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Texans draft grades.

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
Yeah I get it. I went back and edited out the 'blue chipper' part because its not really applicable at those draft slots, I just place a higher value on All Conference/All Americans than most.

OBrien just wants guys to fall in line and not add anything to the dynamic. "Shut up and play football", but there is never any innovation in that approach. Its always best when the team is one entity where everyone is afforded input and an atmosphere of flourishing is created. This tyrannical coaching is not new! LOL far from progressive and will ultimately fail because of the lack of understanding in managing basic human resources necessary for a modern game and society in general.
Yet Belichick has 6 rings with this (Do Your Job) approach.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
He also teaches them to do the job.
At some point the player becomes responsible.

Do you not like the (Do your job) philosophy as well as getting rid of guys a yr early instead of a yr late that Belichick believes in?
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
I love comparing O’Brien to Belichick, they have so much in common.
BOB's trying to do things the way Belichick does things in his 1st yr in charge.

You just dont like the moves he's made. But there's no doubt if he fails he will fail on his own terms. I'm finally glad the org is structured this way instead of the failed corporate boardroom style.
 

mussop

Hall of Fame
2.40 - Blacklock is an ok pick but I feel we could of done better. Its not like he dominated in the big 12. 40 tackles, nine for loss, 3.5 sacks in 12 starts isn't exactly lighting it up for a guy that was supposedly brought in to help the pass rush. You factor in he had an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the year in 2018 and hope he just wasn't completely healed and will get more consistent. His strength is shooting gaps with his quickness. he has above average lateral quickness and change of direction for his size. His weakness is run defense and holding the point. Thats a little scary when you consider we play in a division with Leonard Fornette, Derrick Henry and now Johnathon Taylor. Because of that I can't see him starting inside. He's not taking Watts place. Maybe he rotates or starts over Omenihu? I'm not saying I hate the pick because I don't. Just think there were better players available that could of contributed more sooner. Im going with a B-


3.90 - Greenard I give him a B+ because this is where the talent in this draft just dropped off. He was a very productive player in the SEC so no complaints here.

The rest were meh. Heck has potential but hopefully wont see the field anytime soon. He will get eaten alive by NFL DEs and he just doesn't get enough push or sustain his blocks in the run game. Guys disengage from him way to easy. Still he shows good awareness and isnt bad at getting to the second level and with his length can wall off defenders well. For where we got him its not a bad pick. He could turn into a solid swing tackle in a couple of years. I dont see him beating out Rod Johnson this year. Doubt he plays a single down this year unless we have major injury issues.

Overall I give the whole draft a B-. Could of been better but I was expecting a lot worse.
 

maverick512000

Hall of Fame
He's also Belichick. The biggest similarity with O'Brien is that they once worked in the same building.
This will be a very interesting year for both of them as well. OB will have to show what he can do when it’s all “his guys” and Belichick will have to show what a post Brady NE will look like. So yeah interesting times for both teams and coaches.
 

santo

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
This will be a very interesting year for both of them as well. OB will have to show what he can do when it’s all “his guys” and Belichick will have to show what a post Brady NE will look like. So yeah interesting times for both teams and coaches.
They're both going to meet at the SB. Meanwhile we'll be getting knocked out of the first round.
:kitten:
 

JB

Innocent Bystander
Contributor's Club
They're both going to meet at the SB. Meanwhile we'll be getting knocked out of the first round.
:kitten:
If Texans are getting knocked out in the first round, how are they meeting the Patriots in the SB?
 

RGV82

Random guy
They're both going to meet at the SB. Meanwhile we'll be getting knocked out of the first round.
:kitten:
Whether they sign Andy Dalton, or Stidham ends up starting for the Pats this year, I bet they don't even make the playoffs.
 

zshawn10

All Pro
[Reiss] Short- and long-term predictions for each Texans draft pick


DL Ross Blacklock

Will the Texans’ top pick be a Week 1 starter? Maybe not, but he figures to rotate in frequently. Aside from maybe Timmy Jernigan, Blacklock could immediately be the Texans’ best interior rusher, making him a better option on passing downs than linemen Brandon Dunn and Angelo Blackson. Those two, along with D.J. Reader, made up Houston’s “Lunch Pail Crew.” Reader led the group with 43 third down snaps a season ago.

In nickel packages (five DBs), Blacklock figures to play the three-technique. He could shift to nose tackle when the Texans utilize dime packages (six DBs).

“I come from a school where we run a lot of fronts, play a lot of crazy defenses,” said Blacklock, who was able to get a feel for the Texans’ defense during a pre-draft visit to the team facility. “I think it’s helped a lot since I come from TCU and I’ll be in a scheme like Coach (Anthony) Weaver’s. It’ll be much easier and I can focus more on just attacking. We read (the play) more in TCU’s defense. So I think it’ll be a good fit, a good transition.”

Predicting his contributions in 2020: Blacklock plays more than 40 percent of defensive snaps, showing flashes of a promising pass rusher but still struggling to finish plays, as he did in college. He finishes his rookie year with two sacks and six QB hits.

The realistic best-case scenario for 2023: Those pass rushing skills are more polished, as is the rest of Blacklock’s game, allowing him to step into a Reader-like role by Year 4, when he plays about 55 percent of defensive snaps while recording five sacks and 13 QB hits.

Edge Jonathan Greenard

He was primarily a weak side edge rusher for Florida last season, but injuries allowed him to show off his versatility all over the field. The Texans, who need pass rush help anywhere and everywhere, might look to deploy Greenard in a similar way — at least as a rookie, when he could be mostly limited to passing downs.

“I feel pretty comfortable in both a three-point and a two-point stance,” Greenard said. “I’ve done it all my college career, and I feel like I’m pretty comfortable on both sides, so I don’t feel like it will be any adjustments.”

Predicting his contributions in 2020: At 6-3, 263 pounds, Greenard has about 20 pounds on fellow Texans edge rusher Jacob Martin. That could enable him to play a little more frequently than Martin, who received about 20 percent of defensive snaps last season, nearly half of which came on third down. Maybe Greenard receives closer to a quarter of the defensive snaps and finishes his rookie season with three sacks, plus eight QB hits and five tackles for loss.

The realistic best-case scenario for 2023: By now, Whitney Mercilus is entering his age 33 season and will count for $14 million against the cap during the final year of his contract — unless the Texans cut him and eat just $1.5 million in dead money. Greenard has shown enough promise to be an at least average starter, which at this point sounds better to Houston than an expensive, aging Mercilus.

OT Charlie Heck

The Texans moved up in the Round 4 to acquire him, but if all goes according to plan, Heck will never make a start.

That’s ultimately unrealistic. Injuries happen. But barring a dramatic change in the Texans’ plans, Laremy Tunsil is entrenched as the left tackle, and Tytus Howard is the starting right tackle. Picking up the 6-foot-7 Heck, a former high school tight end whose technique needs work, was about adding depth.

Predicting his contributions in 2020: Many offensive linemen, even good ones, struggle as rookies. So don’t expect much from Heck this season. He might be the team’s No. 2 swing tackle, behind Roderick Johnson, but he could still be active on game days. The new CBA expands game rosters to 48 players, but three of them must be reserve offensive linemen.

The realistic best-case scenario for 2023: Is it too early to begin talking about Tunsil in free agency? Asked why he wanted just a three-year contract extension, Tunsil said he “felt like three years was better than four, just to give me another opportunity to get in the free market and just to go from there. I’ll get to free agency around 28, 29, so I feel like that was the best opportunity for me.”

The Texans, as of now, likely hope they’ll agree to another extension with Tunsil before then and secure him for his prime. If they do, and Heck has shown enough in limited reps, maybe he becomes a trade asset for the Texans. But if they don’t sign Tunsil to another extension, 2023 might be Heck’s final year as a backup, before he takes over at left tackle.

CB John Reid

Any cornerback selected on Day 3 will have to make his mark on special teams, and Reid seems like someone who will take on that role with the right attitude and little fuss. After all, Reid skipped out on a Penn State recruiting barbecue to watch film with the defensive coordinator and gravitated toward coding because it’s “relatable (to football) in the case that I could work really hard at it, it’s really detail oriented, and you can constantly see results if you put the work in.”

Predicting his contributions in 2020: Don’t count out Reid playing up to 20 percent of defensive snaps. He’ll have to work his way up the depth chart, but Vernon Hargreaves, the other backup slot corner on the roster, was less than impressive in six games with Houston last season. The Texans brought Hargreaves back, but on a one-year deal worth just $1.3 million. If Reid overtakes him, expect the rookie to get his hands on some balls. He broke up 10 passes in three straight seasons at Penn State. Let’s guess he records two PBUs this season.

The realistic best-case scenario for 2023: Reid’s size (5-10, 187) ultimately limits him to being just a slot corner, but in today’s NFL, that’s a valuable position. And on the 2023 Texans, it’s an open one, as Bradley Roby’s contract expires a year earlier, clearing the way for Reid to become a regular contributor on defense and perhaps work his way off special teams.

WR Isaiah Coulter

Though no other team made the debate-worthy decision of trading an All-Pro receiver without getting a first round pick back in return, the Texans’ shakeup at position in some ways followed a league-wide trend. They, like many others, prioritized adding speed, hoping to build an offense that can keep pace with the Super Bowl champion Chiefs. It’s why Houston traded for Brandin Cooks, then drafted Coulter, who ran at 4.45 40.

Still, at about 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, Coulter struggles with contested catches and breaking tackles. Being simply a speedster might not get him far as a rookie, when he’ll be part of a group that’s well-stocked with such players.

Predicting his contributions in 2020: Barring another change to the receiving corps, Coulter sits below Cooks, Will Fuller and Kenny Stills on the depth chart. Fuller and Cooks both have noteworthy injury histories, but unless the Texans encounter some terrible luck, it’s presently hard to imagine Coulter receiving more than 30 targets as a rookie. Maybe he finishes his rookie with around 200 yards and one touchdown.

The realistic best-case scenario for 2023: Coulter adds strength without losing his speed, making him more of a playmaker in space. By now, he’s in his third year as a regular member of the receiving rotation, having stepped into Stills’ spot after one season. Coulter finishes 2023 with 40 catches, including at least eight explosive receptions.
 

Earl34

Hall of Fame
BOB's trying to do things the way Belichick does things in his 1st yr in charge.
Ask Josh McDaniels how that worked out for him trying to do things the Belichick way. In fact, tell us one former Patriots' coach who got a HC job, did things the Belichick way and had great success.

Thinking about this. By all accounts, McDaniels is a better coach than O'Brien. When McDaniels had an opportunity to find his own QB, he spent a first round pick on Tim Tebow. So, much for finding a QB to run the Patriots EP offense.
 

RGV82

Random guy
Ask Josh McDaniels how that worked out for him trying to do things the Belichick way. In fact, tell us one former Patriots' coach who got a HC job, did things the Belichick way and had great success.

Thinking about this. By all accounts, McDaniels is a better coach than O'Brien. When McDaniels had an opportunity to find his own QB, he spent a first round pick on Tim Tebow. So, much for finding a QB to run the Patriots EP offense.
McDaniels is definitely a better position coach but as head coach that’s up for debate.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
Wrong as usual. I like the Patriots, their scheme and ability to sustain the level of success they have. What I don't like are the Pats' coaches, who become HC and run around acting like they are Belichick without any skins on the wall. They can't even wait to win a playoff game far less get to a AFCCG or Super Bowl before wanting Belichick type control of a team.

I have no problem with the Patriots. So, wrong on all counts.
I like those type of HC's.

1 person in charge 1 person to blame if all goes wrong.
 

Earl34

Hall of Fame
I like those type of HC's.

1 person in charge 1 person to blame if all goes wrong.
IMHO. If you are an experienced HC with past success, you can have that control. However, first time HCs, have enough on their plate. I would rather wait until giving them full control. Demonstrate you are proficient at what I hired you to do before giving that control.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
That theory is ideal but lots of coaches can’t handle that much responsibility and it shows.
Finished in the final 8 and if their QB learns and works on his weaknesses they could be even better. I would say he did a pretty good job in his 1st yr with the dual roles.
 

Lucky

Ride, Captain, Ride!
Staff member
I actually think Eason has a chance to be good.
Look up them up. Both are about the same size, arm strength. Both bounced around in college. Similar stats and experience. Both went in the 4th. Savage would definitely be my comp to Eason.

Everyone drafted gets a chance.
 
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