Death to Google Ads! Texans Talk Tip Jar! 🍺😎👍
Thanks for your support!

Houston Texans 6th round DE/OLB Duke Ejiofor from Wake Forest

OptimisticTexan

2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
Agreed. The juice is worth the squeeze in round 6!
Ejiofor was selected in RD6 but possessed the credentials of a RD3 pick....but it was a shoulder injury that dropped him in the draft. If given time to heal, gain his NFL weight and strength and learn this defensive system minus the pressure this season.....Gaine and the Texans might be looking at a bonafide RD3, maybe even a RD2 prospect when he hits the field at the beginning of the 2019 Off-Season.

That has the potential of buying Ford stock when it hit $1 a share and watching it quickly rebound within 2 years to something north of $13 a share......one heck of an investment. The Texans do not need to rush this guy back onto the field. He will miss this off-season and probably be stashed on the PS, making him vulnerable to picked by another team. IR him this season and count him like an extra pick in 2019 that would be further ahead in the learning curve than the newest draftees.
 

Max

Veteran
I'm feeling a little better about our ability to get to the qb this year after watching Ejiafor. He reminds me of Mercilus and seems further along technique-wise than him at the same stage in their career. I can definitely see him getting playing time this year in pass rushing situations -- not sure how we landed him in the 6th round. The first 3 spoilers are 3 straight plays to end the 1st quarter.

ejiafor10.gif
ejiafor11.gif
ejiafor12.gif

Close up of last play. Wish JD could dip his shoulder like this and turn the corner.
ejiafor3.gif
ejiafor2.gif
 

CloakNNNdagger

Hall of Fame
I'm feeling a little better about our ability to get to the qb this year after watching Ejiafor. He reminds me of Mercilus and seems further along technique-wise than him at the same stage in their career. I can definitely see him getting playing time this year in pass rushing situations -- not sure how we landed him in the 6th round. The first 3 spoilers are 3 straight plays to end the 1st quarter.


Close up of last play. Wish JD could dip his shoulder like this and turn the corner.
Coming off of shoulder labrum surgery tends to drop players very quickly, especially when the surgery is in February prior to the season drafted.

Furthermore, ~10% will sustain a redislocation with the arm elevated at 90° and externally rotated at 90° in the 1st year post repair with labral injury.........and ~ another 10% will sustain re-injury under the same conditions but without redislocation within the first year.
 

Max

Veteran
Coming off of shoulder labrum surgery tends to drop players very quickly, especially when the surgery is in February prior to the season drafted.

Furthermore, ~10% will sustain a redislocation with the arm elevated at 90° and externally rotated at 90° in the 1st year post repair with labral injury.........and ~ another 10% will sustain re-injury under the same conditions but without redislocation within the first year.
Understood. 6th round still feels like a steal for a guy that could be a legit 10+ sack guy at some point.

On a side note for all -- is there any consensus on a nickname for this guy yet? If not, can we come up w/ something that's spelled a little easier please (googled it twice and still got it wrong)?
 

TheRealJoker

Hall of Fame
IF Duke can make it through his labrum rehab without reinjury he can be a valuable chess piece for Crennel in pass rushing situations. Imagine bringing him in along with the established studs Watt/Clowney/Mercilus? And then take it a step further and we've got a guy on his rookie contract. Good insurance if the team decides it can't afford Clowney or Mercilus' next contract. Quality pass rushers are always in demand and rookies aren't normally as polished as the Duke of Ejiofor.
 

Lucky

Ride, Captain, Ride!
Staff member
Ejiofor looked much better against the Chiefs than he did on his senior tape at Wake Forest. Very polished for a rookie pass rusher. Maybe even a more impressive draft pick than Akins.
 

OptimisticTexan

2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
Color me impressed. I didn't expect him to be ready to go this season....much less making his debut in the first Pre-Season game. Then he goes out and has this type of performance. CnnnD, if there was ever a time I hope you're dead wrong, it's going to be on the prognosis of "The Duke". If this guy has the type of ceiling he showcased on Thursday, the Texans LB'ing crew is going to be dangerous.
 

badboy

Hall of Fame
some thoughts: Carlos Watkins # 91 was moving pretty fluidly for a 310+ guy.

John Wayne was known as Duke by all who knew him & was "nicknamed" the Duke by others much later in his life. His dog's name was Duke and firefighters thought it funny but appropriate to name Marion Robert Morrison..Duke. He was rejected by his mother who named her second son Robert despite her oldest boy already having the name.

As preseason progresses will be interested in how punter Trevor Daniels does. It surprised me when Fairburn was kept while another kicker started which turned out to be very good move. Lechler is the man until he's not. When he leaves that will lower Texans avg age. Lechler has been with Houston six of 18 NFL years but McNair should honor him in some way when he no longer plays.

I was hoping Henderson would at minimum allow Rankins time to heal and learn this season; still hoping Jones-Smith is as good as I think.

In game two does O'Brien reduce Jordan Akins snaps to find out what he has in other TEs?

I am still rooting for Quessenberry to prove me wrong; hard to believe this is his sixth season with Texans. Thanks Mr. McNair.
 

Insideop

All Pro
some thoughts: Carlos Watkins # 91 was moving pretty fluidly for a 310+ guy.

John Wayne was known as Duke by all who knew him & was "nicknamed" the Duke by others much later in his life. His dog's name was Duke and firefighters thought it funny but appropriate to name Marion Robert Morrison..Duke. He was rejected by his mother who named her second son Robert despite her oldest boy already having the name.

As preseason progresses will be interested in how punter Trevor Daniels does. It surprised me when Fairburn was kept while another kicker started which turned out to be very good move. Lechler is the man until he's not. When he leaves that will lower Texans avg age. Lechler has been with Houston six of 18 NFL years but McNair should honor him in some way when he no longer plays.

I was hoping Henderson would at minimum allow Rankins time to heal and learn this season; still hoping Jones-Smith is as good as I think.

In game two does O'Brien reduce Jordan Akins snaps to find out what he has in other TEs?

I am still rooting for Quessenberry to prove me wrong; hard to believe this is his sixth season with Texans. Thanks Mr. McNair.
Lechler had a pretty good season last year and I still think he may have a couple more good seasons left. He's only been to one Super Bowl (A loss by the Raiders) and probably wants to hang on to the hope of getting back there for another chance at a ring. I like Daniels and hope they decide to stash him on the PS just in case Lechler gets injured or doesn't perform well but I don't know if they want to use a PS spot on a Punter. More than likely they don't.

As for DQ, I'm pulling for him too. These Preseason games are critical to him and he needs to play "balls out" if he is to have any chance of making the team. Not sure if he has anymore PS time left. I know he was on it last year for most of the season so he may have some time left.
 

CloakNNNdagger

Hall of Fame
Lechler had a pretty good season last year and I still think he may have a couple more good seasons left. He's only been to one Super Bowl (A loss by the Raiders) and probably wants to hang on to the hope of getting back there for another chance at a ring. I like Daniels and hope they decide to stash him on the PS just in case Lechler gets injured or doesn't perform well but I don't know if they want to use a PS spot on a Punter. More than likely they don't.

As for DQ, I'm pulling for him too. These Preseason games are critical to him and he needs to play "balls out" if he is to have any chance of making the team. Not sure if he has anymore PS time left. I know he was on it last year for most of the season so he may have some time left.
I believe he still has PS eligibility as he was placed on IR after he fractured his foot during a practice in the beginning of 2013 (the year he was drafted) , and since he was on the PS only most of last year, and on the active list for only 2 games total in 2017 (and thus has not accrued a season). His long presence with the Texans has been mostly on the non-football illness injury list while he went through chemotherapy.

Here is the NFL’s legalese on practice squad eligibility:

Article 33: The Practice Squad shall consist of the following players, provided that they have not served more than two previous seasons on a Practice Squad: (i) players who do not have an Accrued Season of NFL experience; and (ii) free agent players who were on the Active List for fewer than nine regular season games during their only Accrued Season(s). An otherwise eligible player may be a Practice Squad player for a third season only if the Club by which he is employed that season has at least 53 players on its Active/Inactive List during the entire period of his employment.
Taking the chance that some may take this as cold, I will say that if Quessenberry has not advanced his skills by the end of TC and the Texans know that he is never going to be what he was supposed to be, it is time to find another way to continue to show loyalty and "honor" his valiant fight without negatively affecting the future of the team by even taking up a place on the PS.......still potentially a very valuable place.
 
Last edited:

IDEXAN

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
I am still rooting for Quessenberry to prove me wrong; hard to believe this is his sixth season with Texans. Thanks Mr. McNair.
I'm also rooting for DQ and hope he lands somewhere if not here to extend his career.
Now we've got some folks on the Board who think this show of charity and benevolence by the owner is nothing but a sign of soft-headedness and weakness and they'd prefer that DQs roster spot be filled by a serial rapist if he had more upside than DQ.
 

CloakNNNdagger

Hall of Fame
I'm also rooting for DQ and hope he lands somewhere if not here to extend his career.
Now we've got some folks on the Board who think this show of charity and benevolence by the owner is nothing but a sign of soft-headedness and weakness and they'd prefer that DQs roster spot be filled by a serial rapist if he had more upside than DQ.
I hope your statement was not generated in response to my comments above.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
I'm also rooting for DQ and hope he lands somewhere if not here to extend his career.
Now we've got some folks on the Board who think this show of charity and benevolence by the owner is nothing but a sign of soft-headedness and weakness and they'd prefer that DQs roster spot be filled by a serial rapist if he had more upside than DQ.
Over the top, but if a player that's better than DQ or has more potential than DQ then that guy should make the roster. That may not be politically correct but it should be true if the Texans org is concerned with putting the best product on the field as possible.

McNair did DQ right, as he should have. Now it comes down to talent and hopefully DQ makes the team on his talent and contributes to the team this yr.

What I dont want to see is a more talented player get cut because McNair wants to keep DQ on the roster as some type of feel good story.
 

IDEXAN

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
Over the top, but if a player that's better than DQ or has more potential than DQ then that guy should make the roster. That may not be politically correct but it should be true if the Texans org is concerned with putting the best product on the field as possible.

McNair did DQ right, as he should have. Now it comes down to talent and hopefully DQ makes the team on his talent and contributes to the team this yr.

What I dont want to see is a more talented player get cut because McNair wants to keep DQ on the roster as some type of feel good story.
Have you seen that happen so far ?
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
Have you seen that happen so far ?
Sure, there have been so many feel good stories o this team that I cant even remember half of them. Blue and the Katrina story is one of them off of the top of my head. Go back and check out the preseason stories that have been written over the past decade to get a feel for what I'm talking about.
 

Insideop

All Pro
I believe he still has PS eligibility as he was placed on IR after he fractured his foot during a practice in the beginning of 2013 (the year he was drafted) , and since he was on the PS only most of last year, and on the active list for only 2 games total in 2017 (and thus has not accrued a season). His long presence with the Texans has been mostly on the non-football illness injury list while he went through chemotherapy.

Here is the NFL’s legalese on practice squad eligibility:



Taking the chance that some may take this as cold, I will say that if Quessenberry has not advanced his skills by the end of TC and the Texans know that he is never going to be what he was supposed to be, it is time to find another way to continue to show loyalty and "honor" his valiant fight without negatively affecting the future of the team by even taking up a place on the PS.......still potentially a very valuable place.
Thanks Doc!

In the limited time I've been able to see him play he seems like a decent run blocker but may need more seasoning as a pass protector. Thought he did well in the game against KC and if I recall he played OK in the last 2 games of last season. So, I just hope he can continue to get playing time this preseason and show enough to make the 53 man roster or PS. I guess we'll have our answer one way or another over the next few weeks!
 

IDEXAN

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
Sure, there have been so many feel good stories o this team that I cant even remember half of them. Blue and the Katrina story is one of them off of the top of my head. Go back and check out the preseason stories that have been written over the past decade to get a feel for what I'm talking about.
Blue and the Katrina story ?
Would that be hurricane Katrina ? I dunno what you are talking about ?
Just give me some detail on a story or two out of the half of the stories you claim to remember ?
 

CloakNNNdagger

Hall of Fame
Thanks Doc!

In the limited time I've been able to see him play he seems like a decent run blocker but may need more seasoning as a pass protector. Thought he did well in the game against KC and if I recall he played OK in the last 2 games of last season. So, I just hope he can continue to get playing time this preseason and show enough to make the 53 man roster or PS. I guess we'll have our answer one way or another over the next few weeks!
:tiphat:

We've also got to keep in mind that even before his ordeal, Quessenberry was a 6th round pick. He was at best a project, and many believed that with his run stopping skills but relative lack of pass protection ability, he would be able to transition only to OG in the NFL, due to his questionable upper body strength and footwork. Quessenberry has a lot to prove in a short period of time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JB

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
:tiphat:

We've also got to keep in mind that even before his ordeal, Quessenberry was a 6th round pick. He was at best a project, and many believed that with his run stopping skills but relative lack of pass protection ability, he would be able to transition only to OG in the NFL, due to his questionable upper body strength and footwork. Quessenberry has a lot to prove in a short period of time.
Sad thing is the offseason before he got cancer he had put in the work to get stronger. On another note have you heard how Hal is doing?
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
Blue and the Katrina story ?
Would that be hurricane Katrina ? I dunno what you are talking about ?
Just give me some detail on a story or two out of the half of the stories you claim to remember ?
Displaced by Katrina moved to Humle with nothing, went to LSU drafted by the Texans.
 

CloakNNNdagger

Hall of Fame
Sad thing is the offseason before he got cancer he had put in the work to get stronger. On another note have you heard how Hal is doing?
Hal was at Texans practice yesterday.........of c ourse, not practicing. If he is undergoing the typical 4-6 cycles 3 weeks apart of chemo +/- 6 weeks of radiation (all dictated by the Stage of his disease), he will undergo a PET/CT scan and probably find out how well treatment has gone by around the beginning of Sept. He will have already probably undergone one PET/CT scan after his 2nd or 3rd cycle was completed. So he now already has at least an idea if the treatment is working.
 

Speedy

Former Yeller Dweller
Over the top, but if a player that's better than DQ or has more potential than DQ then that guy should make the roster. That may not be politically correct but it should be true if the Texans org is concerned with putting the best product on the field as possible.
And that was the case last year when DQ did not make the team, so I don't really know what your argument is.
 

Texansballer74

The Marine
Did anyone notice or care that Ejiofor failed his physical and was cut? Got drafted after suffering a torn labrum and nothing but injuries since turning pro.

Yeah Doc posted this earlier today
Did anyone notice or care that Ejiofor failed his physical and was cut? Got drafted after suffering a torn labrum and nothing but injuries since turning pro.

Yes Doc posted this earlier today on another thread. Man I was pulling for this youngster.
 
Top