Hottoddie
Veteran
Well, I guess I might as well get this on record. Maybe this will be the year that I guess right. Yeah, right.
My mock is based on the following beliefs by me.
1) WR is our #1 need. AJ isn't getting any younger & the rest of our receivers are backups, at best.
2) Oline is our 2nd biggest need. Meyers is going to be here a while, so we don't need a starting center just yet. But, we do need to start grooming someone for the future & the right side of the line needs immediate help.
3) Defensive depth is priority #3. We've got to find a replacement for Mario that'll fit in the OLB rotation with Barwin/Brooks & start grooming Cody's eventual replacement.
4) Unless you can draft a bonafide starter upgrade, we don't need any more secondary help at this time.
With the obvious said, here's my mock.
1) Stephen Hill (WR) Georgia Tech
Soft hands, good size, good speed & is a very good blocker. He's the prototypical WR the Texans have always gone for. What's there not to like about this kid?
2) Bruce Irvin (OLB) West Virgina
Extremely quick off the edge, great instincts, tough & doesn't give up. He's a good tackler with great change of direction skills. He doesn't have a lot of experience & is still learning the position, but is coming on fast. He needs to work on his coverage skills as well. He has some character issues in his past, but appears to be putting those behind him. The only reason I believe he'll be selected here is because of Wade. I don't believe Wade is opposed to taking a former bad apple, if he feels he can do something with him.
3a) Zebrie Sanders (OT/G) Florida State
Can play RT, LT & RG positions. Has an extremely quick first step & is rarely beaten off the snap. He has very good footwork, technique & lateral mobility. He's an outstanding blocker in the running game & blocking on the move downfield. He can handle all pass rushing moves very effectively. He's also very smart & has no injury history as well as being a high character guy. I see him playing RG until the team is ready to move him to RT.
3b) Greg Childs (WR) Arkansas
This is where I believe the Texans will have to move back into the 3rd round to have a chance at Greg Childs. So, I'm assuming the Texans are able to find a willing trade partner with Denver & send the 4th (#99) & next year's 3rd in exchange for Denver's 3rd (#87).
Childs has finally recovered from a 2010 knee injury & looks like he's ready to return to his old form. He's got great size, speed, strength & soft hands. He's tough to bring down, runs great routes & is a very good blocker. He's very competitive, physical & able to plant & explode out of his breaks to gain seperation. This kid could be the steal of the draft &, along with Hill & AJ, could give the Texans the most lethal receiving corp. the NFL has ever seen.
4) David Molk (C) Michigan
High football IQ, good work ethic, high character & is a team first player. Plays with intensity, keeps his head on a swivel, plays through the whistle & is physical at the point of attack. Is undersized by most team's standards, but is an ideal fit for the ZBS. He has had some foot injuries which will need to be evaluated first. Meyers will be here for a while, so Molk can learn the system while waiting his turn.
5) Audie Cole (ILB) North Carolina State
Good instincts & anticipation. He's very quick with good coverage skills & plays very good run defense. He's still a work in progress, but should be ready to challenge for a starting role with a year of experience.
6) Rhett Ellison (TE/FB/WR) USC
He's the kind of TE the Texans love to draft. He can play 3 positions like James Casey, but has been compared to Joel Dreessen by some. He's highly competitive, tough, strong at the point of attack & plays through the whistle. He's a good blocker & special teams player. He needs to add more strength & concentrate on focus, as he sometimes tries to run before he secures the ball.
7) Matt Conrath (DT/DE) Virginia
Quick off the snap, very athletic, knocks down a lot of passes & blocks field goals on special teams. Is a work in progress & needs to get stronger. Can play DE for now & some DT in the Texan's system as he gets stronger.
Well, that's it for this year. I'm really looking forward to this year's draft, because the players they take now should set us up for several Super Bowl runs in the future. Or, at least that's how I see it.
My mock is based on the following beliefs by me.
1) WR is our #1 need. AJ isn't getting any younger & the rest of our receivers are backups, at best.
2) Oline is our 2nd biggest need. Meyers is going to be here a while, so we don't need a starting center just yet. But, we do need to start grooming someone for the future & the right side of the line needs immediate help.
3) Defensive depth is priority #3. We've got to find a replacement for Mario that'll fit in the OLB rotation with Barwin/Brooks & start grooming Cody's eventual replacement.
4) Unless you can draft a bonafide starter upgrade, we don't need any more secondary help at this time.
With the obvious said, here's my mock.
1) Stephen Hill (WR) Georgia Tech
Soft hands, good size, good speed & is a very good blocker. He's the prototypical WR the Texans have always gone for. What's there not to like about this kid?
2) Bruce Irvin (OLB) West Virgina
Extremely quick off the edge, great instincts, tough & doesn't give up. He's a good tackler with great change of direction skills. He doesn't have a lot of experience & is still learning the position, but is coming on fast. He needs to work on his coverage skills as well. He has some character issues in his past, but appears to be putting those behind him. The only reason I believe he'll be selected here is because of Wade. I don't believe Wade is opposed to taking a former bad apple, if he feels he can do something with him.
3a) Zebrie Sanders (OT/G) Florida State
Can play RT, LT & RG positions. Has an extremely quick first step & is rarely beaten off the snap. He has very good footwork, technique & lateral mobility. He's an outstanding blocker in the running game & blocking on the move downfield. He can handle all pass rushing moves very effectively. He's also very smart & has no injury history as well as being a high character guy. I see him playing RG until the team is ready to move him to RT.
3b) Greg Childs (WR) Arkansas
This is where I believe the Texans will have to move back into the 3rd round to have a chance at Greg Childs. So, I'm assuming the Texans are able to find a willing trade partner with Denver & send the 4th (#99) & next year's 3rd in exchange for Denver's 3rd (#87).
Childs has finally recovered from a 2010 knee injury & looks like he's ready to return to his old form. He's got great size, speed, strength & soft hands. He's tough to bring down, runs great routes & is a very good blocker. He's very competitive, physical & able to plant & explode out of his breaks to gain seperation. This kid could be the steal of the draft &, along with Hill & AJ, could give the Texans the most lethal receiving corp. the NFL has ever seen.
4) David Molk (C) Michigan
High football IQ, good work ethic, high character & is a team first player. Plays with intensity, keeps his head on a swivel, plays through the whistle & is physical at the point of attack. Is undersized by most team's standards, but is an ideal fit for the ZBS. He has had some foot injuries which will need to be evaluated first. Meyers will be here for a while, so Molk can learn the system while waiting his turn.
5) Audie Cole (ILB) North Carolina State
Good instincts & anticipation. He's very quick with good coverage skills & plays very good run defense. He's still a work in progress, but should be ready to challenge for a starting role with a year of experience.
6) Rhett Ellison (TE/FB/WR) USC
He's the kind of TE the Texans love to draft. He can play 3 positions like James Casey, but has been compared to Joel Dreessen by some. He's highly competitive, tough, strong at the point of attack & plays through the whistle. He's a good blocker & special teams player. He needs to add more strength & concentrate on focus, as he sometimes tries to run before he secures the ball.
7) Matt Conrath (DT/DE) Virginia
Quick off the snap, very athletic, knocks down a lot of passes & blocks field goals on special teams. Is a work in progress & needs to get stronger. Can play DE for now & some DT in the Texan's system as he gets stronger.
Well, that's it for this year. I'm really looking forward to this year's draft, because the players they take now should set us up for several Super Bowl runs in the future. Or, at least that's how I see it.
