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Texan's Mock from Scoutsnotebook.com

M

Matt_Alkire

Noob
Hey all,

A friend of mine and I just started a website after doing freelance writing for numberous sites over the years. Anyway, while we're both Eagles fans we really focus on the draft itself and I wanted to stop by with our recent mock draft.

To save you some time I'll just post the Texan's picks.

1st- Reggie Bush, RB USC

While we certainly agree Domanick Davis is a solid RB, Reggie brings an offensive weapon that can be used all over the field to assist David Carr. Bush is electric out of the backfield and is an excellent receiver that can take pressure off of Andre Johnson along with up and comer Jerome Mathis. Mathis has proven to be a great young KR, but Bush could be used just in the PR game or in both.

2nd- Eric Winston, LT Miami

Winston had a down year after knee surgery, however he was widely considered a Top 10 prospect coming into the year. He has continued to improve from injury throughout the year and could end up being a real steal with the first pick of the 2nd round for a team that could really use a LT for the future. The idea would be moving Chester Pitts over to RT. We could be wrong, but we just don't see Todd Wade fitting the zone blocking scheme Gary Kubiak will want to implement.

3rd- Dominique Byrd, TE USC

Another offensive weapon for David Carr. From what we've seen Houston has been very inconsistent at the TE position for years and while I would think they'd address this position in Free Agency if possible, it's something we won't know until March.

3rd- Mark Setterstrom, OG Minnesota

Athletic Offensive Guard who would fit well in the zone blocking scheme. One of the major weaknesses we see is an offensive line that has been a virtual turnstyle for years. Protecting David Carr and empowering him with offensive weapons is priority in our humble opinion.

4th- Jonathan Joseph, CB South Carolina

5th- Dwayne Slay, SS Texas Tech

Upgrading the secondary is another high priority in our opinion. The value in the earlier rounds was at other positions, however both of these players have alot more potential then their draft position would indicate.

We only did this mock up to the 5th round and didn't include any compensatory picks that may be coming the Texan's way.

One thing of note is that this was done when we were still waiting to find out who the new Defensive Coordinator would be. Now that we've seen it's Richard Smith we feel pretty confident the team will move to a 43, but didn't want to assume anything with our picks so, we shyed away from defense early with the value there on offense.

Obviously if the move is going to be to a 43 a pass rushing DE may be something to look at early.

I'll stop back to get any feedback you have. Also, any info or opinion you'd like to toss me on the Texan's draft needs would be great. We want to provide a good product.

If you'd like to visit the site it's at http://www.scoutsnotebook.com

It is a paysite, but the mock drafts and rankings are free for all. There is sample info on the toolbar of the site. We put player notes up on hundreds of prospects.

Hope you enjoy.:)
 
Other than needing a DE somewhere in there (hopefully we could get one in free agency somewhere then), I would not be upset at all with that draft, it would easily be our best one yet.
 
LIke the first 2 rds think we can get a TE later than 3rd ,would take joseph#65,and Mangold #66 ,think we could get Setterstrom in 5th rd,4th rd would take a DE or MLB,someone mentioned McIntosh in anither thread,or FS Maxey U of Miami,6th take your TE,7th take a QB.
 
@ whiskey-

I certainly agree a TE could be had later in the draft considering the needs the team has. Looking at it from a value prospective Dominique was up there when we made the pick. Can't see Mark Setterstrom dropping to the 5th round at this point. Watching him in the Senior Bowl he looked very good. With Minnesota players it's always a concern of product of system vs effective player whether it's on the Offensive Line or at Running Back. I think Setterstrom answered that question at the Senior Bowl. We have him as a 3rd round prospect. You certainly could be right come draft day though.

I can't see Nick Mangold lasting until the 3rd round. See him as a mid 2nd round prospect, late 2nd at worst. He was also very solid in the Senior Bowl and watching him in 1 on 1 drills was very impressive. Finishing his blocks well, sustaining, good hand placement, showed a nasty streak, quick setup. All things that you like to see from a Center.

Same with Davin Joseph. He looked a bit light in the seat at Mobile. He had lost a bit of weight as he had to shift out to LT for the Sooners this season, but it looked like he had lost additional weight coming into Mobile. Perhaps he thought scouts would look at him as a Tackle prospect if he shed the pounds, but he'll need to get that weight back on. He could slip to the 3rd round, but I don't see it happening. Just my opinion, but I have him as the best OG in the draft.

Rocky's a great player. Fun to watch. Plays with great instincts and throws his body around with reckless abandon. Just the type of guy that plays with alot of fire. Had a pick in the Shrine Game. Heckuva player.

In regards to TE, I would actually think that may be a spot to check out in Free Agency. You obviously don't want to have to go into a draft with needs on your mind. Never makes for a great draft.

As I mentioned, we would have addressed defense as well earlier, however with the new coaching staff coming in we want to wait to see the system implimented to know what will fit. No sense throwing a 34 ILB in there if they're not going to run one.
 
A bit off topic, but how do you guys seeing the depth chart shakeup if there is a move into a 43?

Also, what do you see the needs for improvement being?

I would think Jason Babin and Antwan Peek would be well suited as rush DEs. Travis Johnson, Seth Payne and Robaire Smith in the middle. Gary Walker at LDE.

The defensive backfield looks to be a concern. Was a big fan of Dunta Robinson at South Carolina, but Phillip Buchanon has always underwhelmed me. I'm also a Notre Dame fan so, I'd love to give the benefit of the doubt to Glenn Earl, but I don't see him as being the longterm solution. Do you guys? How did Jammal Lord look this season in your opinions?

CC Brown?

Thanks.
 
Matt_Alkire said:
A bit off topic, but how do you guys seeing the depth chart shakeup if there is a move into a 43?

Also, what do you see the needs for improvement being?

I would think Jason Babin and Antwan Peek would be well suited as rush DEs. Travis Johnson, Seth Payne and Robaire Smith in the middle. Gary Walker at LDE.

The defensive backfield looks to be a concern. Was a big fan of Dunta Robinson at South Carolina, but Phillip Buchanon has always underwhelmed me. I'm also a Notre Dame fan so, I'd love to give the benefit of the doubt to Glenn Earl, but I don't see him as being the longterm solution. Do you guys? How did Jammal Lord look this season in your opinions?

CC Brown?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I think Setterstrom could fall to the 5th, in the 3rd I'd rather see Nick Mangold (I don't know where he ended up going in your mock, but I'd love to get him there if he's available, and I think there is a chance he could be, albeit a small chance). I would generally agree that I personally would hold off on TE until after the 3rd, but I think the team will get one sometime the first day, and if Dominique Byrd is available at #65/66 I know they will take him, and I wouldn't argue getting him there.

As for our defense, they have said they are switching to a 4-3, due to personnel they might have to still run a lot of 3-4 this year but they'll see how people perform and what guys we can get in the draft and free agency. Peek and Babin are supposed to be the main DEs, I think Peek definitely needs to gain some weight and could be a decent DE, Babin maybe gain a little weight but I'm still not sure about him as one of our primary pass rushers, he just doesn't seem aggressive enough for it and I don't see the high motor/energy that I see out of Peek. I don't think Walker can really play DE in a 4-3 anymore, he could be decent in run support but he won't provide much of a pass rush at all. We do have an overabundance of DTs, and all of them are pretty expensive (but also expensive to move elsewhere), but I could see us cutting one of them (either Payne or Walker, my preference between the two would be Walker but it would cost a whole lot to cut/trade him). As of right now, Glenn Earl and C.C. Brown are our safeties. Both are decent tacklers and decent in run support, Earl is developing as a coverage guy but still not there yet, but keep in mind both were late round picks in the last two drafts, so both are young and have room to develop. I wouldn't be surprised to see us go with a coverage-type FS to have an extra guy back there that can cover TEs or RBs better, but at the same time I think Brown and Earl can be ok together. Buchanon has also been a disappointment, he has all the physical gifts he needs but he's very soft, doesn't stick close to guys in coverage, shies away from contact and doesn't like to hit anyone. I think he could still be turned into a decent CB with some coaching and a change in his mentality, but I would also look for a CB to replace him if he doesn't step it up. Our LBs could also definitely use an upgrade, but Greenwood and Wong both have big contracts and are locked in here, and I think both could be decent OLBs, Wong can be decent at MLB too but we lack a true MLB. For now, once Wong is recovered from his knee injury (I've heard he might not be fully ready by camps, maybe even preseason) he is our MLB, Greenwood is one OLB, and Shantee Orr is the likely third LB. I wouldn't have a problem looking for a MLB-type in the 5th or lower, maybe Rocky McIntosh or Anthony Schlegel, then we could move Wong back outside.
 
@MorKnolle-

Like I said, don't think Mangold would be there in the 3rd. To answer your question we had him going pick 51 to Miami.

Hell, I'd be happy if the Eagles took him in the 2nd.

@General pop of the board...

Saw some people from here registered at our board today. Just keep in mind it is a paysite when you register. Only 5 bucks, but just a reminder. All the mocks and rankings are free so, don't join if that's all you want to see.

Smilies here are goofy.:drool: :homer: :redtowel:
 
I love the first two picks. I was thinking the center Eslinger for round 3...where do you guys have him going. Can he drop that far?

Too many good tackles to get one in round one.
 
slamdunc said:
I love the first two picks. I was thinking the center Eslinger for round 3...where do you guys have him going. Can he drop that far?

Too many good tackles to get one in round one.
Click to expand...

I wasn't aware Seth McKinney's play was that bad to warrant getting a Center in the works. From all I had heard he was the only member of the OLine playing at a high level, however I may have bad info.

Eslinger can certainly drop to Round 3. I've read where some scouts have him as a second day prospect. Some a 3rd round guy.

The thing with Greg is that he's going to be much higher on certain draft boards then others. Teams like Denver, Atlanta and now Houston will most likely rate him at least a round higher then others as he is a bit of a niche player.

He's listed at 285lbs. I just don't buy that. Saw him picking up his Remington Award and he barely looked 260lbs. Perhaps he's just compact or holds his weight well, but I wouldn't be surprised if he weighed in light.

I'll tell you I don't think I've seen a Center move better then Greg in my time. Excellent mobility. As silly as it may sound I think the kid could drop weight and play FB in a run heavy north/south system like Pittsburgh's. That's not likely, but I'm simply pointing out how gifted he is in that regard.

We have Eslinger as a late 3rd/4th round prospect.

He is 2nd in our Center rankings behind Mangold. Ryan Cook from New Mexico is 3rd.
 
Matt_Alkire said:
I wasn't aware Seth McKinney's play was that bad to warrant getting a Center in the works. From all I had heard he was the only member of the OLine playing at a high level, however I may have bad info.
Click to expand...
I'd look for McKinney to restructure and it looks like Guard is his better position.
 
I would do a backflip if this draft happened.

1. Bush
2. Winston
3. Byrd
3. Gabe Watson DT Michigan (I cant believe he is here this late. This is the only reason I take him, since DT is not a huge need.)
4. Lawrence Vickers FB Colorado (Will be our pass catching, and ball carying FB)
5. Anwar Phillips CB Penn St. (CB is a big need in my book.)
6. Greg Threat S Miami (FL) (I like Miami players, and the swager they bring)
7. Drew Olson (I love this QB. And I have no idea why he is rated so low.)

I think I would mess my pants if we ended up with this draft.

Matt_Alkire; what do you think of the rest of the players I slotted? Reasonable to you, or ridiculous?
 
THE NFL DRAFT said:
I would do a backflip if this draft happened.

1. Bush
2. Winston
3. Byrd
3. Gabe Watson DT Michigan (I cant believe he is here this late. This is the only reason I take him, since DT is not a huge need.)
4. Lawrence Vickers FB Colorado (Will be our pass catching, and ball carying FB)
5. Anwar Phillips CB Penn St. (CB is a big need in my book.)
6. Greg Threat S Miami (FL) (I like Miami players, and the swager they bring)
7. Drew Olson (I love this QB. And I have no idea why he is rated so low.)

I think I would mess my pants if we ended up with this draft.

Matt_Alkire; what do you think of the rest of the players I slotted? Reasonable to you, or ridiculous?
Click to expand...


I think some of it is reasonable.

The value I put on Gabe Watson and the value an NFL GM puts on him is a different story. I look at Gabe and see a kid that only plays when he wants to play. The other writer on our site and I have a philosophy we stick by which is to "write what you see". We don't go and take our opinions from elsewhere because we just have a passion for player eval. If I'm a GM I wouldn't touch Watson on the 1st day. You have this great physical specimen who is blessed with great ability and only plays half the time. He doesn't seem to like the battle up front. That scares me with a DT. I want a hardnosed guy who likes to scrap. Give me a Chris Zordich type everyday of the week. Watson only seems to put forth effort when he's pass rushing. The problem is, he's a 335lb guy, not a 1 gap pass rusher. I would imagine a GM will see his upside and think they can get him to work harder. Then I'd see him coming off the board in the 2nd round at some point. My question to that GM would be how he thinks a kid who couldn't motivate himself to work hard in college will do so once he's got a few million in his pocket. He was benched for half this season.

Vickers is an intriguing guy. Looks natural carrying the ball. In the Senior Bowl he had one run imparticular that stood out to me. Just a simple draw play out of the gun, but he showed some wiggle and hit the hole hard. Just looked natural carrying the ball. Has good hands. Blocks well. Solid prospect. I think you have him graded properly in the 4th round area.

I was very surprised Anwar Phillips was even invited to the Senior Bowl. Tom Bradley (PSU's DefCoord) likes to play a "bend but don't break" style of defense. He'll play his corners off and allow them to take some chances however, they don't get alot of press coverage experience. The funny thing is that Anwar looked brutal at times playing off and much better in press. It's usually the other way around obviously. I would have graded Anwar out as a 6th or 7th rounder. Our other writer is a PSU fan and said the same however, if he's getting looks at the Senior Bowl perhaps the 5th is more like it. Just my preference, but if I were looking CB in the 5th round I'd be much more inclined to go after kids like Dion Byrum (Ohio), Quincy Butler (TCU) or even Darrell Hunter (MiamiOH) if still available. That's just me though.

Not sure Threat will be drafted. Didn't start for Miami much this year so, I certainly think he could be had in the 6th round.

I think you have Drew Olson a few rounds too late. I think he'll get some looks in the mid rounds from teams. Philadelphia, Minnesota and Seattle are teams I could see taking a hard look at Drew as a backup. He fits the Holmgren/Reid/Childress mold pretty well.

Anyway, if you tweek the order a bit I think Houston could certainly end up with a draft similiar to what you put up there. Not sure they'd go after Watson with the players they have at DT, but they certainly could.

Hope that helps.
 
good stuff,

why do you have jonathan joseph so low (4th rd)? kiper has him in the 1st rd in his most recent mock, i can't see him falled past the texans in the beginning of the 3rd round.

it is obvious you've done your research on the Texans, you picked players at position of needs, and seem to know the schemes we are likely to run.
 
I believe the best game the O-Line played was aginst J-Ville at their place. McKinney moved to guard after in-game injuries and Jeff Hogdon played center. With that line-up, they jammed down J-villes throat. Didn't score much but ran at will.
Steve McKinney, I believe, came into the league as a guard. He did play gaurd at Indy for a while. That was I "logic" for going center I guess. Eslinger is much better than Hogdon, from what I hear anyway.
 
THE NFL DRAFT said:
I would do a backflip if this draft happened.

1. Bush
2. Winston
3. Byrd
3. Gabe Watson DT Michigan (I cant believe he is here this late. This is the only reason I take him, since DT is not a huge need.)
4. Lawrence Vickers FB Colorado (Will be our pass catching, and ball carying FB)
5. Anwar Phillips CB Penn St. (CB is a big need in my book.)
6. Greg Threat S Miami (FL) (I like Miami players, and the swager they bring)
7. Drew Olson (I love this QB. And I have no idea why he is rated so low.)

I think I would mess my pants if we ended up with this draft.

Matt_Alkire; what do you think of the rest of the players I slotted? Reasonable to you, or ridiculous?
Click to expand...

I like your first three picks, but Gabe Watson and Vickers I don't like. DT is about the last of our needs, regardless of who falls to us, Travis Johnson and Robaire Smith are both pretty young still so we don't need a younger replacement for either of them, and Walker and Payne are both functional players still and have big contracts that can't be moved, so bringing in another DT does not serve much purpose. I think the other 3rd round pick is where we need to look at a CB or else an interior OLineman. I also don't really like the Vickers pick, having a more mobile and better running FB would probably suit Kubiak's offense more than Norris, but I don't believe in drafting FBs this high as there should be some big power runners available somewhere in free agency or later in the draft that can play FB. I wouldn't mind seeing us get a FS higher than the 6th or looking for a MLB like Schlegel in the 5th.

As for Steve McKinney (Seth plays for the Dolphins), he is still a pretty good run blocker but he was horrible in pass blocking this year. It might not have showed on the stats, but he was responsible for most of the muffed protection on interior blitzes, he and Milford Brown would always get confused and go after the same guy on any kind of stunt or whatever else and leave one guy racing in for a free shot on the QB. He is also counting over $4 million against our cap next year and would only cost $800k against the cap to cut/trade, so in my mind unless he takes a decent pay cut he should be gone and we can use that $3.2 million we save on his replacement and elsewhere.
 
Matt_Alkire said:
Anyway, if you tweek the order a bit I think Houston could certainly end up with a draft similiar to what you put up there. Not sure they'd go after Watson with the players they have at DT, but they certainly could.

Hope that helps.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the insight. Its nice to hear about some of the lesser known players. Good work on the mock. Really solid stuff.
 
travfrancis said:
good stuff,

why do you have jonathan joseph so low (4th rd)? kiper has him in the 1st rd in his most recent mock, i can't see him falled past the texans in the beginning of the 3rd round.

it is obvious you've done your research on the Texans, you picked players at position of needs, and seem to know the schemes we are likely to run.
Click to expand...

I have Joseph lower then most. Again, I write what I see and frankly, I haven't seen enough of Joseph at this point. I've got some South Carolina I need to review. I only pay attention to underclassmen if they're on an elite level because there are just so many Seniors to evaluate.

Mel's famous for his hyperbole. Three months ago Hank Baskett was his top WR, then Martin Nance, then Maurice Stovall, now Sinorice Moss. The dude does it to get his ratings.

I don't know if Joseph is a 1st rounder, but I'm sure I probably have him rated too low from other people I've talked to whom I respect.
 
slamdunc said:
I believe the best game the O-Line played was aginst J-Ville at their place. McKinney moved to guard after in-game injuries and Jeff Hogdon played center. With that line-up, they jammed down J-villes throat. Didn't score much but ran at will.
Steve McKinney, I believe, came into the league as a guard. He did play gaurd at Indy for a while. That was I "logic" for going center I guess. Eslinger is much better than Hogdon, from what I hear anyway.
Click to expand...

Good stuff. I'll make note of that. Thanks.
 
I could see some Texans fans getting together for something similar in the future, the draft generates so much interest nowadays with marketing, access and the internet. props to y'all for putting something worthwhile together and running with it :)

1st- Reggie Bush, RB USC

I would not have a problem with taking the BPA. Stay tuned for progress with Carr's negoations its not a done deal yet and they have until the 19th.

2nd- Eric Winston, LT Miami

Texans fans would do cartwheels if this happen'ed, wishfull thinking only as he should rate as the 2nd or 3rd best tackle in the draft and some people think as many as 5 go in the first rd.

3rd- Dominique Byrd, TE USC

One of the most over-hyped guys of the draft in my opinion. he has a track record of injurys and the last thing the Texans need is to draft a TE that could not see playing time using a 3rd pick.

3rd- Mark Setterstrom, OG Minnesota

I'd be Ok with Setterstrom but have you seen Sims from Ohio State that guys is a beast as a pulling guard.

4th- Jonathan Joseph, CB South Carolina

I might move Slay up to this spot and get too cute. one thing the secondary lacks is aggression and that is more of a need than another cover corner.

5th- Dwayne Slay, SS Texas Tech

This would be a good place to grab a TE like Jeff King from Virginia Tech, one who could block, catch and stretch the field.
 
@beerlover-

It's funny you bring up Rob Sims. Both my colleague and I think he's one of the more underrated players in the entire draft. You rarely hear about him yet, we feel he's one of the more polished OGs in the draft. Both of us have him rated as our #2 Offensive Guard prospect. Not sure NFL teams will like him that much, but we certainly do.

I'm not a Dominique Byrd fan. Like his talent. Don't like his personality and track record. Got his jaw broken by a teammate last year in a fight and nearly was academically ineligible this season. Just seems like a future turd to me. The one thing he does have going for him is talent though.

Slay is certainly worth a 4th rounder. I'd agree.

Not sure if Jeff King will be a 5th rounder. Could go later. Not a very good athlete. Announcers bring up that he played basketball, but if you saw it first hand is was somewhat embarrassing to watch.
 
Matt_Alkire said:
3rd- Dominique Byrd, TE USC

Another offensive weapon for David Carr. From what we've seen Houston has been very inconsistent at the TE position for years and while I would think they'd address this position in Free Agency if possible, it's something we won't know until March.
Click to expand...

Wrong. We've CONSISTENTLY had nothing at TE since we started:)
 
Maddict5 said:
Wrong. We've CONSISTENTLY had nothing at TE since we started:)
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I didn't want to say nothing because I think alot of people revert to hyperbole often when talking about football. Billy Miller's first two years with the Texans were serviceable so, I figured I'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

I agree, it's been a weak point since the inception of the franchise.
 
Matt_Alkire said:
I didn't want to say nothing because I think alot of people revert to hyperbole often when talking about football. Billy Miller's first two years with the Texans were serviceable so, I figured I'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

I agree, it's been a weak point since the inception of the franchise.
Click to expand...

thats a good example of a classy response to what could be considered a contentious statement even though I think none was given, more of just a venting after 4 years of frustration :challenge
 
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