Agree on #1, but think #10 is likely too high of a bar for OL. If we can be a top 20 OL, I think the improvement will be noticeable.
I'm pretty close to right in between. I want to be in the top half which would be 16 or higher. At that level, I think we can challenge any team.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2026/...ound-predictions-quarterbacks-trades-32-picks 21. Houston Texans: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami* The Texans have massively overturned their line after a disappointing 2024, and there's a good chance that overhaul will continue into 2026. I liked the Aireontae Ersery pick last week, but Houston has a lot of work to do in improving C.J. Stroud's protection. Mauigoa significantly improved at right tackle last season, not giving up a sack. The 6-foot-6 315-pounder can control blockers at the point of attack. And while there is considerable debate among scouts about whether Mauigoa is a tackle or guard in the NFL, Houston needs a boost at both
I mean... this is mostly the standard for *every* pick; not sure how else they would prove they were good picks? I suppose the implication is that the OL better be good since they didn't use any - other than one - draft resources on the line? I don't know. First of all, I don't think the OL needs to be top 10. Really, the standard should be that it not be bottom 10. This team is going to do damage with the... 16th-best OL, honestly. They won 10 games and a playoff game with one of the worst OL in recent memory. But in terms of how it relates to the draft... It's really hard to take a lineman off one team and just assume the same development and results with another - coaching and the unit as a whole are such vital factors. But it sure seems as though the consensus "best" OL prospects were off the board prior to the Texans' pick, and while we can be upset they didn't make a move up, we really have no idea what was available and at what price. My guess is they went into the draft wanting OL and WR, and when OL flew off the board early, they pivoted to WR. To me, this is pretty easy: if the two WRs are good, this is a B draft. If the OT is good; it's an A. After those 3, it's pretty much a crapshoot, with the standard essentially being a few notable contributors.
If the OL is terrible then it could be argued that we should have instead used the WR picks on OL help, meaning the WR picks were "bad".
Eh. That's arguing against the vastness of the mostly unknowable, though. Personally, I NEVER wanted them to solve the OL problem through the draft - at least not in the immediate short-term. I wanted them to find established, experienced - who are good! - players via free agency. Obviously, they ignored my advice... But I don't really like the woulda/coulda/shoulda post-draft analysis. We don't know what was going on, and you can't just extract a successful rookie from one program and assume the same success with another. No, I think you evaluate the draft strictly on who was drafted and how they perform.
Ultimately your last paragraph is true. What we think doesn't matter. Only how the drafted players careers turnout is what matters. Still, there's nothing wrong with posters on here as an example saying I wish they would've drafted player X instead of player Y and seeing how those 2 players careers turnout 2-3 years from now.
There's nothing wrong with posters doing... whatever! But making that specific comparison is never as easy as 1+1=2 - especially once you move past the upper echelon of the first round, where talent is more likely to overcome scheme, coaching, etc. If the idea is they should have taken Conerly or Simmons at 25 - we're talking about.... the 5th? 6th? linemen being taken? (I don't have the draft in front of me.) They didn't pass on the "consensus" best or even top 3 lineman. Now, having said that, I'm STILL pissed the Texans traded out of Kyle Hamilton.
i may be in the minority, but I'll limit the draft to performance over the next 4 years or 5 for round 1 picks. after that they are essentially FAs and you pay for what you get.
Exactly, I wanted Jordan Davis, you wanted Kyle Hamilton, Caserio/Lovie/Warhop wanted Kenyon Green. I find it fun to predict how these 3 guys careers are going to turnout and then seeing how their careers actually turnout.
