All the Texans had to do was lose to the Jags in week 17. There's no moral victories in going 6-10, they should have mailed it in and got the #6 pick.
I like the OPs idea of drafting a WR (Jones) in the first (we should have done it last year with Dez but we went need instead. (can you imagine Dre and Dez) It won't happen again this year for a couple of reasons, first off is Wade's hiring; they will let him do his thing on draft night, everyone else not named Wade may as well skip the draft altogether. To further expound on the ideal draft and offseason, I think you take the very best prospect available but I also think that should be every years mantra; BPA regardless of need. The dense needs fixing, duh, but I think that should be addressed through Free Agency unless BPA plays defense. First off, there is no time for growing pains and second there are GREAT players available in free agency at HUGE NEED positions. Now is the time to open the wallet and address those needs like the high priority they are. /carry on
Seriously. Unfortunately, McNair thought differently and Kubiak wanted to help save his job. Personally, I'd rather take Julio Jones if the D studs are gone than trade down or (worse) reach for a defensive player at #11. Nabbing average guys is not going to help out this team. They need FA help more than drafting their next Okoye, Jackson, or Bennett. They HAVE to get two STRONG starters for NT and CB. No more placeholders, no time for projects or high risk gambles. Trade up if you can if one of the real guys (Fairley, Dareus, Prince, Peterson) falls within reach. Plan on drafting for depth after that. A third CB on the same general level as Quin/Jackson/McCain is pointless. A NT no better than Cody or Mitchell is just as pointless. Upgrade the positions.
Woa. Woa. Woa. This has been a pet peeve of mine since Kirk Herbstreit decided he wanted to try to seem smart, but did you mean to say "morale victory" and not "moral victory"? It seems so odd to say "moral", like did they really learn the difference between right and wrong or did they more likely boost their confidence and their spirit? I'm just saying. But I agree that winning the last game of the season was absolutely "on the right track".
I would be amazed if Aaron Williams fell to us in the 3rd and Aldon Smith is more of a project right now so i would rather take someone who can contribute right away like Robert Quin but Quin will be taken early. Its funny that the last 3 people all have Williams as their last name.
It's a moral victory in that the moral of the story is to keep on battlefighting even though the season is lost. Perseverance and persistence is the key to the super bowl, not smart personnel and player acquisitions.
I would have to believe that a Von Miller pick would be a very popular pick for the Texans. It's just a matter if enough QB's get into the top 10 to make him drop to 11. I don't know didly about Blaine Gabbert. If I needed a QB I would sit on Andy Dalton. I love Can Newton in college but I would have to see his Wunderlich and see how he does in in pre-snap read and adjust tests before i would predict his success in the NFL. SI 2011 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 With 30 of the NFL's 32 teams already in full-blown draft prep mode as Senior Bowl week winds down in Mobile, Ala., it's time for our initial stab at mocking out how the first round will unfold on the night of April 28 in midtown Manhattan. You get the feeling this year's labor issues will only make NFL fans crave the three-day draft extravaganza all the more. If that's even remotely possible. (Send comments to siwriters@simail.com) 1 DT Nick Fairley Auburn Jr. 6-5 298 The Panthers' self-proclaimed No. 1 need is at quarterback, and they've got time to do their homework and talk themselves into taking Missouri's Blaine Gabbert if they see true top-of-the-draft potential there. But you don't have to convince anyone that Fairley is worthy of No. 1 consideration. With defensive-minded head coach Ron Rivera taking over in Carolina, Fairley would add a disruptive and much-needed play-making presence to the Panthers defensive line. 2 DE Da'Quan Bowers Clemson Jr. 6-4 275 If the Broncos switch to a 4-3 defense as expected under new coordinator Dennis Allen, Bowers would be an ideal fit as the best pure pass-rushing end in this year's draft class. With a healthy Elvis Dumervil presumably headed back to defensive end in a 4-3 scheme, Denver's 32-ranked sack total of 2010 would get a major boost. LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson is another strong option if the Broncos decide a replacement for Champ Bailey is in order. 3 QB Blaine Gabbert Missouri Jr. 6-5 235 Scouts like Gabbert's arm, his football sense and his prototypical NFL size. Now all he has to do is give them a comfort zone that his transition from Missouri's spread offense to an NFL-style passing game won't be more than he can handle. The Bills' defensive front needs help, so Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is tempting. But if Gabbert is deemed franchise QB material, No. 3 seems like the right time at the right price in whatever rookie wage scale is to come. 4 WR A.J. Green Georgia Jr. 6-4 212 I can't wait to see what Chad Ochocinco (or Johnson?) will tweet once the Bengals use their first-round pick to select a new No. 1 receiver. I would score that one checkmate, Marvin Lewis, in the coming showdown between Cincy's head coach and the veteran pass-catcher with whom he has long since grown weary. 5 CB Patrick Peterson LSU Jr. 6-1 222 After watching their defense suffer an embarrassing meltdown in 2010, the Cardinals know they could use a talent like Peterson, whose size, speed and athleticism makes him one of the cleanest prospects in this year's draft. If Gabbert should linger to No. 5, the quarterback-needy Cardinals could easily select their third young passer of the post-Kurt Warner era. 6 DE Robert Quinn North Carolina Jr. 6-5 270 Quinn is quite the story. He has overcome a brain tumor as a high school senior, posted a monster 11-sack sophomore season for the Tar Heels in 2009, and also sat out all of last year after being ruled ineligible for taking more than $5,600 worth of gifts and improper benefits from agents. But he's an undeniable talent and his pass-rush burst off the edge makes him a prime candidate for a defense that's switching to a 4-3 under new coordinator Dick Jauron. 7 CB Prince Amukamara Nebraska Sr. 6-1 205 A lot of early mocks are giving the 49ers help on the defensive line, like Alabama tackle Marcell Dareus or a pass-rushing end like Quinn. But I don't really see it, because the line was the strength of San Francisco's defense last season. Where the 49ers need help is at cornerback or outside linebacker. Amukamara is the No. 2-rated corner behind Peterson, and options at outside linebacker include Texas A&M's Von Miller or Missouri's Aldon Smith. 8 LB Aldon Smith Missouri Jr. 6-5 260 The Titans' need for a young quarterback in the post-Vince Young era is obvious, but does Jeff Fisher have the time to develop a passer in this situation, working in the final year of his contract? Smith is an edge-rush talent who would give Tennessee's defense some increased play-making potential. 9 DE-DT Marcell Dareus Alabama Jr. 6-4 306 Cornerback makes the top of the need list in Dallas, but the two top 10 prospects are already gone. Dareus would offer great value at No. 9, and he's a proven talent who thrived in Nick Saban's 3-4 defense at Alabama. He'd likely play at end in the NFL, and his knack for penetrating and making things happen in the backfield would no doubt help the Cowboys' pass defense by increasing the pass pressure up front. 10 QB Cam Newton Auburn Jr. 6-6 250 A consensus seems to be forming for Newton to land in Washington, where Mike Shanahan and Co. will undertake his transition into a pro-style passing game. I guess I can buy that, although drafting a second Auburn first-round quarterback in the span of six years (Jason Campbell, 2005) might make some Redskins fans nervous. Shanahan was thought to be very high on Washington quarterback Jake Locker last year at this time, so don't rule out the ex-Husky if he continues to bounce back from a rough senior season. 11 LB Von Miller Texas A&M Sr. 6-3 243 The Texans need more linebacker talent with their shift to a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Wade Phillips, and Miller could be plugged into that scheme as a playmaker in an outside slot. He has pass rush skills, but this spring he needs to prove he can handle the coverage aspect of an outside linebacker's role. Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20.../2011-nfl-mock-draft/index.html#ixzz1CHINVmtk
I would rather have Jonathan Baldwin from Pitt in the second round, than Julio Jones in the first. Baldwin will be better in the NFL, anyways... I say, if one of the big three aren't available (Big Three, meaning: Patterson, Amukamara, and Von Miller..and I don't think they will be), we trade down. Ideal draft for me: 1st Round: I say we make a big trade down to number 25. The Seahawks are in need of a new quarterback. Maybe we swing pick numbers 57 (second rounder) and 98 (second pick in fourth round) from them. 1st round (25th pick): JJ Watt DE/DT Wisconsin 2nd round (42nd pick): Jonathan Baldwin WR Pitt 2nd round (57th pick): Ras-I Dowling CB Virginia 3rd round (73rd pick): Robert Sands S West Virginia 4th round (98th pick): Sam Acho OLB Texas 4th round (104th pick): Lee Ziemba G Auburn After this, you HAVE TO sign another corner and a nose tackle in free agency.
He had surgery yesterday for a recent tear in lateral meniscus. I support trading down to not reach for him, but I don't know where he would fall now.
A fearless and totally useless prediction from an admitted draft nerd: The Patriots will use their two #1's to trade up for AJ Green. Brady is 34, if you want to do something to maximize his considerable value for the couple of years he has left, you get him the top WR in the draft to add to his no-name receiving corps. (or they could use their own pick on Baldwin) The would still have 2 #2's and 2 #3's to reload the front 7.
Obviously this is a joke; however, I don't get how people can condemn us for drafting a well known juicer in cushing and in the same breath say we should have drafted mattews. the only difference between the two is that one of them has already been caught.
Paea plays like a bull in a china shop, but his knee injury at the Senior Bowl really damaged his stock. He's the strongest player in the Draft - bench pressed 225 lbs. 44 times (combine record is 51). McShay has him going 24 to the Saints, and Kiper says 21 to the Chiefs. Also, regarding the OP's projection, I like the Aaron Williams pick, but he's likely to be off the board. He's projected to go late 1st/early 2nd, but he's going to climb boards after the combine. Freak athlete, ideal size, great hands, intelligent. He's going to be a GREAT pro.
WalterFootball has Williams at the 43rd pick with the Texans taking Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado at 42. But it's way early and everyone is always wrong anyway. But that doesn't stop me from wasting my idle time on it though. http://walterfootball.com/draft2011_2.php Houston Texans: Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado The Texans will be targeting a rush linebacker and a cornerback with their top two selections in the 2011 NFL Draft. Aldon Smith filled the former need with the 11th pick in the first round. Jimmy Smith would satisfy the latter. Despite taking Kareem Jackson in the first round of last year's draft, Houston still must address the cornerback position. Kareem Jackson has to improve, while Glover Quin would be better served as the nickel. Pick change; previously Phil Taylor, NT Minnesota Vikings: Aaron Williams, CB, Texas As written in my 2011 NFL Offseason Needs, Antoine Winfield turns 34 in June. Cedric Griffin is coming off two ACL tears. Chris Cook was frequently torched in his limited action as a rookie. The Vikings are desperate for corner help. Detroit Lions: Curtis Brown, CB, Texas The Lions always go with the best player on their board as long as it makes sense for them. In this scenario, their strategy will also fill a big need. Detroit needs all the help it can get in its anemic secondary.
this would be a terrible pick, Smith reminds me so much of Jackson. He gets beat a lot and does not have the foot speed to recover.
That's a Nose Tackle. Kiper: 11. Houston Texans- Aldon Smith OLB There's no doubt about it...the Texans will use their first pick on a defender. Smith has great size and a huge wing-span. He can instantly make the Texans pass rush better and could even start from day one.
He's a name that's going to fly up the boards after workouts. I think both Miller and Smith might potentially go in the top 10. Another name to watch is Cameron Jordan. The Texans need 1 (maybe 2) QBs to go in the top 10. That would push some more defensive talent down the board to the number 11. Guys we want to go top 10 that the Texans probably wouldn't draft: QB: Gabbert and Cam Newton WR: Green Guys who will also probably go top 10: CB: Peterson and Amukamara DE: Bowers and Quinn DT: Fairley and Dareus That's 9 players off the board giving us a chance at Miller/Smith/Cameron at number 11.
