change of direction ability. He is very hard to tackle despite his size, as he can be hard to spot, and hard to get good body positioning on. One of Hollidays best attributes is his feel for the kick return game. He knows how to find the crease and go. He could do a better job using his blockers though. Holliday should get a handful of plays on offense, due to his incredible speed. The occasional screen or vertical route would keep the opposing defense honest. In addition, Holliday would make for an excellent decoy. He has good enough hands to make him a legitimate receiving threat. He is not a track guy playing football; he does not shy away from contact.
Round 7: Florida Atlantic QB Rusty Smith, 65 224 lbs
With the departure of Grossman, we decided that another QB was in the cards for the Texans. We wanted a player with the physical talent that just needed to be groomed by a QB guru (Kubiak). Rusty Smith is that guy. He has prototypical height, and has the frame to add another 10-15 pounds. Smith is a very intelligent player, something we all know Kubiak requires from his Qbs. The big problem with Smith (besides the shoulder injury that ended his senior season, dropping him from a 4th/5th round prospect to a 7th/UDFA) is his throwing motion. It is not pretty. Smiths motion needs to be shortened considerably, and his release point needs to be higher. Despite that, Smith is a very accurate passer, both sitting in the pocket and on the move. He has adequate arm strength, not cannon, but good enough to make all the required throws. And maybe with some mechanics work, he could gain a bit of strength. Rusty Smith is an ideal QB for Kubiak to groom for the future.
*We had a very heavy debate deciding between Mathews and Thomas, and concluded that both would be good picks, but Thomas would be better value. We have a write-up of Mathews because of the very real possibility that the Texans draft him. Obviously, this would change the rest of the picks in the draft.
Round 1: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews, 6 218 lbs
ZBS one-cut downhill RB Texans need. workhorse characteristic tough minded & physically strong. Great balance, good long speed & vision. Hands seem alright should increase exposure receive, Texans also can use Slaton to complement. Not explosive as much as good burst, very fluid change in direction. Combine ran 40-yard dash 4.45 followed up at his Pro-day 4.46 & 4.48 very consistent. Also improved his short shuttle from 4.33 to 4.10 36" & 34" vertical 19 reps. In College he led the nation running 150.67 yards per game, 6.55 avg. per carry, 1808 yards & 19 TD's.
I want to thank beerlover and badboy, for all the time that they put in on this mock. It was a long process, and I am sure we all got fed up once in a a while at something. I also want to thank the administrators and the people who keep this site going, it is great to have a place to talk Texans. And last but not least, I want to thank all of you who read this.
Then without further ado, here it is:
*Round 1: Texas FS Earl Thomas, 510 208 lbs
Red-shirt sophomore entry. Playmaker with above average ball skills. Smooth, fluid in breaks, good hip flip, functional strength with strong core power. instinctive reads, quick to recognize & provides good run support w/ability to improve technique. Lacks second gear but has game speed & takes good angles, aggressive, competitive has CB experience for added value. Ran a 4.4 forty @ combine & repped out 21 times on bench press (225). Led the nation with 24 pass break-ups (WOW) & 2nd in nation with eight INT's returning two for TD's also 65 tackles, 143 since 08.
Round 2: Stanford RB Toby Gerhart, 6 231 lbs
Sticking with our original 2nd rd. pick Toby is the complete power package out of the backfield, can convert critical short yardage situations, red zone scoring machine led the nation with 29 TD's (yeah baby). Demonstrates great balance, one-cut downhill pile driver with great vision & intellgence then finishes always going forward for extra yards. Will take a pounding but has ability to absorb contact, strong leg drive, deliberate downfield then flashes suddenness to avoid tackles. Dangerous option for Texans in screen packages. Work ethic/character not in question. Finished 2nd in the nation running only to Ryan Mathews with 143.92 yds. per game amassing 1871 yards on 343 carries for a 5.45 avg. per carry. Combine ran 4.53 38" vert 4.25 shuttle & 22 reps.
Round 3: Indiana (PA) CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, 6 207 lbs
Here we again turn to the secondary. With the departure of Dunta Robinson, the Texans need another upper tier corner. The team cannot rely on the likes of Reeves, Quinn, and McCain to shut down the pass happy attacks that are so popular in the NFL, especially in the same division as the Colts. Owusu-Ansah has number one corner potential. He is a bigger corner, yet as fast and nimble as those smaller corners. He falls because he played D2 ball, hence his technique will need some work. He gets by on athleticism a lot, something that wont always work at the next level. Owusu-Ansah is the definition of ballhawk, 10 career interceptions, 8 as a junior and 2 as a senior (a late bloomer). He is also a very dangerous man with the ball in his hands, as evident by his 9 TDs (7 on special teams). Owusu-Ansah will be a diamond in the rough that takes very little polishing, and could be the first true shutdown corner in Texans history.
Round 4: Georgia DT Jeff Owens, 61 304 lbs
Owens is the type of player that does not stand out during the game, unless you truly focus on him. Nor does he fill up the stat sheet. What he does do is make everyone else on the defense better. Jeff Owens is an incredibly strong player, both in the weight room, and on the field. He couples that strength with his leverage to dominate multiple blockers along the line of scrimmage. However, he is not a Mt. Cody type player, a ball of fat that has little to no impact behind the line of scrimmage. Owens is athletic enough to push the pocket, making it nearly impossible for the QB to step up and deliver the ball. A player like Owens is ideal for the Texans, as he will occupy blockers, letting the underachieving Okoye have a one-on-one matchup. The Texans also run a rotational defensive line, another plus for drafting Owens. It looks like Owens runs out of steam at times; he will need to be spelled occasionally.
Round 5: Notre Dame OC/OG Eric Olsen, 64 306 lbs
Solidify interior OL needs along with free agent aquistion Wade Smith. Texans could also look at a swing tackle to develop later behind Butler but for now we focus on interior specific upgrading the Center position long term. Currently the Texans have a group of depth players who fill a starting roster spot. Olsen upgrades starting talent moving forward, has leadership qualities you look for in position & fits the clubhouse mentality/good teammate. Olsen provides upgrade talent wise & good fit personality & clubhouse wise. Nasty combo with LG Studdard & Caldwell RG. Quick, powerful pop, ability to anchor, tough & plays to the whistle. Known for punch thrown by Michigan LB Jonas Mouton (later suspended). Eric was part of Jimmy Clausen success & Notre Dame ranked 5th in the nation passing 323.3 yds. per game.
Round 6A: Wayne State RB Joique Bell, 511 220 lbs
It is the Year of the Runningback, and the Texans should take advantage of it. If we draft Gerhart to be the power/short yardage back, then we should also draft a powerful backup to be protected against injuries. Bell is a very powerful back that dominated the D2 level, and was flying up the draft boards until the combine. His pedestrian 40 time coupled with his D2 past will knock him down the draft boards. However, the other teams loss is the Texans gain. Bell looks the part of an NFL back; a well developed, muscular upper body, and tree trunks for legs. One of his best assets is his patience, a great quality for a ZBS back to possess. He knows how to wait for the hole to develop, and has enough burst to hit it when available. He also has the LT-like quality to score TDs in short yardage, whether it is powering through on the ground or leaping over the pile. With Bell and Gerhart, the RB situation would look like this: Gerhart, Slaton, Foster, and Bell.
Round 6B: LSU KR Trindon Holliday, 55 166 lbs
Another repeat from our earlier mock, Holliday has done nothing to dispel our belief in him. He is a lightning fast player, running an official time of 4.34, but several stopwatches had him below Chris Johnsons magic mark of 4.24. In addition to blazing straight line speed, Holliday possesses excellent change of direction ability. He is very hard to tackle despite his size, as he can be hard to spot, and hard to get good body positioning on. One of Hollidays best attributes is his feel for the kick return game. He knows how to find the crease and go. He could do a better job using his blockers though. Holliday should get a handful of plays on offense, due to his incredible speed. The occasional screen or vertical route would keep the opposing defense honest. In addition, Holliday would make for an excellent decoy. He has good enough hands to make him a legitimate receiving threat. He is not a track guy playing football; he does not shy away from contact.
Round 7: Florida Atlantic QB Rusty Smith, 65 224 lbs
With the departure of Grossman, we decided that another QB was in the cards for the Texans. We wanted a player with the physical talent that just needed to be groomed by a QB guru (Kubiak). Rusty Smith is that guy. He has prototypical height, and has the frame to add another 10-15 pounds. Smith is a very intelligent player, something we all know Kubiak requires from his Qbs. The big problem with Smith (besides the shoulder injury that ended his senior season, dropping him from a 4th/5th round prospect to a 7th/UDFA) is his throwing motion. It is not pretty. Smiths motion needs to be shortened considerably, and his release point needs to be higher. Despite that, Smith is a very accurate passer, both sitting in the pocket and on the move. He has adequate arm strength, not cannon, but good enough to make all the required throws. And maybe with some mechanics work, he could gain a bit of strength. Rusty Smith is an ideal QB for Kubiak to groom for the future.
*We had a very heavy debate deciding between Mathews and Thomas, and concluded that both would be good picks, but Thomas would be better value. We have a write-up of Mathews because of the very real possibility that the Texans draft him. Obviously, this would change the rest of the picks in the draft.
Round 1: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews, 6 218 lbs
ZBS one-cut downhill RB Texans need. workhorse characteristic tough minded & physically strong. Great balance, good long speed & vision. Hands seem alright should increase exposure receive, Texans also can use Slaton to complement. Not explosive as much as good burst, very fluid change in direction. Combine ran 40-yard dash 4.45 followed up at his Pro-day 4.46 & 4.48 very consistent. Also improved his short shuttle from 4.33 to 4.10 36" & 34" vertical 19 reps. In College he led the nation running 150.67 yards per game, 6.55 avg. per carry, 1808 yards & 19 TD's.
I want to thank beerlover and badboy, for all the time that they put in on this mock. It was a long process, and I am sure we all got fed up once in a a while at something. I also want to thank the administrators and the people who keep this site going, it is great to have a place to talk Texans. And last but not least, I want to thank all of you who read this.
