The shock of the draft might be Carter, there’s steam that he might fall out of the top 10. Seems like teams in the 11-15 range are trying to will him into that range. I highly doubt he does, but there’s a chance. I think there’s no chance he falls below us at 12 if you catch my drift. Personally I think they stay at 12 and take their top available player(JSN, Nolan Smith, Van Ness), unless they get an offer they can’t refuse(which is very much possible)
I think a good question might be what would the Texans do if Carter slips to 12 and their other presumed desirable options (JSN, Nolan Smith) are also still there? Do they stay put and grab a sliding Carter, take one of their other preferred players, or do they see a lot of desirable options so they trade down a bit to still get a player but also pick up picks?
Sign me up for this. Even if I had to trade up into the top 10 for Carter. Fixes the DL for the next decade. Draft Hooker at 2-33 or even trade up a couple of spots for his 5th year option. Adding 3 foundational players in this draft. You could still draft a center and a WR in rds 3-5. Remember when the media was trying to sell Trubiski/Lance etc... dont fall for the hype, build the team out.
The Texans were 3-4 when Watson got hurt. They were coming off a thrilling 41-38 loss in Seattle and a few weeks removed from beating Tennessee 57-14. Watson was breaking rookie records as a passer. They were hardly “well on the way to the bottom” as you phrased it. You were being disingenuous again with that characterization. So their record is hardly the “gotcha” point you seem to think it is. But whatever man, I’m not gonna argue with you anymore. It’s pointless. We both want the Texans to succeed. I just wish you could acknowledge the fact that if they do draft a QB 2nd overall, they are doing it because they think it’s the best football decision. As indeed, any thorough and honest accounting of their draft history argues definitively that their selections, for good or ill, were made for football reasons. One can certainly criticize the Texans as an organization for multitudinous reasons, and I have done so myself, but historically they draft who they think is the best player, not who will sell tickets. They have never struggled to sell tickets. And I realize that since the Watson debacle, fan enthusiasm has been at its lowest point in the franchise’s history, but I would argue that the DeMeco hire bought them back enough goodwill to where they wouldn’t feel like they have to draft a QB for fan interest.
I have a rule of thumb which some owners completely ignore. Don't pay FA Salaries and Pay Teams (in draft capitol and players) as if they aren't FAs. Don't take on risks with long term guaranteed contracts without a discount. (which includes not giving players opt outs if they produce) We came out smelling like a rose when we got rid of Watson. I'd hate to be a Cleveland fan. They paid him like a FA and gave up a ton of draft capitol for him.
This seems to be appropriate here to tone down the QB love affair which is trending. https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/5-nfl-qbs-never-lived-hype
Spoiler https://theathletic.com/4307966/2023/03/29/nfl-draft-2023-prospect-rankings-board/ 1 Will Anderson Jr. | EDGE | Alabama | EDGE1 AGE: 21 STARTS: 41 One of most productive edge rushers in college football history, Anderson has been billed as a can’t-miss prospect since his breakout campaign in 2021. Dating to when the NCAA began tracking tackles for loss and sacks in 2005, Anderson ranks 10th and fifth in those respective categories for his career. His most productive games came against LSU and Mississippi State in 2021, when he combined for 8.0 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. In the last two seasons, he’s logged a tackle for loss in every SEC conference game but one. Anderson won consecutive SEC Defensive Player of the Year awards and paired those with consecutive AP All-America nods and Bronco Nagurski Trophy wins — the latter recognizes the best defensive player in the country. At 6-foot-3 and 253 pounds, Anderson has a full toolkit of skills to strike, disengage and turn tight corners around tackles and tight ends. That combination is what makes him equally valuable against the run and the pass. His 4.6-second 40-yard dash, plus his 34-inch arms, makes him a premier speed-rushing prospect. It also could make him the first non-QB drafted in 2023. — Diante Lee 2 Bryce Young | QB | Alabama | QB1 AGE: 21 STARTS: 27 The 2021 Heisman winner, Bryce Young posted eye-popping numbers over his final two Alabama seasons: 79 passing touchdowns (to just 12 interceptions) and more than 8,000 yards through the air. The Tide lost just four times over that stretch — twice on last-second field goals, once in overtime and once in a national-title game against Georgia. Young (204 pounds) bulked up for the combine, as expected, but Alabama listed him at 194, and he didn’t weigh in again at his pro day. His frame will be a talking point in NFL draft rooms. However, everything else about Young’s game screams “franchise quarterback,” including his incredible ability to uncover calm during chaos. Time and again during his college career, Young found plays that seemingly didn’t exist, using his athleticism to escape pressure and his vision to find teammates downfield. Though Young may not have the rocket arm of others in this class, he has proven more than capable of delivering throws to all levels, off all platforms. He’s a smart, experienced leader and an easy top-10 prospect, provided GMs can get past his size. — Chris Burke 3 Jalen Carter | DT | Georgia | DT1 4 Christian Gonzalez | CB | Oregon | CB1 5 CJ Stroud | QB | Ohio State | QB2 AGE: 21 STARTS: 25 Stroud is a smooth and mechanically sound quarterback whose beauty is in the simplicity of his game. Stroud has good size and rapidly improved over his two years as a starter. He now consistently finds the correct answer in his progressions and is able to layer accurate throws at all three levels. He also has the arm strength to deliver any route without issue. Though he doesn’t always display his athleticism, Stroud is a solid athlete (and maybe more). He prefers to do his damage from the pocket, but he flashed plus creativity as a thrower and runner — most notably, in Ohio State’s 2022 matchups with Northwestern and Georgia. At times, Stroud will take an extra hitch before releasing the football, which is a product of an Ohio State passing game that features vertical concepts. That feature can be quickened with more reps. Overall, Stroud has a polished skill set. He can manage the game pre-snap and offers enough upside post-snap to be a quarterback that can help carry a team to wins. — Nate Tice 6 Peter Skoronski | OT | Northwestern | OT1 7 Bijan Robinson | RB | Texas | RB1 8 Tyree Wilson | EDGE | Texas Tech | EDGE2 9 Devon Witherspoon | CB | Illinois | CB2 10 Lukas Van Ness | EDGE | Iowa | EDGE3 AGE: 21 STARTS: 0 As an edge defender, Van Ness has ideal size and athletic traits but is still learning to harness all of his tools. He didn’t start at Iowa, but he was a key part of a deep and experienced defensive line and had solid production (10.5 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks in 2022). Van Ness lined up inside and outside in college, and he has a long frame (that he’s still growing into) that should allow him to do the same at the next level. Right now, he is better against the run than pass, flashing hand pop and quickness to get off blocks with the length to set an edge. His limited experience shows up in his pass-rushing arsenal. He does not have a deep toolbox and primarily wins using a bull rush, with which he can show off his explosive athleticism and length. Any team drafting Van Ness will be betting on his continued development. He has the height-length-athleticism combination that gives him the upside of a scheme-proof game wrecker. But it will take some time, and good coaching, to harness his ability. — Nate Tice 11 Nolan Smith | EDGE | Georgia | EDGE4 AGE: 22 STARTS: 23 A prep running back/defensive tackle turned do-everything edge, Nolan Smith is the type of three-down prospect modern defenses covet. There were faster defenders at Georgia during the Bulldogs’ back-to-back title run. There were bigger players, stronger players, freakier players. But no one did more for Kirby Smart’s defense than Nolan Smith. The 6-foot-2, 238-pounder spent time rushing the passer, defending the run and in pass coverage. So much of Smith’s role at Georgia was about creating opportunities for others, but he was known for making critical plays in critical moments. He’s not big or long (32 5/8-inch arms), but he ran a 4.39 40 and posted a 41 1/2-inch vert. Smith is a utility knife and a great one. A leader and a smart player, his superpower is never having to sub out regardless of the situation. — Nick Baumgardner 12 Paris Johnson Jr. | OT | Ohio State | OT2 13 Will Levis | QB | Kentucky | QB3 AGE: 23 STARTS: 26 Levis is an enigma for evaluators and draft analysts. There’s a chasm in his quality of play against top competition in 2021 and 2022, for a wide variety of factors. His best offensive linemen left the Kentucky program (as did his top receivers and running backs after 2021) and his offensive coordinator (Liam Coen) returned to the NFL. As a result, some of Levis’ warts were exposed, with his game last October against Tennessee being the worst of it (16-for-27, 98 yards, three INTs). Levis was late over the middle of the field and misread coverages throughout that game, and he looked a world apart from the player we saw in 2021. For all the legitimate concerns found on Levis’ 2022 tape, the season prior was full of reasons to believe in his potential. With a more competitive supporting cast around him, Levis was comfortable in a zone-blocking, play-action-heavy scheme that reflects the way many successful NFL offenses attack. He also was a more dynamic player outside of the pocket, creating offense with his legs and extending plays, and showed off impressive arm talent. Which Will Levis is the real one? It depends whom you ask. — Diante Lee 14 Anthony Richardson | QB | Florida | QB4 AGE: 21 STARTS: 13 The most physically gifted quarterback in the class, Richardson had a historic combine in several areas. Though he started his prep career as a wide receiver and basketball player before landing at quarterback, Richardson didn’t play most of his senior year of high school because of an injury and only played four games at Florida in 2020. His passing stats are hardly impressive (53.8 completion rate, 17 touchdowns, 9 interceptions), but his physicals — and explosive flashes on film — are undeniable. In the right situation, and with the right coach, Richardson could be the perfect quarterback for the modern NFL. A team captain with an explosive arm and nimble feet in the pocket, Richardson could do damage as a runner between the tackles or as a passer capable of taking the top off a defense. The key word with Richardson is “potential,” as the 21-year-old still has much to prove. — Nick Baumgardner 15 Broderick Jones | OT | Georgia | OT3 16 Brian Branch | SAF | Alabama | SAF1 17 Joey Porter Jr. | CB | Penn State | CB3 18 Myles Murphy | EDGE | Clemson | EDGE5 19 Jordan Addison | WR | USC | WR1 AGE: 21 STARTS: 32 Smooth in every movement, the 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner is in the conversation to be one of the top receivers taken in the draft, despite his size. At less than 180 pounds, Addison will have doubters who will question his ability to produce against NFL defenders. However, Addison will have Devonta Smith and Hollywood Brown as recent examples of smaller receivers who have succeeded at a similar weight. Addison was a threat at all three levels for both Pitt and USC — he joined the Trojans for the 2022 season. If he’s given any space, Addison has the subtle movement skills to separate from defenders. He tracks the ball well and attacks it in the air. He’s not the most slippery or shifty with the ball in his hands, but he’s an efficient north-south runner, and his burst helps him find hidden yardage on screens or underneath throws. There’s some question about Addison’s scheme fit, given his struggles against press coverage and that his size could preclude him from being an effective blocker. If he can find an offense that needs an inside receiving threat, though, he’s arguably the best option in this class. — Diante Lee 20 Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | Alabama | RB2
Spoiler 21 Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | Ohio State | WR2 AGE: 21 STARTS: 15 Owner of the best hands in the 2023 NFL Draft, Smith-Njigba is a reliable underneath/intermediate route runner from the slot. He had questions around his health all season long after he missed the majority of the year with a hamstring issue. Smith-Njigba also didn’t run the 40 at the combine, but he clocked a reported 4.53 at Ohio State’s pro day. If that’s an accurate representation of his speed, his 6.57 three-cone and 3.93 shuttle times help to paint Smith-Njigba as an ideal shifty slot for today’s NFL. Smith-Njigba is sudden as a route runner in the middle of the field, able to find soft spots in zones and understand where a quarterback’s timing and progression marries up with the route being run. He attacks the football and can make defenders miss if given the space. Smith-Njigba has a smaller wingspan (75 1/2 inches) and below-average vertical jump (35 inches). He’s also spent little time working on his blocking, so he’s another receiver in this class that’s not likely to play multiple roles within an offense. But he can take up a large share of targets in any passing game. — Diante Lee 22 Bryan Bresee | DT | Clemson | DT2 23 Michael Mayer | TE | Notre Dame | TE1 AGE: 21 STARTS: 27 Mayer is a do-everything type of player with tangible proof that he can be a three-down tight end, align across the formation and provide quality snaps for an offense. He’s an intelligent player and solid athlete whose game should translate nicely to the next level, both as a receiver and a blocker. He has good, strong hands and has shown no issues snatching throws away from his body, even in tightly contested situations. Mayer is an above-average route runner. He’ll do his best work on short and intermediate routes, where he can use his burst and size out of breaks. He is not an overwhelming athlete but does have adequate speed to run down the seam. Mayer is naturally strong and flashes an ability to play inline, but he still has to become more consistent with his blocking technique to be used there in the NFL. Mayer might not have the athletic tools and length to make him a high-end mismatch nightmare, but he will be a quarterback’s best friend as a versatile auxiliary weapon and provide winning snaps as a blocker. — Nate Tice 24 Darnell Wright | OT | Tennessee | OT4 25 Dalton Kincaid | TE | Utah | TE2 AGE: 23 STARTS: 24 Kincaid is a very good athlete with excellent ball skills, and he maximizes every target opportunity. His loose hips and body control show up as a route runner and after the catch. He’s also already displayed an advanced route tree and that he can get north quickly with the ball in his hands. Kincaid is a natural catcher of the football and has no issues extending for throws away from his body to maximize his range, which makes sense given his basketball background. Though he lacks the size to play inline or be a consistent blocker at the point of attack in the NFL, he is an intelligent and tough player who rarely missteps when working to his assignment. He’ll give effort with his blocking. Kincaid is still working through a back injury and will be an older rookie (he’ll turn 24 in the middle of his rookie season). He also will have some limitations in where he can align and what he can do as a blocker, but Kincaid can be a mismatch from a wing alignment or split out. — Nate Tice 26 Calijah Kancey | DT | Pittsburgh | DT3 27 Jalin Hyatt | WR | Tennessee | WR3 AGE: 21 STARTS: 14 A slightly built wide receiver with the long speed to take the top off a defense on every play, Hyatt primarily lined up in the slot in college and is at his best when given a clean release to threaten safeties vertically. Hyatt is raw as a route runner, though, because of the simplistic offense that Tennessee runs. He will have some work to do to add to his route tree and harness his ability to attack vertically while showing nuance on other routes. He is also inconsistent when working through contact against more physical defenders. He’ll need to prove that he can work outside as well as from the slot. Rather than making defenders miss in a phone booth, Hyatt is more of a seam-splitter with the ball in his hands, able to plant his foot and get north. Hyatt is a smooth athlete with good ball-tracking skills, length and hands, and he will provide a field-stretching element to any offense. To provide more than that, he’ll have to continue working on the other parts of his craft. — Nate Tice 28 Deonte Banks | CB | Maryland | CB4 29 Quentin Johnston | WR | TCU | WR4 30 Luke Musgrave | TE | Oregon State | TE3 31 Drew Sanders | LB | Arkansas | LB1 32 Darnell Washington | TE | Georgia | TE4 AGE: 21 STARTS: 27 With a power-forward body type, Darnell Washington is probably the most impressive-looking player in this draft. At 6-foot-7, 264 pounds with a seven-foot wingspan and hands nearly a foot wide, the tight end from Georgia has all the athletic potential in the world. Washington also ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash, a short shuttle of 4.08 (ranking in the 97th percentile at his position) and broad jumped more than 10 feet — adding his name to the growing list of UGA players to blow up the combine. There’s a logical assumption that his best skill is blocking, but what he brings as a receiver will be his most valuable asset (in spite of only producing 45 career receptions). He changes speed well, wins at the catch point and can extend outside of his body to secure the ball. As a blocker, he still has plenty of room to grow. Specifically, he can stand to improve his feet to get more of his lower-body strength into his blocks. Once that’s cleaned up, Washington is going to be scary as an in-line tight end and jump-ball threat in the red zone. — Diante Lee 33 BJ Ojulari | EDGE | LSU | EDGE6 34 Emmanuel Forbes | CB | Mississippi State | CB5 35 Kelee Ringo | CB | Georgia | CB6 36 O’Cyrus Torrence | OG | Florida | OG1 37 Trenton Simpson | LB | Clemson | LB2 38 Mazi Smith | DT | Michigan | DT4 39 Zay Flowers | WR | Boston College | WR5 AGE: 22 STARTS: 35 Flowers is a dynamic player with the potential to play inside or outside, despite his below-average size. He’s a very good overall athlete, and he shows off explosiveness and burst, both as a route runner and with the ball in his hands. Already armed with advanced understanding and feel as a route runner, Flowers knows how to tempo his speed and has no issues flying out of more nuanced, underneath breaking routes. He is an effective player on designed touches and has excellent long speed to threaten defenses vertically. Though his lack of length limits his catching range, Flowers has good hands and is comfortable extending for throws. He’s an adequate ball tracker on deep throws, too. Flowers’ biggest limitations are his lack of size and length, which might force him to operate primarily from the slot at the NFL level. He’ll also have issues working through press coverage — more physical defenders can nullify his athleticism, which raises questions on whether he can contribute for long stretches on the outside. Still, Flowers’ athleticism and route running will allow him to contribute early and be an effective part of a good passing game. — Nate Tice
Spoiler 40 Steve Avila | OG | TCU | OG2 41 DJ Turner | CB | Michigan | CB7 42 Josh Downs | WR | North Carolina | WR6 43 Joe Tippmann | OC | Wisconsin | OC1 AGE: 22 STARTS: 22 Tippmann has the athleticism and intelligence to be a Day 1 starter at the next level. Though Tippmann (6-foot-6) is unusually tall for a center, he is a fluid enough athlete to keep his height from being a hindrance after he snaps the ball. Overall, he’s just a very good athlete, with the hip flexibility to stay underneath defenders and the foot quickness to beat them to a point when zone blocking. He also stays balanced when climbing or pulling. His play strength helps him hold up against larger interior defensive linemen in pass protection and to get movement when down blocking. He still has some inconsistencies with his hand placement, which is something that is fixable with proper coaching. And Tippmann is a fantastic communicator in pass protection and the run game, consistently showing off his awareness on a snap-to-snap basis. Tippmann brings an intriguing package of movement skills, size and mental polish, all of which should help him make a smoother transition to the NFL smoother than most other linemen. He still has plenty of upside left, too. — Nate Tice 44 Felix Anudike-Uzomah | EDGE | Kansas State | EDGE7 45 Cody Mauch | OG | North Dakota State | OG3 46 Will McDonald IV | EDGE | Iowa State | EDGE8 47 Keion White | EDGE | Georgia Tech | EDGE9 48 Tyler Scott | WR | Cincinnati | WR7 49 Derick Hall | EDGE | Auburn | EDGE10 50 Anton Harrison | OT | Oklahoma | OT5 51 Tucker Kraft | TE | South Dakota State | TE5 52 Clark Phillips III | CB | Utah | CB8 53 Jack Campbell | LB | Iowa | LB3 54 Gervon Dexter Sr. | DT | Florida | DT5 55 Cedric Tillman | WR | Tennessee | WR8 56 Keeanu Benton | DT | Wisconsin | DT6 57 Isaiah Foskey | EDGE | Notre Dame | EDGE11 58 John Michael Schmitz | OC | Minnesota | OC2 AGE: 24 STARTS: 35 A well-built center who understands how to use leverage to his advantage in the run game, Schmitz is a tough player who can quickly process and make his call pre-snap. He’ll then attempt to finish all of his blocks post-snap. He has good quickness, which makes him an effective zone blocker at the line of scrimmage, but is inconsistent with the angles he takes climbing to the second level. He also lacks the overwhelming length and athleticism to recover when he does miss. Schmitz can get the job done when asked to down block, as he has enough hand strength to latch on to defenders once he makes contact. He’s also a solid and intelligent overall pass protector, though he can get out of whack at times when he overextends. Though Schmitz lacks any true outstanding traits, he does a lot of things well. He has improved his awareness and has adequate athleticism and play strength to contribute early in his NFL career. The upside just might be limited. — Nate Tice 59 Dawand Jones | OT | Ohio State | OT6 60 Matthew Bergeron | OT | Syracuse | OT7 61 Devon Achane | RB | Texas A&M | RB3 62 Zach Charbonnet | RB | UCLA | RB4 63 Sam LaPorta | TE | Iowa | TE6 64 Daiyan Henley | LB | Washington State | LB4 65 Hendon Hooker | QB | Tennessee | QB5 AGE: 25 STARTS: 37 Hooker has hung around the public conversation of the top quarterbacks in the 2023 class, receiving high marks from pundits for his production and poise in the pocket. Evaluating Hooker is a bit more complex than that, though, given the offense in which he played. Tennessee’s scheme often boils down to playing point-and-shoot football, with the quarterback keying a single defender’s leverage or whether the middle of the field is open to make a decision on where to go with the ball. Hooker did make smart choices with his throws — and should certainly be credited for it — but he hasn’t had much exposure to the complex kinds of progressions or pre-snap decision making that will come with playing at the next level. He also played in uncommonly clean pockets, so he will have to adjust to making quick decisions under pressure. Hooker’s best traits at the moment are accuracy at all three levels, enough athleticism to escape a dirty pocket, and a risk aversion that keeps the ball out of harm’s way. He will need to sit and develop to adjust to a different style of play before we can see the best version of Hooker as a pro. — Diante Lee 66 Darius Rush | CB | South Carolina | CB9 67 Tyjae Spears | RB | Tulane | RB5 68 Tuli Tuipulotu | DT | USC | DT7 69 Tyrique Stevenson | CB | Miami | CB10 70 Cam Smith | CB | South Carolina | CB11 71 Adetomiwa Adebawore | DT | Northwestern | DT8 72 Marvin Mims | WR | Oklahoma | WR9 73 Siaki Ika | DT | Baylor | DT9 74 Zach Harrison | EDGE | Ohio State | EDGE12 75 Jayden Reed | WR | Michigan State | WR10 76 Antonio Johnson | SAF | Texas A&M | SAF2 77 Nick Herbig | LB | Wisconsin | LB5 78 Chandler Zavala | OG | NC State | OG4 79 YaYa Diaby | EDGE | Louisville | EDGE13 80 Rashee Rice | WR | SMU | WR11 81 Quan Martin | CB | Illinois | CB12 82 Julius Brents | CB | Kansas State | CB13 83 Zacch Pickens | DT | South Carolina | DT10 84 Ji’Ayir Brown | SAF | Penn State | SAF3 85 Jonathan Mingo | WR | Ole Miss | WR12 86 Cameron Mitchell | CB | Northwestern | CB14 87 Jordan Battle | SAF | Alabama | SAF4 88 Tank Bigsby | RB | Auburn | RB6 89 Luke Schoonmaker | TE | Michigan | TE7 90 Roschon Johnson | RB | Texas | RB7 91 JL Skinner | SAF | Boise State | SAF5 92 Tyler Steen | OT | Alabama | OT8 93 Byron Young | EDGE | Tennessee | EDGE14 94 Isaiah McGuire | EDGE | Missouri | EDGE15 95 Trey Palmer | WR | Nebraska | WR13 96 Emil Ekiyor Jr. | OG | Alabama | OG5 97 Brenton Strange | TE | Penn State | TE8 98 Henry To’oTo’o | LB | Alabama | LB6 99 A.T. Perry | WR | Wake Forest | WR14 100 Cory Trice Jr. | CB | Purdue | CB15
The more I think about it, having Willie and Hooker on the same team together is perfect. Can't go wrong.
