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bah007 Texans Mock

bah007

bah007

Hall of Fame
I used my own evaluations plus looked at a variety of boards to get an idea of where guys would fall off the board. Due to our current roster construction and management style, drafting for the Texans is like fighting with one hand tied behind your back. It is going to be hard to get a lot out of this draft class considering what we have for draft capital. I am going to get a little creative to try to get the most out of the picks we have. Here is what I would do this weekend:

These are the guys at the top of my board for the Texans, in order of my preference. My main priority in this draft is to get one of these guys without giving up any future picks.

A.J. Epenesa
Jaylon Johnson
Yetur Gross-Matos
Kristian Fulton
Cesar Ruiz
Jeff Gladney

Based on the consensus boards I've collected, I have all of these guys off the board by #40, but I do have Jaylon Johnson available at #37. I have the Titans picking there after trading down. I have them targeting Zack Baun. I'm going to pull the trigger and move from #40 to #37. This will cost us #111 and #240, but we can bring back #151 and TEN's 6th rounder next season. And they will still get their guy.

My next priority is to get us a pass rusher. I'll be honest, this is not a good draft for them. Most of my targets fall off the board before we come back up, and we don't have any ammo to go get them. After the run on edge players, I think we can safely move back a few spots and pick up one of our bottom targets. We give up #90 and #248 so the Broncos can move up to take Leki Fotu. We get back #95 and #181. I used Rich Hill's updated trade value chart to score the trades. They feel fair.

Here is my draft:
#2.37 - Jaylon Johnson - CB, Utah
#3.95 - Jabari Zuniga - OLB, Florida
#5.151 - John Hightower - WR, Boise St
#5.171 - Benito Jones - NT, Mississippi
#6.181 - Kevin Dotson - OG, Louisiana Lafayette
#7.250 - Javon Leake - RB, Maryland

And here is what we have for next year's draft:
3rd
4th
4th (ARI)
5th
6th
6th (MIA)
6th (TEN)
7th

Here is our top 55 after the draft:
QB - Watson, McCarron
RB - Da. Johnson, Du. Johnson, Leake, Howell
FB - Gillaspia
WR Z - Cooks, Fuller, Hightower
WR H - Cobb, Stills, Carter
TE - Fells, Akins, Thomas, Warring
LT - Tunsil, R. Johnson
LG - Scharping
C - Martin, Mancz
RG - Fulton, Dotson
RT - Howard, Qvale

Leake gives us depth at RB. I think he is a very underrated prospect. He would immediately be our best interior runner. The rest of his game is raw but I think he has potential to be a big part of a committee. He didn't test well at the combine but he looks like an athlete on tape.

Hightower pretty much rides the bench on offense this year but he is probably our #3 WR next season after Fuller and Stills walk. I love his deep speed. I think he runs good routes and has great hands. We get him late thanks to a deep WR draft. He can also help out on special teams.

Dotson handles interior backup duties for a year and then steps in for Fulton next season. I think he will be a starting guard in the league. Best case scenario, he beats Fulton out this season.

DE - Watt, Omenihu
NT - Dunn, Jones
DT - Jernigan, Blackson, Watkins
LEO - Mercilus, Zuniga, Martin, Ejiofor
WILL - Cunningham, Cole, Adams
MIKE - McKinney, Kalambayi
FCB - Conley, Gaines
Slot - Roby, Hargreaves
FS - Reid, Watkins
SS - Gipson, Murray
BCB - J. Johnson, L. Johnson

Jones gets in the interior rotation early. He can be a two-down NT but also has the ability to push the pocket and pressure the QB. He will be a starter by year two.

Zuniga is raw but man he is an impressive athlete. He was inconsistent in college but his flashes were something special. LZ comps him to Robert Quinn. I could see it if he rounds his game out. Put him in the film room and on the practice field with Watt and Mercilus and watch this guy turn into an animal over time. He will be a liability against the run at first but he will absolutely bend the corner and get after the QB.

Jaylon gives us the alpha corner we desperately need. Put him on the boundary and take that receiver out of the game. Put Conley and Roby to the field and let them cover and make plays in space. Suddenly, our secondary doesn't look awful. Reid can play over the top. Gipson and Murray can cover TEs and help with slots. Gaines and Hargreaves aren't terrible if they are part of a rotation instead of playing every snap in coverage.

Just my two cents. Tear it apart.
 
I love the Jaylon Johnson pick. LZ described him as a "boundary bully". When I read that for the first time last week or the week before I thought he's the guy the Texans desperately need in the secondary.

Zuniga sounds very much like a boom or bust type of player, and he can look both parts in the same game. As LZ noted he "flashes" but he comes with some red flags (durability and stamina). But at that point in the draft, and with pass rushers needed by the Texans, I'd be fine with the pick.

I think taking a wide receiver would normally be a little early, but then I look again and "hello 5th round". It's only the Texans 3rd pick in the draft but here we are. And you're right, the Texans will be losing some receivers next off-season one way or another. O'Brien's personality and WR's don't seem to mix too well. I like John Hightower's length and speed. Might as well stick with that component of O'Brien's philosophy. He gave up one of the best receiver's in the NFL to get faster. Hightower is fast. Not blazing fast but fast enough.
 
Oh, I do like JaMycal Hasty over Leake. Two very different running backs graded out about the same by LZ. I like Hasty because he can stay in and block or can be a pass catcher out of the backfield.

But I would not at all be disappointed in Leake.
 
banned1976 said:
Oh, I do like JaMycal Hasty over Leake. Two very different running backs graded out about the same by LZ. I like Hasty because he can stay in and block or can be a pass catcher out of the backfield.

But I would not at all be disappointed in Leake.
Click to expand...

As you note, Zuniga could easily bust. That’s why he’s available there. I think we can actually provide him a good situation to get the most out of his athletic ability. It’s a risk but our options are limited.

As for RB, I think Hasty’s skill set is a little repetitive with what we already have on the roster. I like Leake as a change of pace back with the potential to develop in those other areas.

Appreciate your feedback.
 
1. I like the Johnson pick but worry about Johnson's performance against Pittman. If I'm trading up it's Gladney. Otherwise I would sit there and wait for Fulton/Terrell/Arnette to fall to 40. I think Johnson falls to 40 due to his shoulder injury. If he does then he would certainly be under consideration at 40.

2. Love the Zuniga pick. Was productive as a Jr and was productive as a Sr before suffering a high ankle sprain. Zuniga and Taylor have the best 1st steps in this class behind Young. This is a gamble that's worth it in the 3rd. If he stays healthy and produces to his talent level the defense will be much improved.

5. Hightower- smart pick. Upgrades the ST's and eliminates a 2021 need. Gives Hightower- a chance to learn the ropes without having to produce as a rookie. Hopefully he's there in the 5tg.

5. Jones - spends to much time on the ground for my liking and doesn't really play to his talent level. Give me Roy

6. Dotson about Dotson and like the pick. If I could get a guy that has OT experience as well as can play OG. Guys I like that can do this are Runyan and Durant.

7. Absolutely love the Leake pick. So much untapped potential. I would pick him a Rd higher

Great job. Talented guys with high upsides
 
bah007 said:
I used my own evaluations plus looked at a variety of boards to get an idea of where guys would fall off the board. Due to our current roster construction and management style, drafting for the Texans is like fighting with one hand tied behind your back. It is going to be hard to get a lot out of this draft class considering what we have for draft capital. I am going to get a little creative to try to get the most out of the picks we have. Here is what I would do this weekend:

These are the guys at the top of my board for the Texans, in order of my preference. My main priority in this draft is to get one of these guys without giving up any future picks.

A.J. Epenesa
Jaylon Johnson
Yetur Gross-Matos
Kristian Fulton
Cesar Ruiz
Jeff Gladney

Based on the consensus boards I've collected, I have all of these guys off the board by #40, but I do have Jaylon Johnson available at #37. I have the Titans picking there after trading down. I have them targeting Zack Baun. I'm going to pull the trigger and move from #40 to #37. This will cost us #111 and #240, but we can bring back #151 and TEN's 6th rounder next season. And they will still get their guy.

My next priority is to get us a pass rusher. I'll be honest, this is not a good draft for them. Most of my targets fall off the board before we come back up, and we don't have any ammo to go get them. After the run on edge players, I think we can safely move back a few spots and pick up one of our bottom targets. We give up #90 and #248 so the Broncos can move up to take Leki Fotu. We get back #95 and #181. I used Rich Hill's updated trade value chart to score the trades. They feel fair.

Here is my draft:
#2.37 - Jaylon Johnson - CB, Utah
#3.95 - Jabari Zuniga - OLB, Florida
#5.151 - John Hightower - WR, Boise St
#5.171 - Benito Jones - NT, Mississippi
#6.181 - Kevin Dotson - OG, Louisiana Lafayette
#7.250 - Javon Leake - RB, Maryland

And here is what we have for next year's draft:
3rd
4th
4th (ARI)
5th
6th
6th (MIA)
6th (TEN)
7th

Here is our top 55 after the draft:
QB - Watson, McCarron
RB - Da. Johnson, Du. Johnson, Leake, Howell
FB - Gillaspia
WR Z - Cooks, Fuller, Hightower
WR H - Cobb, Stills, Carter
TE - Fells, Akins, Thomas, Warring
LT - Tunsil, R. Johnson
LG - Scharping
C - Martin, Mancz
RG - Fulton, Dotson
RT - Howard, Qvale

Leake gives us depth at RB. I think he is a very underrated prospect. He would immediately be our best interior runner. The rest of his game is raw but I think he has potential to be a big part of a committee. He didn't test well at the combine but he looks like an athlete on tape.

Hightower pretty much rides the bench on offense this year but he is probably our #3 WR next season after Fuller and Stills walk. I love his deep speed. I think he runs good routes and has great hands. We get him late thanks to a deep WR draft. He can also help out on special teams.

Dotson handles interior backup duties for a year and then steps in for Fulton next season. I think he will be a starting guard in the league. Best case scenario, he beats Fulton out this season.

DE - Watt, Omenihu
NT - Dunn, Jones
DT - Jernigan, Blackson, Watkins
LEO - Mercilus, Zuniga, Martin, Ejiofor
WILL - Cunningham, Cole, Adams
MIKE - McKinney, Kalambayi
FCB - Conley, Gaines
Slot - Roby, Hargreaves
FS - Reid, Watkins
SS - Gipson, Murray
BCB - J. Johnson, L. Johnson

Jones gets in the interior rotation early. He can be a two-down NT but also has the ability to push the pocket and pressure the QB. He will be a starter by year two.

Zuniga is raw but man he is an impressive athlete. He was inconsistent in college but his flashes were something special. LZ comps him to Robert Quinn. I could see it if he rounds his game out. Put him in the film room and on the practice field with Watt and Mercilus and watch this guy turn into an animal over time. He will be a liability against the run at first but he will absolutely bend the corner and get after the QB.

Jaylon gives us the alpha corner we desperately need. Put him on the boundary and take that receiver out of the game. Put Conley and Roby to the field and let them cover and make plays in space. Suddenly, our secondary doesn't look awful. Reid can play over the top. Gipson and Murray can cover TEs and help with slots. Gaines and Hargreaves aren't terrible if they are part of a rotation instead of playing every snap in coverage.

Just my two cents. Tear it apart.
Click to expand...
Great effort, well done.
 
I'm not trading up at all. Texans have way too many needs to be giving up a premium pick(1st-4th). I like a lot of the players you picked but would get an additional edge rusher in round 6-7 that I really like.
 
Wolf12339 said:
I'm not trading up at all. Texans have way too many needs to be giving up a premium pick(1st-4th). I like a lot of the players you picked but would get an additional edge rusher in round 6-7 that I really like.
Click to expand...
I don't think much is lost in this deal. Upgraded a 2nd and a 7th to a 6th. Downgraded a 3rd and a 4th to a 5th. Lost a very late 7th (same or similar player could be had as UDFA). Looks like a wash, other than getting the player he wants in the 2nd.
 
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