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What grade do you give the 2015 draft?
- Thread starter LikeMike
- Start date
HJam72
Hall of Fame
Maybe we do that in the future. Mallet hasn't really proven anything yet; he's just earned the chance to prove it.
They looked to the future by drafting Kevin Johnson. I'd love to extend J-Jo another year or two - three solid CBs is better than two.
Then we addressed the two biggest needs - ILB and WR with Strong and McKinney. Both groups should be improved with those additions. Face it, ILB was Cushing and some JAGs as our WR corps was Hopkins and a guy the damned Jaguars no longer wanted and another bunch of JAGs.
The don't get an "A" because they didn't get the Brooks Reed replacement I was looking for.
I will have to wait and see if the late round picks and UDFA bunch bears any fruit. Any significant productivity out of that group is gravy.
Then we addressed the two biggest needs - ILB and WR with Strong and McKinney. Both groups should be improved with those additions. Face it, ILB was Cushing and some JAGs as our WR corps was Hopkins and a guy the damned Jaguars no longer wanted and another bunch of JAGs.
The don't get an "A" because they didn't get the Brooks Reed replacement I was looking for.
I will have to wait and see if the late round picks and UDFA bunch bears any fruit. Any significant productivity out of that group is gravy.
You're assuming (a) he'll win the starting job. I'm not so sure and (b) he will regain that arm strength after recovery from that pec injury. I'm not sure about that either.
I think our defense is really good. Against the run we should be one of the best teams with JJ, wilford, Cushing, McKinney... If Nix and Clowney can get it together we are scary. Our secondary is pretty good as well. Our only problem will be TEs and HBs that catch passes.
Our offense is a big queationmark though. How will our line look without Myers. Who will be our QB? Will he be decent?
Our offense is a big queationmark though. How will our line look without Myers. Who will be our QB? Will he be decent?
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
Pete Prisco/CBSSports...
Houston Texans
Grade: B+
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WaPo...
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Houston Texans
Best Pick: Getting receiver Jaelen Strong in the third round is great value. He had first-round ability. He is big and strong and faster than people think.
Questionable move: They didn't take an edge rusher until the sixth round and they have some injury concerns at that position with Jadaveon Clowney.
Third-day gem: Seventh-round running back Kenny Hilliard flashed at times at LSU, so he's worth a look in the later rounds. You never know with a back.
Analysis: I like the pick of corner Kevin Johnson in the first round to help solidify that spot and Bernardrick McKinney helps fill a need at inside linebacker in the second round. Strong could be a real steal.
Questionable move: They didn't take an edge rusher until the sixth round and they have some injury concerns at that position with Jadaveon Clowney.
Third-day gem: Seventh-round running back Kenny Hilliard flashed at times at LSU, so he's worth a look in the later rounds. You never know with a back.
Analysis: I like the pick of corner Kevin Johnson in the first round to help solidify that spot and Bernardrick McKinney helps fill a need at inside linebacker in the second round. Strong could be a real steal.
Grade: B+
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WaPo...
HOUSTON TEXANS: The Texans got probably the draft’s second-best cornerback in Kevin Johnson, who was well worth the 16th overall choice. They added a solid linebacker in the second round in Benardrick McKinney, and they traded up to take advantage of WR Jaelen Strong’s drop to the third round. Strong was a terrific value at that point. Grade: B+
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I think the Doc posted that the surgery Mallett had for his pec actually increases strength. Not sure if there is a flexibility trade off though.
Thanks. I didn't recall that.
There's still the thing about Mallett beating out Hoyer. It may happen; I'm just not sure it's the slam dunk lots of folk believe it to be.
It had better be. I can't watch a season of Brian Hoyer at QB.
I'm kinda with the "experts" in that the Strong pickup in the 3rd elevates the draft. I think you can make a case that the Texans came out of the draft with 2 mid-late 1st round picks and a high 2nd round pick.
They had to gut their 3rd day picks to make that happen. After watching how they treated the late picks, maybe that wasn't a big deal. I wanted to see some edge rushers, but they did pickup a couple of guys as UDFAs that I like (Trail & Washington). So, maybe this all comes out OK.
The Strong selection bumps up the grade to B from C for me.
Brisco_County
Apples and roadmaps
Yes and no. Many players who had the surgery regained around 110% strength in the pectoral, but that is due to the focused rehab rather than the surgery itself. But that strength increase won't translate to stronger throws, just a stronger pec.
TheRealJoker
Hall of Fame
My only issue with the draft was we did not take any OLinemen. I did not mind us trading picks to ensure the team got "their guy" that can be immediate contributors at positions of need. You can't fill every need in the draft but I think we are a much better team than we were on Wednesday.
EllisUnit
Vote RED!!!
CND said often times they come back from this type of injury with MORE arm strength, when has CND ever been wrong ?
We know that. Just speculating here. Maybe we'll drag this topic up again in 2018 and re-grade.
xtruroyaltyx
Hall of Fame
C for conservative
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
As for draft strategy, and I'm going to postulate here based on bits and pieces from numerous sources, I think we missed more than hit.
Texans hoped to trade back from #16 but the KC/SD trade just before us scuttled that. Called strike.
They went for the CB first. KJ2 was certainly in that range and there were other teams that had him higher than Waynes. Reasonable.
Dupree fell as expected. Texans attempted to trade back into the first for Dupree but were unable to consummate the deal. Swing and a miss.
Texans tried to trade back into the first (NE/#32) to draft Dorsett and that blew up when Indy drafted him. (Most NFL guys I've heard from are once again questioning Grigson's judgement.) Swing and a miss.
Texans may have kept the pick but the Patriots reneged when it became apparent Malcom Brown would be available. Swing and a miss.
Texans traded up to grab Benardrick McKinney in the second, a guy two pro scouts I know had potentially sneaking into the back of the first round. Close to even on the draft pick value chart. Objective met.
Texans traded up in the third first targeting WR Tyler Lockett who SEA snagged one pick ahead of us -- in a four-for-one deal -- and we had to go with option #2 Jaelen Strong. Hit by pitch?
One thing on Strong that may have fallen in our favor. He missed Combine medical rechecks and it was decided the Steelers Drs -- his next visit -- would do the recheck and provide that result to the league. Strong later had his team visit in Houston where we sent him to a specialist who said his scaphoid break had not advanced beyond the stress fracture. So did we have a bit of an advantage on the medical front? I'm told some teams removed him for missing the Combine recheck by their own doctors, S.O.P.
Those same pro scouts had Strong as the 4th best WR, atop the second tier. Late first/early second. Needs to learn the subtleties of the position and refine his rough route running. Contested catch/possession guy. Hard worker.
Covington is a medical boom/bust. So we have two players we're relying on medical opinions for. Let's see how those work out.
All of these guys are eager beaver special teams willing players.
Texans hoped to trade back from #16 but the KC/SD trade just before us scuttled that. Called strike.
They went for the CB first. KJ2 was certainly in that range and there were other teams that had him higher than Waynes. Reasonable.
Dupree fell as expected. Texans attempted to trade back into the first for Dupree but were unable to consummate the deal. Swing and a miss.
Texans tried to trade back into the first (NE/#32) to draft Dorsett and that blew up when Indy drafted him. (Most NFL guys I've heard from are once again questioning Grigson's judgement.) Swing and a miss.
Texans may have kept the pick but the Patriots reneged when it became apparent Malcom Brown would be available. Swing and a miss.
Texans traded up to grab Benardrick McKinney in the second, a guy two pro scouts I know had potentially sneaking into the back of the first round. Close to even on the draft pick value chart. Objective met.
Texans traded up in the third first targeting WR Tyler Lockett who SEA snagged one pick ahead of us -- in a four-for-one deal -- and we had to go with option #2 Jaelen Strong. Hit by pitch?
One thing on Strong that may have fallen in our favor. He missed Combine medical rechecks and it was decided the Steelers Drs -- his next visit -- would do the recheck and provide that result to the league. Strong later had his team visit in Houston where we sent him to a specialist who said his scaphoid break had not advanced beyond the stress fracture. So did we have a bit of an advantage on the medical front? I'm told some teams removed him for missing the Combine recheck by their own doctors, S.O.P.
Those same pro scouts had Strong as the 4th best WR, atop the second tier. Late first/early second. Needs to learn the subtleties of the position and refine his rough route running. Contested catch/possession guy. Hard worker.
Covington is a medical boom/bust. So we have two players we're relying on medical opinions for. Let's see how those work out.
All of these guys are eager beaver special teams willing players.
This one is tough to grade , I think it was more of a futures draft than an immediate impact draft , especially with the top two picks as I don't expect either player to start ahead of the incumbent players this season.
Johnson will be the 3rd corner behind KJ & JJo .... he'll be on the field a lot tho. Probably JJo's replacement next season , assuming he doesn't resign.
McKinney will start inside with Cushing but I don't see him on the field in passing situations. He'll be a 2 down player until he can improve in pass coverage. May be Cushing's eventual replacement. May be he remains that two down player & the team has to look elsewhere for the guy who's on the field in pass coverage packages.
I think both Johnson & McKinney are forward looking draft picks ....
Strong probably starts opposite Hopkins. Really cant believe he fell that far. Kinda reminds me of the SuaFilo & Nix picks last year. Just hope this one turns out better than those two did as they really disappointed me.
If healthy Covington is probably part of the rotation , without those injury concerns he probably goes much higher.
I like the first three & Covington , some of the later picks were head scratchers .... if I had to grade it now it would be a C+ with room for improvement if McKinney proves me wrong.
No OL help as C and OG are highly questionable , a reach for McKinney and a 1st pick that isn't an instant starter keep the grade down for me.
Johnson will be the 3rd corner behind KJ & JJo .... he'll be on the field a lot tho. Probably JJo's replacement next season , assuming he doesn't resign.
McKinney will start inside with Cushing but I don't see him on the field in passing situations. He'll be a 2 down player until he can improve in pass coverage. May be Cushing's eventual replacement. May be he remains that two down player & the team has to look elsewhere for the guy who's on the field in pass coverage packages.
I think both Johnson & McKinney are forward looking draft picks ....
Strong probably starts opposite Hopkins. Really cant believe he fell that far. Kinda reminds me of the SuaFilo & Nix picks last year. Just hope this one turns out better than those two did as they really disappointed me.
If healthy Covington is probably part of the rotation , without those injury concerns he probably goes much higher.
I like the first three & Covington , some of the later picks were head scratchers .... if I had to grade it now it would be a C+ with room for improvement if McKinney proves me wrong.
No OL help as C and OG are highly questionable , a reach for McKinney and a 1st pick that isn't an instant starter keep the grade down for me.
Number19
Hall of Fame
1.16, Kevin Johnson, CB.....solid A....He'll be the third CB and will see significant playing time. His play will be crucial in helping to contain the Colt's passing attack.
2.43, Benardrick McKinney, LB....solid B....May start only if Clowney is not ready to go game one. Current plans are for Mercilus to move to the strong side, in which case McKinney will stay inside and possibly back up Cushing. Can he play next to Cushing with his limitations in pass coverage? That is the question to be answered in OTA's and training camp. He receives a solid B grade for his dominance in run defense.
3.70, Jaelen Strong, WR....solid B....Will start as the #2 receiver opposite Hopkins. Is a strong possession receiver but won't be a deep threat. Will have problems gaining separation against NFL CB's and his success will depend on the QB's throwing him open. Will need to work on his routes.
5.175, Keith Mumphery, SR....C minus....Another possession receiver and a player who might end up on the PS. Will compete for a position as the slot receiver and will likely have to win out over Damaris Johnson, with Cecil Shorts seeded first. There's a handful of other long shots competing for the same spot on the roster.
6.211, Reshard Cliett, OLB..... D .....A player so far down the charts he doesn't have a grade. At 222 lbs, I simply don't see a spot for him on the team, unless it's at Box Safety. The Texans are the only team to work him out, so RAC must have some plan on how best to use him. But given the unknown, this has to be the worst pick we made.
6.216, Christian Covington....DE/DT.... C .....Before dislocating his knee, and subsequent surgery, Covington's career was on the upswing at Rice University. Now, he could be a steal. According to our CloakNNNdagger, he should have a reasonably good chance at recovery, although he may have to play with pain. He's likely to be competing for the forth DE position or will have to beat out Pagan if we keep only three. May spend his first year on the PS. He earns a C rather than a C minus based on his potential to make a full recovery and contribute.
7.235, Kenny Hilliard...RB....C....Hilliard is in the strange position of having his future with the Texans determined by his ex-LSU team mate, Alfred Blue. Hilliard will be competing with Jonathan Grimes for the third RB position and his value will be as a third down, or goal line, short yardage back. Last season Blue and Grimes split playing time behind starter Arian Foster, but this off season, Blue has been training hard to improve his strength and running. If this training translates to the field and he can win outright the number two spot, then Grimes becomes expendable, opening up the spot for Hilliard's specialized, short yardage skills.
The draft grade, based just on the talent selected is C plus. However, we failed to address several key positions, notably SOLB, Safety and OL. We just signed FA Stevie Brown, a safety, so this need becomes less a priority; and if needed, McKinney can slide outside in a pinch, making SOLB less a priority. But failing to address the OL, I have to downgrade our grade to C minus.
But then we went and signed Greg Mancz as a priority UDFA. I had Mancz, who won second team All American honors as a senior OC, graded as a low round selection. He also is a very good OG, playing that position his sophmore and junior years. He should win a spot on the final 53 man roster, backing up at both OC and OG.
We still have to find a quality backup for OT.
I have the Texans with a final grade of C.
2.43, Benardrick McKinney, LB....solid B....May start only if Clowney is not ready to go game one. Current plans are for Mercilus to move to the strong side, in which case McKinney will stay inside and possibly back up Cushing. Can he play next to Cushing with his limitations in pass coverage? That is the question to be answered in OTA's and training camp. He receives a solid B grade for his dominance in run defense.
3.70, Jaelen Strong, WR....solid B....Will start as the #2 receiver opposite Hopkins. Is a strong possession receiver but won't be a deep threat. Will have problems gaining separation against NFL CB's and his success will depend on the QB's throwing him open. Will need to work on his routes.
5.175, Keith Mumphery, SR....C minus....Another possession receiver and a player who might end up on the PS. Will compete for a position as the slot receiver and will likely have to win out over Damaris Johnson, with Cecil Shorts seeded first. There's a handful of other long shots competing for the same spot on the roster.
6.211, Reshard Cliett, OLB..... D .....A player so far down the charts he doesn't have a grade. At 222 lbs, I simply don't see a spot for him on the team, unless it's at Box Safety. The Texans are the only team to work him out, so RAC must have some plan on how best to use him. But given the unknown, this has to be the worst pick we made.
6.216, Christian Covington....DE/DT.... C .....Before dislocating his knee, and subsequent surgery, Covington's career was on the upswing at Rice University. Now, he could be a steal. According to our CloakNNNdagger, he should have a reasonably good chance at recovery, although he may have to play with pain. He's likely to be competing for the forth DE position or will have to beat out Pagan if we keep only three. May spend his first year on the PS. He earns a C rather than a C minus based on his potential to make a full recovery and contribute.
7.235, Kenny Hilliard...RB....C....Hilliard is in the strange position of having his future with the Texans determined by his ex-LSU team mate, Alfred Blue. Hilliard will be competing with Jonathan Grimes for the third RB position and his value will be as a third down, or goal line, short yardage back. Last season Blue and Grimes split playing time behind starter Arian Foster, but this off season, Blue has been training hard to improve his strength and running. If this training translates to the field and he can win outright the number two spot, then Grimes becomes expendable, opening up the spot for Hilliard's specialized, short yardage skills.
The draft grade, based just on the talent selected is C plus. However, we failed to address several key positions, notably SOLB, Safety and OL. We just signed FA Stevie Brown, a safety, so this need becomes less a priority; and if needed, McKinney can slide outside in a pinch, making SOLB less a priority. But failing to address the OL, I have to downgrade our grade to C minus.
But then we went and signed Greg Mancz as a priority UDFA. I had Mancz, who won second team All American honors as a senior OC, graded as a low round selection. He also is a very good OG, playing that position his sophmore and junior years. He should win a spot on the final 53 man roster, backing up at both OC and OG.
We still have to find a quality backup for OT.
I have the Texans with a final grade of C.
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welsh texan
You may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one
I gave it an A, actually.
Felt they hit 3 important positions moving forward in the first 3 rounds. I saw Strong getting mocked to us at 16 in a couple of places so I love the value there.
Later on down the draft it seems they addressed value rather than going after positions of need, but I'd have said our 2 biggest needs were WR and ILB, with CB looming on the horizon in 12 months time and OLB being a huge ??? due to injuries.
They've managed to fill some of our biggest weaknesses with their early picks and now it's on the coaching staff to turn these guys into solid pro level players.
I'm particularly pleased that they've given themselves a year to coach up their new starting CB and left themselves free to make the sensible decision once JJo's final contract negotiations begin in earnest.
Can't help but feel this regime has the right roadmap for success here, would have been easy to draft yet another edge rusher and end up worse off next offseason having more holes to fill again.
Felt they hit 3 important positions moving forward in the first 3 rounds. I saw Strong getting mocked to us at 16 in a couple of places so I love the value there.
Later on down the draft it seems they addressed value rather than going after positions of need, but I'd have said our 2 biggest needs were WR and ILB, with CB looming on the horizon in 12 months time and OLB being a huge ??? due to injuries.
They've managed to fill some of our biggest weaknesses with their early picks and now it's on the coaching staff to turn these guys into solid pro level players.
I'm particularly pleased that they've given themselves a year to coach up their new starting CB and left themselves free to make the sensible decision once JJo's final contract negotiations begin in earnest.
Can't help but feel this regime has the right roadmap for success here, would have been easy to draft yet another edge rusher and end up worse off next offseason having more holes to fill again.
I'm giving them a C... I liked that we moved around in the draft where it gave you the feel that they identified the guys they wanted & went to get them, but then you hear that we failed to trade back into the first to get guys we wanted like Dupree & Dorsett.
I don't see McKinney as immediate help. I don't see Johnson or Strong as immediate help. If they end up starting I hope it is because they earned the starts & not just because of where they were drafted. We don't have bona-fide stars ahead of them, but we do have solid football players ahead of them. So we'll see if OB is more than just talk.
Parker was so close, had we been able to trade up & get him, the rest of the draft could have been the same & I'd have given them an A.
Seems like we looked too much to the future & not enough at right now.
I don't see McKinney as immediate help. I don't see Johnson or Strong as immediate help. If they end up starting I hope it is because they earned the starts & not just because of where they were drafted. We don't have bona-fide stars ahead of them, but we do have solid football players ahead of them. So we'll see if OB is more than just talk.
Parker was so close, had we been able to trade up & get him, the rest of the draft could have been the same & I'd have given them an A.
Seems like we looked too much to the future & not enough at right now.
WolverineFan
Hall of Fame
1) Kevin Johnson - CB, Wake Forest
- I preferred Marcus Peters, but we were never going to touch him with those 'red flags'. Johnson was the next best pure cover guy in the draft so I'm happy with the selection. I think it was a savvy move by us to grab Joseph's replacement this year instead of next year as CB is a tough position for rookies to transition into. Johnson will be the top reserve at CB and this year will play in a ton of Nickel situations and has a good chance to start next year.
2) Benardrick McKinney - ILB, Mississippi State
- I preferred Eric Kendricks as far as ILB's go, but it's clear the Texans had their eye on McKinney the whole time. The rumors of this marriage go back for weeks. I see him getting on the field early. Perhaps not starting, but he will be a big part of this defense this year in some capacity. I would expect him to be fielded as an early down run stopper and could be a third down pass rusher until he gets better in coverage. He is also, surely, the heir apparent to Brian Cushing and will give us the option of shedding that contract next year and going forward with McKinney instead.
3) Jaelen Strong - WR, Arizona State
- I really like this pick. I think he would have gone much earlier if not for the uncertainty on his wrist. He needs to improve his route running, but he is a beast with the ball in the air and more athletic than given credit for. Paired with Hopkins, he gives us two big-bodied outside guys who win in contested situations. That will help our QB's because those two guys will win a ton of 50-50 balls.
5) Keith Mumphery - WR, Michigan State
- Not much upside here. Mumphery is a limited athlete that works hard over the middle and gets the job done. High character guy that will block and play special teams. Getting this late into the draft it's tough to find contributors, but I think we could have aimed higher than this while looking for a guy to supplant Johnson/Martin. I see his absolute ceiling as a chain moving slot guy that contributes on kickoffs and such. That said, I'm not sure he makes the 53-man roster out of camp. Will probably be sent to the practice squad.
6) Reshard Cliett - LB, South Florida
- I see a lot of people criticizing this pick because he doesn't "fit" into the base defense. Getting this late into the draft you are looking for traits and Cliett has a valuable one...speed. He may never be a base down player, but he can contribute as a Nickel/Dime LB in sub-packages and be a demon on special teams. You could do a lot worse with a late round pick.
6) Christian Covington - DL, Rice
- Very talented player that would have gone much earlier if not for questions on his knee. Personally, I think he has the talent to make Crick expendable when his contract is up but we'll just have to wait and see because there is no guarantee he fully recovers from his knee injury. If healthy, I see him as our top reserve in the DL rotation. He's a risk, but it's a late 6th round pick and this late in the draft you take risks.
7) Kenny Hilliard - RB, LSU
-It's not that I dislike Hilliard, but he doesn't add anything that we don't already have. He's basically the less athletic version of Polk/Blue. I don't see the point of carrying all three of them on the roster and Hilliard is significantly less athletic than the other two guys. I would have preferred a change of pace back to compete with Grimes.
- I preferred Marcus Peters, but we were never going to touch him with those 'red flags'. Johnson was the next best pure cover guy in the draft so I'm happy with the selection. I think it was a savvy move by us to grab Joseph's replacement this year instead of next year as CB is a tough position for rookies to transition into. Johnson will be the top reserve at CB and this year will play in a ton of Nickel situations and has a good chance to start next year.
2) Benardrick McKinney - ILB, Mississippi State
- I preferred Eric Kendricks as far as ILB's go, but it's clear the Texans had their eye on McKinney the whole time. The rumors of this marriage go back for weeks. I see him getting on the field early. Perhaps not starting, but he will be a big part of this defense this year in some capacity. I would expect him to be fielded as an early down run stopper and could be a third down pass rusher until he gets better in coverage. He is also, surely, the heir apparent to Brian Cushing and will give us the option of shedding that contract next year and going forward with McKinney instead.
3) Jaelen Strong - WR, Arizona State
- I really like this pick. I think he would have gone much earlier if not for the uncertainty on his wrist. He needs to improve his route running, but he is a beast with the ball in the air and more athletic than given credit for. Paired with Hopkins, he gives us two big-bodied outside guys who win in contested situations. That will help our QB's because those two guys will win a ton of 50-50 balls.
5) Keith Mumphery - WR, Michigan State
- Not much upside here. Mumphery is a limited athlete that works hard over the middle and gets the job done. High character guy that will block and play special teams. Getting this late into the draft it's tough to find contributors, but I think we could have aimed higher than this while looking for a guy to supplant Johnson/Martin. I see his absolute ceiling as a chain moving slot guy that contributes on kickoffs and such. That said, I'm not sure he makes the 53-man roster out of camp. Will probably be sent to the practice squad.
6) Reshard Cliett - LB, South Florida
- I see a lot of people criticizing this pick because he doesn't "fit" into the base defense. Getting this late into the draft you are looking for traits and Cliett has a valuable one...speed. He may never be a base down player, but he can contribute as a Nickel/Dime LB in sub-packages and be a demon on special teams. You could do a lot worse with a late round pick.
6) Christian Covington - DL, Rice
- Very talented player that would have gone much earlier if not for questions on his knee. Personally, I think he has the talent to make Crick expendable when his contract is up but we'll just have to wait and see because there is no guarantee he fully recovers from his knee injury. If healthy, I see him as our top reserve in the DL rotation. He's a risk, but it's a late 6th round pick and this late in the draft you take risks.
7) Kenny Hilliard - RB, LSU
-It's not that I dislike Hilliard, but he doesn't add anything that we don't already have. He's basically the less athletic version of Polk/Blue. I don't see the point of carrying all three of them on the roster and Hilliard is significantly less athletic than the other two guys. I would have preferred a change of pace back to compete with Grimes.
For the most part , we feel the same way about this draft .... its about the future.
To be honest , I have no problem with that as we don't have the QB that's going to have us competing for super bowls .... May as well build the team for that time so when you do get that guy , you plug him in and its game on as he takes over a team ready to win - assuming these players work out.
I give this draft a C+. The first 3 round were good, filled with good players that will contribute early and in the future. The Texans need to quit treating the last day, rounds 4-7, as an after thought. There were good prospects still available in the 5th and 6th rounds at Safety and O-line, both of which are team needs.
I'm not so sure the team feels that Safety was a big need. We did sign Moore and Brown to go along with Swag and we still have Pleasant and Ballentine on the Roster
Marshall
Not pretty, but ALIVE!
But if I'm remembering right (and that's a bit of a risk), the pectoral is more of an aiming muscle than a strength muscle so the accuracy on certain types of throws (across the body) is what is in question rather than arm strength.
I'm sure someone will correct me if my memory is wrong.
Goldensilence
hipster elite
C+
I just didn't get the cohesive feeling I did from last year's draft where they seemed to hit a lot of needs at the top and found value later in the draft still.
This year seemed so...out of sorts. I am hoping it was due to several unlikely scenarios falling into place as someone mentioned like missing on trading back into the first several times.
It just seemed after that they were scrambling to piece together a plan.
Johnson looks able and hopefully will be good enough to step into a starting role next year. I had hoped after the massive swing and miss on Clowney they'd opt for someone who's going to be immediately productive.
Not a huge problem with McKinney as I think he's most suited to play ILB and has athleticism to rush from the spit on blitzing. Not sure on the part time OLB speculation. Looks like a downhill ILB to me. Not sure on the ammo to trade up for him.
Nabbing Strong in the third pretty much saved this draft in my eyes. Great value at a need spot. Perfect storm.
The rest of the draft at least right now left me scratching my head. Not huge value or immediate sense of this person visibly fits what they want to do. Covinton if healthy could be a steal, but that's it for me past 3rd round.
Worst part is did nothing to address OL or OLB. There was good value in the picks we had left and I'm hoping they make sense later in the off season.
To me this draft is going to be highly contingent on last years being much more productive this year. If not I'm concerned they'll be able to keep up in the playoff hunt.
I just didn't get the cohesive feeling I did from last year's draft where they seemed to hit a lot of needs at the top and found value later in the draft still.
This year seemed so...out of sorts. I am hoping it was due to several unlikely scenarios falling into place as someone mentioned like missing on trading back into the first several times.
It just seemed after that they were scrambling to piece together a plan.
Johnson looks able and hopefully will be good enough to step into a starting role next year. I had hoped after the massive swing and miss on Clowney they'd opt for someone who's going to be immediately productive.
Not a huge problem with McKinney as I think he's most suited to play ILB and has athleticism to rush from the spit on blitzing. Not sure on the part time OLB speculation. Looks like a downhill ILB to me. Not sure on the ammo to trade up for him.
Nabbing Strong in the third pretty much saved this draft in my eyes. Great value at a need spot. Perfect storm.
The rest of the draft at least right now left me scratching my head. Not huge value or immediate sense of this person visibly fits what they want to do. Covinton if healthy could be a steal, but that's it for me past 3rd round.
Worst part is did nothing to address OL or OLB. There was good value in the picks we had left and I'm hoping they make sense later in the off season.
To me this draft is going to be highly contingent on last years being much more productive this year. If not I'm concerned they'll be able to keep up in the playoff hunt.
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^^^^
This
With a chance to be a B if Smith is right about Strong and the concussion issues dont continue to plague him.
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Walter Football 2015 Mock
Charlie was pretty plugged in on a lot of draft rumors this year. He valued our picks highly.
Sweet... Rick Smith got us three first rounders
I said it somewhere else , but this draft compares to last years in that regard , we felt like we walked away with three guys with first round talent as Nix only dropped due to injury concerns & SuaFilo was projected earlier by many.
I sure hope this years 3 first round talents outperform last years 3 first round talents cause they contributed a big fat nuttin.
I give them a C
No difference makers, the only pick that has a chance to be a difference maker is McKinney. I do like the McKinney/Cliett/Covington picks. Johnson is a solid pick but not a difference maker.
No difference makers, the only pick that has a chance to be a difference maker is McKinney. I do like the McKinney/Cliett/Covington picks. Johnson is a solid pick but not a difference maker.
I think Johnson has a real chance to be a difference maker, tho it might take a year or two. I think a couple of the udfa's have a chance also... most notably Mancz and Trail.
bhsman
Rookie
What's your reasoning for leaving out Jaelen Strong?
Not a difference maker, not fast/not quick in and out of his breaks. If the want to get production out of Strong next yr they need to line him up in the slot.
I could see Strong used as a red zone weapon though.
bhsman
Rookie
So if he ends up being a good deep threat and has 6-7 TDs on the year, would that at least make you change your mind?
WolverineFan
Hall of Fame
No, he's already made his mind up.
Marshall
Not pretty, but ALIVE!
Yep. He can't be any good without a criminal record.
bah007
Hall of Fame
Does your difference maker qualification only apply to this season?
If not, then you don't think Johnson is a difference maker moving forward?
You're always talking about grabbing troubled guys with potential but you grade the draft as if the only thing that matters is what they can offer us today.
sandman
Brexit Advisor
If he has 75-80 catches at 11-15 yds per catch with 6-7 TD's that's replacing AJ with an impact player.
I think he can be a good CB in the Terrance Newman mode. Long career as a starter but not a pro bowl level player, certainly not a Revis.
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AFC South draft grades: Texans closing divisional gap on Colts
Bucky Brooks
NFL Media analyst
Bucky Brooks
NFL Media analyst
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...grades-texans-closing-divisional-gap-on-colts
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2015 NFL Draft class power rankings
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000492430/article/2015-nfl-draft-class-power-rankings