Ehh, twice the Texans have taken a pass rusher 1-1. Did we get the production you'd expect from a first overall pick? I don't think so. I'd rather see a trade to get multiple picks.
Top 10 pick, 2 2nd rounders, up to 70 milling in cap space, new head coach. The good news is the rebuild/ retool should be quick.
Ed's team gave up 63 points yesterday. The last time we had the first pick we picked Clowney. Are we ever going to build an offensive line?
We just lost to the Titans without their starting QB and 3 of their Olinemen. This was about as much as a gimme win the Texans will have on their schedule... I mean if you tell me we are going 3-13 I wouldn't be surprised at all.
Good news: you get a top pick Bad news*: top is full of defensive players *If you want an offensive player Spoiler http://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2019/i...on-rankings-top-25-prospects-mel-kiper-grades 1. Ed Oliver, DT, Houston* Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 292 pounds Oliver is just relentless on tape. He never quits. He's the best interior pass-rusher in this class, though he's not quite Aaron Donald, even though those are the comps he's going to get. Oliver uses a quick first step to wreck plays before they can even get started -- he has 39 tackles for loss in two seasons. 2. Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State* Height: 6-4 | Weight: 263 If Oliver is the Class of 2019's top interior pass-rusher, Bosa is the best off the edge. And I don't think it's particularly close. He is advanced for his age in his technique -- you can probably thank his brother, Joey, and dad, John, both former first-round picks -- and he hasn't put up huge numbers because of Ohio State's talented defensive line rotation. Expect him to get more snaps -- and more than eight sacks this season. 3. Rashan Gary, DT, Michigan* Height: 6-6 | Weight: 283 Gary dominates when he's at his best. Just manhandles offensive linemen. The problem? Consistency. A defender this big and this talented should have more than 17 tackles for loss in two seasons. I expect the former No. 1 overall recruit to have a big junior season and be in contention for the top pick next April. 4. Devin White, LB, LSU* Height: 6-1 | Weight: 240 White had 133 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and an interception during a breakout 2017 season. He was spectacular. I love his read-and-react ability, and when I went back and watched the LSU tape, he was all over the field. Now, White is not a true pass-rusher, but he could play outside or inside linebacker at the next level. He has some versatility. 5. Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson* Height: 6-5 | Weight: 340 As I wrote in my way-too-early Big Board, big-bodied guys who move like Lawrence and can eat gaps don't last long in the draft. And Lawrence has shown that he is more than a plugger -- he has nine sacks in two seasons. 6. Andraez "Greedy" Williams, CB, LSU** Height: 6-3 | Weight: 184 Williams burst onto the scene in 2017, picking off six passes as a redshirt freshman and emerging as one of the best defensive backs in college football. He has great ball skills and a long, lean frame, and he sticks to wide receivers. Keep a close eye on the LSU defense in 2018. 7. Raekwon Davis, DE, Alabama* Height: 6-7 | Weight: 316 You might remember the massive Davis make an interception in the College Football Playoff national title game last season. Watch No. 99 move in the clip above. Davis is still developing pass-rushing moves, but he has the size and athleticism that NFL teams love. He had 8.5 sacks last season. 8. Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss* Height: 6-6 | Weight: 325 Little is a true left tackle. He won't have to move to the right side in the NFL. He's light on his feet and can get to the second level to take on linebackers, and he consistently overpowers SEC edge defenders at the point of attack. 9. A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss* Height: 6-1 | Weight: 230 This kid is dynamic after the catch -- he averaged 16.7 yards per catch and had 11 touchdowns last season. I wrote in May that his frame reminded me of Anquan Boldin, and he dominates smaller corners in coverage. Brown could have a monster 2018 season. 10. Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia Height: 5-11 | Weight: 185 Passers who went after Baker last season didn't have much luck. He broke up nine passes and had six interceptions. Even after losing Roquan Smith, there is still a ton of talent on the Georgia defense, and it starts with Baker, who has developed into an elite corner. 11. Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama* Height: 6-5 | Weight: 301 It's not easy to start for Nick Saban as a freshman, and that's exactly what Williams did when he lined up as the right tackle in Week 1 in 2016. Now he has started 29 games in two seasons, spending last season on the left side. There's a chance he could move to guard in the NFL, but I like him as a tackle right now. 12. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford Height: 5-10 | Weight: 202 You should know by now about Love's fantastic 2017 season. All he did was rush for 2,118 yards and 19 touchdowns while averaging 8.1 yards per carry. That earned him second place in the race for the Heisman Trophy. Love is going to keep getting compared to former Cardinal star Christian McCaffrey, but he isn't as versatile as McCaffrey -- yet. I want to see Love get more involved in the passing game. He caught only six passes last season. 13. Trey Adams, OT, Washington (*SEASON ENDING BACK SURGERY) Height: 6-8 | Weight: 327 The frame sticks out -- he is massive. And Adams might be ranked higher if he didn't tear an ACL last October. I want to see how he looks early this season, and he gets a big test in Atlanta in Week 1 as the Huskies take on Auburn.
Spoiler 14. Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson* Height: 6-5 | Weight: 265 I thought Ferrell could have been a first-round pick in the 2018 draft, when he was a third-year sophomore. He's that good. And so Clemson now has one of the most talented defensive lines I've ever seen in college football. Ferrell has 30.5 tackles for loss in two seasons, and he's a menace on the edge. 15. Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon* Height: 6-6 | Weight: 233 Herbert jumps into the top quarterback spot from my way-too-early Big Board. His decision-making has improved, and he finished all the way up at No. 12 in FBS in Total QBR (80.1) last season, even after missing five games with a broken collarbone. With only nine interceptions in 15 starts, Herbert takes care of the ball, too. He's athletic for his size, and I think he's a sleeper candidate for the Heisman. Watch out. 16. Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State* Height: 6-4 | Weight: 300 Simmons had two touchdowns last season. In one game. He blocked a punt and recovered the ball in the end zone, then took a fumble 90 yards to the house in the rout of Louisiana Tech. The big man can move. Simmons, a disruptive player on the interior, also chipped in five sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 2017. 17. Rodney Anderson, RB, Oklahoma* (*SEASON ENDING KNEE INJURY) Height: 6-1 | Weight: 220 Anderson runs hard. Roquan Smith & Co. couldn't bring him down in the Rose Bowl, as Anderson rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns against Georgia. He has had some health issues in the past, so I want to see him put together a complete season. But the speed and vision are there on tape. He's a great back. 18. Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn* Height: 6-5 | Weight: 325 It's tough to miss Brown on the 2017 Auburn tape. He bullied offensive linemen during the breakout season in which he had nine tackles for loss and 56 total tackles. He's still raw and still developing pass-rushing moves, but the size and athleticism are there to be a top-10 pick. 19. Brian Burns, OLB/DE, Florida State* Height: 6-5 | Weight: 235 Florida State's 2017 season went off the rails when it lost its quarterback in the first game, but there were a few positives in a 7-6 year. Count Burns, a twitchy, lean pass-rusher, among them. He had 13.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks after totaling 9.5 sacks as a freshman in 2016. I'm expecting a hungry Seminoles team under Willie Taggart, and Burns is one of their most important players. 20. Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson Height: 6-4 | Weight: 310 Like Ferrell, Wilkins skipped the draft and decided to return for another season at Clemson. And like Ferrell, Wilkins could have gone on Day 1 last April. I compared Wilkins last year to former Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, because he's scheme-versatile and could play end or tackle in the NFL. The Clemson defensive line is loaded. 21. N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State* Height: 6-4 | Weight: 220 The former freshman All-American had 82 catches for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore last season, and he could top that in 2018. Because of his size, Harry can be dominant in the red zone, dominating smaller corners on jump balls. But he also can run a crisp route and get open everywhere else. 22. Drew Lock, QB, Missouri Height: 6-4 | Weight: 225 Lock has as much arm talent as any quarterback from the past few drafts, but the question is consistency. He leaves a lot of throws on the field. Of course, he also hits some big ones, as shown by his 44 touchdown passes and only 13 picks last season. The SEC has the most defensive talent in the country, so he's going to get his chance to impress in 2018. 23. Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State Height: 6-6 | Weight: 241 Sweat's 6-6 frame has room for more weight, so he could play outside linebacker in a 3-4 or defensive end in a 4-3. He showed last season that he's one of the best pass-rushers in college football, putting up 10.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. The Bulldogs are going to be tough to beat this season. 24. Zach Allen, DE, Boston College Height: 6-5 | Weight: 285 Yes, Allen can get after quarterbacks, but he also was credited with 100 total tackles in 2017. He's not former Boston College first-round pick Luke Kuechly, of course, but he's a complete defender. And Allen was better than 2018 second-round pick Harold Landry last season -- Allen had 15.15 tackles for loss and six sacks. He could approach double digits this season. 25. David Edwards, OT, Wisconsin* Height: 6-7 | Weight: 315 Edwards is just the latest in line of Badgers offensive big men going early in the draft -- they skipped 2018 but had Ryan Ramczyk in Round 1 in 2017. Edwards is a former high school quarterback who needed time to fill out his frame, turning in an All-American season in 2017. He'll meet Rashan Gary and Michigan in Ann Arbor on Oct. 13. Should be a fun one.
Spoiler Position rankings Quarterbacks Seniors 1. Drew Lock, Missouri 2. Will Grier, West Virginia 3. Ryan Finley, NC State 4. Clayton Thorson, Northwestern 5. Trace McSorley, Penn State Underclassmen 1. Justin Herbert, Oregon 2. Jarrett Stidham, Auburn 3. Nate Stanley, Iowa 4. Shea Patterson, Michigan 5. Tyree Jackson, Buffalo Patterson, who transferred from Ole Miss, is one to watch. Jim Harbaugh's offense was horrible last season, but Patterson is super talented and could be just what Harbaugh needs. I expect Grier to have a huge season. Running backs Seniors 1. Bryce Love, Stanford 2. Damien Harris, Alabama 3. Ty Johnson, Maryland 4. Myles Gaskin, Washington 5. Aeris Williams, Mississippi State Underclassmen 1. Rodney Anderson, Oklahoma 2. David Montgomery, Iowa State 3. Justice Hill, Oklahoma State 4. Devin Singletary, Florida Atlantic 5. Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky Montgomery put up 1,146 rushing yards and also had 36 catches last season. Gaskin has 45 rushing TDs in three seasons. Fullbacks Seniors 1. Winston Dimel, UTEP 2. Alec Ingold, Wisconsin 3. Kendrick Jackson, Arkansas 4. Johnathan Vickers, Florida State 5. George Aston, Pitt Underclassmen 1. Cameron Green, Northwestern 2. Brady Ross, Iowa 3. Ray Marten, Boston College 4. Kyle Boyd, Baylor 5. Isaac Lessard, San Diego State Kansas State transfer Dimel, who joins his dad, head coach Dana, in El Paso, is the best of the traditional, bruising fullbacks. Wide receivers Seniors 1. Anthony Johnson, Buffalo 2. Deebo Samuel, South Carolina 3. Parris Campbell, Ohio State 4. David Sills V, West Virginia 5. Keelan Doss, Cal-Davis Underclassmen 1. A.J. Brown, Mississippi 2. N'Keal Harry, Arizona State 3. Marquise Brown, Oklahoma 4. Ahmmon Richards, Miami (Florida) 5. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Stanford Campbell is one of the most electric players in all of college football -- he could have a breakout season. Brown averaged 19.2 yards per catch last season and might run 40 yards in the 4.3s. Tight ends Seniors 1. Tommy Sweeney, Boston College 2. C.J. Conrad, Kentucky 3. Tyler Petite, USC 4. Foster Moreau, LSU 5. Matt Sokol, Michigan State Underclassmen 1. Noah Fant, Iowa 2. *Kaden Smith, Stanford 3. Caleb Wilson, UCLA 4. *Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri 5. Zach Gentry, Michigan Fant was on my way-too-early Big Board, but I want to see the Hawkeyes get him more involved. Gentry has only 17 career catches, but he could be QB Shea Patterson's new best friend. Offensive tackles Seniors 1. Trey Adams, Washington 2. Dalton Risner, Kansas State 3. Chris Lindstrom, Boston College 4. Isaiah Prince, Ohio State 5. Max Scharping, Northern Illinois Underclassmen 1. Greg Little, Mississippi 2. Jonah Williams, Alabama 3. David Edwards, Wisconsin 4. Bobby Evans, Oklahoma 5. Jawaan Taylor, Florida Orlando Brown got the plaudits for the Sooners last season, but Evans was outstanding on the right side. Prince has started two straight seasons for the Buckeyes. Guards Seniors 1. Beau Benzschawel, Wisconsin 2. Alex Bars, Notre Dame 3. Hjalte Froholdt, Arkansas 4. Michael Deiter, Wisconsin 5. Dru Samia, Oklahoma Underclassmen 1. Nate Herbig, Stanford 2. Ben Bredeson, Michigan 3. Darryl Williams, Mississippi State 4. Marcus Keyes, Oklahoma State 5. Sean Pollard, Clemson Keep an eye on Bars on Saturday, as he gets to match up with Rashan Gary and a talented Wolverines defense. Center Seniors 1. Elgton Jenkins, Mississippi State 2. Keegan Render, Iowa 3. Ross Pierschbacher, Alabama 4. Toa Lobendahn, USC 5. Jesse Burkett, Stanford Underclassmen 1. *Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin 2. Michael Jordan, Ohio State 3. Connor McGovern, Penn State 4. Erik McCoy, Texas A&M 5. Jake Hanson, Oregon Jenkins has the athleticism of a Day 1 or Day 2 pick. Defensive ends Seniors 1. Montez Sweat, Mississippi State 2. Zach Allen, Boston College 3. Jalen Jelks, Oregon 4. Austin Bryant, Clemson 5. Jaylon Ferguson, Louisiana Tech Underclassmen 1. Nick Bosa, Ohio State 2. Rashan Gary, Michigan 3. Raekwon Davis, Alabama 4. Clelin Ferrell, Clemson 5. Joe Jackson, Miami (Florida) Jelks had 15 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and broke up seven passes last season. Jackson has 15 career sacks. Defensive tackles Seniors 1. Christian Wilkins, Clemson 2. Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame 3. Isaiah Buggs, Alabama 4. Terry Beckner Jr., Missouri 5. Ricky Walker, Virginia Tech Underclassmen 1. Ed Oliver, Houston 2. Dexter Lawrence, Clemson 3. Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State 4. Derrick Brown, Auburn 5. Dre'Mont Jones, Ohio State Jones could rise into the first-round discussion with a big year. Beckner, a former No. 2 overall recruit, broke through with seven sacks last season. Inside linebackers Seniors 1. T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin 2. Te'Von Coney, Notre Dame 3. Cameron Smith, USC 4. Bobby Okereke, Stanford 5. Khalil Hodge, Buffalo Underclassmen 1. Devin Bush, Michigan 2. Mack Wilson, Alabama 3. Shaquille Quarterman, Miami (Florida) 4. Joe Giles-Harris, Duke 5. Troy Dye, Oregon Bush makes the Michigan defense go. He had 102 tackles last season. Okereke had 7.5 tackles for loss in 2017. Outside linebackers Seniors 1. Josh Allen, Kentucky 2. Porter Gustin USC 3. D'Andre Walker, Georgia 4. Ben Banogu, TCU 5. Chase Winovich, Michigan Underclassmen 1. Devin White, LSU 2. Brian Burns, Florida State 3. Anfernee Jennings, Alabama 4. Michael Pinckney, Miami (Florida) 5. Terrell Lewis, Alabama Banogu had a breakout year and could have been a Day 2 pick after last season. Lewis tore an ACL this summer and likely will miss the season. Cornerbacks Seniors 1. Deandre Baker, Georgia 2. Michael Jackson, Miami (Florida) 3. Blace Brown, Troy 4. Blessuan Austin, Rutgers 5. Rashad Robinson, James Madison Underclassmen 1. Andraez "Greedy" Williams, LSU 2. Julian Love, Notre Dame 3. Lavert Hill, Michigan 4. Jamel Dean, Auburn 5. Levonta Taylor, Florida State Love broke up 20 passes last season and has good ball skills. Safeties Seniors 1. Jaquan Johnson, Miami (Florida) 2. Lukas Denis, Boston College 3. Marvell Tell III, USC 4. Johnathan Abram, Mississippi State 5. Andrew Wingard, Wyoming Underclassmen 1. Jordan Fuller, Ohio State 2. Khaleke Hudson, Michigan 3. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Florida 4. Taylor Rapp, Washington 5. J.R. Reed, Georgia Mississippi State has a stout defense, and Abram is a guy to watch for Round 1. Reed is an underrated part of the Bulldogs' success. Punters and kickers Seniors 1. Jake Bailey, Stanford (P) 2. Matt Gay, Utah (K) 3. Casey Bednarski, Minnesota State (Mankato) (K) 4. Corliss Waitman, So. Alabama (P) 5. Mitch Wishnowsky, Utah (P) Underclassmen 1. *Drue Chrisman, Ohio State (P) 2. *Quinn Nordin, Michigan (K) 3. Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia (K) 4. Logan Tyler, Florida State (P) 5. Sterling Hofrichter, Syracuse (P)
Ed Oliver, Nick Bosa and Rashan Gary all in the same draft is just crazy. All 3 of these guys will be better than Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney.
I’d take OT first pick we have. So if that means trading back for an extra first or second rounder, then by all means do it. Then use your draft capital to trade back in to the first round and grab the next best available lineman. Rebuild the O line. Use what you have left to address the secondary.