Depends on Texans ownership. It was only a few weeks ago that Cal McNair appeared to "shake up" the selection committee in regards to generating some excitement among the fanbase to boost season ticket sales and that obviously means getting an exciting QB in here. Case Keenum was not that guy. If there is a mandate to get one of the top 4-5 QB's in this draft, it has to happen somehow in the top 33.
Depends on Texans ownership. It was only a few weeks ago that Cal McNair appeared to "shake up" the selection committee in regards to generating some excitement among the fanbase to boost season ticket sales and that obviously means getting an exciting QB in here. Case Keenum was not that guy. If there is a mandate to get one of the top 4-5 QB's in this draft, it has to happen somehow in the top 33.
I'm for Anderson or Stroud at this point. I'm fine with either of these picks. Anderson I think gives Demeco a fun weapon to use. Yeah, I worry about his lack of power but I trust Demeco will do all he can to get him against the right matchups and let him wreak havoc. As for Stroud, look, I think this is a Paolo situation almost where people kind of finding reasons NOT to draft him when before he was a surefire #1 guy. Now sure, Orlando figured it out in the end and picked the right guy and I hope the Texans do the same here. Stroud has been a projected top 3 pick this whole time now some of these mocks have him dropping even past the Colts lol. Yeah, the WRs, yeah the Oline, yeah he played in a good situation but I think the Georgia game is enough to show he has potential to get better. This is what I don't get about CJ, why are people putting a ceiling on him? He's 21. Almost all of his weaknesses people act like he can't overcome them. It's odd. As for Tyree look...I get why people like them as prospects and I'm not saying they would be bad picks but personally...I'm tired of taking freak edge that is raw and needs training up. We did this with Mario and Clowney who had OK careers. I'd really rather take the guy that has the technique down and just needs to get stronger than the guy that's a freak but has no idea what to do with his hands and feet. Same with Levis here like...there's some red flags there. Sure he could put it all together in the end but...he also might just never do that? If Mills was an okay QB then maybe we could risk taking a guy like Levis or AR15 but Mills is garbage. I'd rather have Stroud and if Stroud doesn't work out, ok, we draft another QB next year. But if it were me and Young is off the board, Stroud is my guy. I'd be confident about it too.
Depends on how they feel about Hooker vs Levis/Stroud. The other AFC South teams are going to get QB's if they want one regardless of who the Texans pick at 1-2.
Doc says that Wilson's foot injury shouldn't hinder his long-term performance. So this should come down to do you like Anderson over Wilson?
Doc says that Wilson's foot injury shouldn't hinder his long-term performance. So this should come down to do you like Anderson over Wilson?
Theory for me is that Wilson didn't produce like Anderson in a weaker conference. The Texans may like Wilson because they don't think Anderson will be there in a trade up. Remember Houston has expressed interest in the 3rd pick.
Says Tyree/Anderson and more Tyree than Anderson. 1. WILL ANDERSON JR. | Alabama 6034 | 253 lbs. | 3JR | Hampton, Ga. (Dutchtown) | 9/2/2001 (age 21.65) BACKGROUND: William “Will” Anderson Jr., the youngest of six children (he has five older sisters), grew up in Hampton (30 miles south of Atlanta), where his parents (Tereon and Big Will) signed him up for several sports at age 4. He soon gravitated towards football, in which he played on the offensive and defensive lines. Anderson later moved to running back, and he also worked out with several defensive trainers, including Dwight Johnson (former Baylor defensive end and NFL player) and Marcus Howard (former Georgia defensive end and NFL player). Basketball was his second-best sport before he decided to focus on football as a freshman in high school. Anderson enrolled at Dutchtown High School, where he was expected to play on varsity as a freshman, but a knee injury sidelined him. Despite his desire to stay on offense as a running back, the coaches moved Anderson to pass rusher exclusively as a sophomore. As a junior and senior, he helped Dutchtown to a combined 23-3 record while separating himself as one of the top defensive players in the state. Anderson was named a U.S. Army All-American and first team All-State player as a senior with 37.0 tackles for loss and 22.0 sacks in 2019. A five-star recruit, Anderson was the No. 1 weakside defensive end in the 2020 recruiting class (No. 17 nationally) and the No. 4 recruit in Georgia (behind TE Arik Gilbert, DE Myles Murphy and OT Broderick Jones). He grew up a Georgia fan, but Kirby Smart and the Georgia coaches had other priorities in recruiting and never offered him. (Anderson: “I grew up a Georgia fan and got recruited by them a little bit. I didn’t get too much attention from them, but it worked out well.”) Of his 40 scholarship offers, he narrowed down his final choice to Auburn, LSU, Tennessee and Georgia Tech. The Alabama coaches made Anderson a priority, and he committed the summer before his senior season and signed during the early-signing period. He was the second-highest ranked recruit in the Tide’s 2020 class behind only QB Bryce Young. Anderson has five older sisters (Shawnta, Shanice, Chyna, Endia and Teria), all of whom played sports. He earned his degree and graduated with a 3.0 GPA (December 2022). Anderson elected to skip his senior season and enter the 2023 NFL Draft. STRENGTHS: Explosive first-step rusher with body twitch and closing burst ... owns a bendy, flexible frame to attack from a low position and strike blockers from different angles (the forklift is his “go-to” move, which he learned by studying Nick Bosa) ... displays the hip flexibility and body control to maneuver through tight spaces ... advanced block reader with the hands and timing to free himself as a pass rusher ... efficient block splitter and doesn’t have an off-hand ... skilled run defender with his ability to stack, lock out and shed to make stops in his area ... plays with impressive contact balance to leverage and dispose of blockers ... elite chase-down skills when teams run away from him ... flips a switch on the field and was known as the “Terminator” in the Alabama program, because of his competitive drive (head coach Nick Saban: “He’s the kind of person that’s not satisfied with where he is. ... I love working with this guy, because he sets a great example for everybody else on the team.”) ... one of only seven players to be voted a two-time team captain under Saban ... blocked a field goal in 2022 and returned his only career interception 25 yards for a touchdown ... highly decorated and joined Manti Te’o as just the second player to sweep the Nagurski Trophy, Lombardi Award, Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy in the same season ... became the first player named SEC Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons ... outstanding backfield production in his career ... durable in college and started every game the past three seasons. WEAKNESSES: Lean-framed and lacks ideal body mass ... leaves production on the field with his overaggressive tendencies ... needs to finish tackles when he gets his hands on the ball carrier ... missed tackles at an alarming rate (19.3 percent in his career), including a career-high 14 in 2022 ... too willing to leave his feet and spends too much time on the ground ... guilty of predetermining his rush moves and counters ... flagged nine times, including four offsides penalties, in 2022 (only three combined penalties his first two seasons) ... production and consistency declined as a junior compared to his remarkable sophomore season. SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Alabama, Anderson played the “Jack” linebacker position in Nick Saban’s hybrid scheme, standing up on the edge and rushing with his hand on the ground (lined up everywhere between the 4i and seven-technique). After becoming the first true freshman to start at linebacker under Saban, Anderson became the first player in Alabama history (and 41st in college football history) to twice earn unanimous All-America honors, and he finished No. 2 in school history (behind Derrick Thomas) in career tackles for loss (62.0) and sacks (34.5). Anderson has an explosive get-off as a pass rusher to bend/dip the edge or maneuver tight spaces with his body flexibility and instinctive arsenal of rush moves. As a run defender, he is quick to diagnose, fill and use his advanced handwork and lateral agility to shed blocks, although he must become a better finisher as a tackler. Overall, Anderson doesn’t have ideal body mass and must improve his on- field discipline, but he is equally dynamic as a pass rusher and run defender because of his twitchy movements, skilled hands and overall play speed. He is a scheme-proof game-wrecker with Pro Bowl potential. GRADE: 1st Round (No. 2 overall)
2. TYREE WILSON | Texas Tech 6055 | 271 lbs. | 5SR Henderson, Texas (West Rusk) 5/20/2000 (age 22.94) BACKGROUND: Tyree Wilson, who has three sisters, was born in Anchorage, Alaska before moving to east Texas in 2002 when he was age 2. He still has several family members (grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins) that live in Alaska. Wilson attended West Rusk High School in New London, where he was a three-year letterman as a tight end and edge rusher. As a sophomore, he recorded 52 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Wilson earned first team All-District as a junior with 74 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and one pick-six interception. He had his best season as a senior and was named district Defensive MVP and second team All-State. He led West Rusk to a 10-win season with 126 tackles, 38.0 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. Wilson finished his prep career with 252 tackles and 59.0 tackles for loss. He also lettered in track (relays and throws) and set a personal best in the shot put (36 feet 1 inch). A three-star recruit, Wilson was the No. 23 weakside defensive end in the 2018 recruiting class and the No. 68 recruit in Texas. The offers started to trickle in after his junior season in February 2017, starting with Louisiana and followed by Washington State. Wilson decided to commit to head coach Mike Leach and the Cougars in March 2017 before decommitting a few months later in June as his offer sheet continued to fill up. That summer, he put together a final six of Houston, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU and Texas A&M, and he committed to Kevin Sumlin and the Aggies. After Sumlin was fired as head coach, several schools made a late push for Wilson, including Arkansas, Florida and Texas. But Wilson signed with Texas A&M as part of Jimbo Fisher’s first recruiting class in College Station. After two seasons with the Aggies, he felt A&M “wasn’t for him” and entered the transfer portal. He developed a relationship with the coaches at Texas Tech, joined the football team in August 2020 and was granted an NCAA waiver for immediate eligibility. He was technically a non-scholarship player during the 2020 season and was part of the Red Raiders’ 2021 recruiting class. His mother (Tiffany Williams) was a college athlete and his father (Jason) lives in the Seattle area. Tyree’s older sister (Tierra) lettered in track at Stephen F. Austin (2016-18) with personal bests in the discus (143-10), hammer (174-10) and weight throw (57-7.75). Wilson graduated with his degree in university studies and is working on his master’s in interdisciplinary studies. He accepted his invitation to the 2023 Senior Bowl but pulled out because of his right foot injury. STRENGTHS: Looks like a yoked-up Captain America with his muscular, broad-shouldered frame ... owns rare arm length and wingspan to affect the game in ways most edge rushers can’t ... body quickness, natural strength and shock in his hands help him easily convert speed to power ... has added several effective moves to counter blockers, including a cross-rip, swipe-rip and arm-over (see: 2022 NC State or TCU tapes) ... will use a shoulder shimmy to access multiple gaps as a downhill rusher ... surprises ball carriers with his closing acceleration when he has a lane, going from A to B quickly with his strong strides ... quick, physical hands help him strain and dispose of blockers in the run game ... received the triple-team treatment at times from blockers because of his game-wrecking ability ... massive tackle radius helps him make vicious clothesline stops in the backfield ... takes sharp angles to chase down screens and backside runs ... grew into a confident leader for the Red Raiders and was “extremely well respected by his teammates,” according to defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter ... production improved each season with career bests as a senior (despite missing the final three games), including 5.0 pressures per game, which ranked No. 6 in the FBS (tied with Will Anderson Jr.). WEAKNESSES: Comes off the ball upright, tall and late ... can be washed or moved off his spot by doubles and his run defense lack consistency ... guilty of false stepping or overcommitting his balance out in front, giving blockers the chance to snatch/pull him ... not a loose pass rusher who will bend the edge versus NFL offensive tackles ... pass-rush sequencing needs continued coaching ... struggles to find passing lanes at the line of scrimmage (zero career batted passes is a surprising number for a player with his length) ... suffered a season-ending right foot injury (November 2022) as a senior and underwent surgery (including a screw being inserted), which sidelined him for the Senior Bowl and scouting combine. SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Texas Tech, Wilson played field-side edge rusher in defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter’s 3-3-5 base scheme and reduced inside as a 4i/4 technique or dropped into space. After two years at Texas A&M, he transferred to Lubbock and led Texas Tech in tackles for loss and sacks his junior and senior seasons (his 22.3 percent pass-rush win rate ranked top 10 in the FBS in 2022). Big, long and strong, Wilson plays with linear explosion and power to get blockers moving in reverse. In the run game, he needs continued refinement but uses his long arms to lock out and separate, and he displays impressive tackling range because of his wingspan and chase effort. Overall, Wilson plays too upright and needs to become craftier and more strategic in his pass rush, but his length, speed and raw power are outstanding foundational traits. His ascending tools are ripe for development, and he has Pro Bowl potential. He should be the first Texas Tech defender ever drafted in the top 20 picks. GRADE: 1st Round (No. 8 overall)
Thing is I don't think either one is a "generational" talent! Kinda like everyone says the QB's aren't either. I'm getting to the point where I'm actually starting to favor the "swing for the fences" strategy and take AR at #2 option! Assuming of course that BY doesn't drop to 2. And speaking of that if they trade out of the #2 pick BEFORE the draft without actually waiting to make sure Young goes 1st this team deserves to be picketed. Also I absolutely ABHOR the minny rumor! #23 is waaay too low to go, especially since we're hearing that there's only 15 with 1st round grades. Cousins and 2 firsts (w AT LEAST 1 LOW) would probably piss me off more than ANYTHING else they could do, even drafting Stroud! (and for me that's saying a lot) Cousins at QB caps you at 2nd round of the playoffs unless lightning strikes! (the opposing team's plane!) ANY trade with minny would for me START with three 1st's and three 2nd's with JJ thrown in! My main fear with that would be that Caserio could think he's smarter than anyone in the room and think that Hooker will 100% be there at #23. Then another team trades ahead of us and takes him! Why is it I'm starting to get this OVERWHELMING sense of fear and foreboding that any trade Nick makes we're either going to lose somewhat or REALLY get fleeced!
