This is the best mock I've seen for the Texans with the first 3 rounds. But I'd go with DE at 1-12 and WR at 2-33 if the other picks are the same. I also wouldn't be upset with a TE or RB in the 2nd or 3rd round if one of the top talents is available. Or trading up for another 2nd or 3rd round pick either. My preference would be in this order. QB DE C LB WR TE RB
I love Van Ness, but I'm afraid he becomes a Top 10 player in this draft. I get the value of Carter dropping, and for me that DeMeco and coaching staff call, I wouldn't draft him. I like Mayer if he slips to Top of 2nd. Bijan would be great if it was next year for us, but I get BPA if he’s there at 12. Gonna be fun!
Everybody should put in who they think Ryans/Caserio will pick, not who you think they will pick. Should I start a separate thread for this? Rd.1 Young Rd.1 Nolan Smith Rd.2 Johnston Rd.3 Wypler Rd.3 LaPorta Rd.4 Bryce Ford-Wheaton Rd.5 Dorrian Williams 6. DeWayne McBride I could see trading up for this guy.
https://t.co/57Hgv0EqTr After spending the last two months talking to college football coaches and NFL sources, I put together my third annual first-round NFL mock draft based on those evaluations and the needs of each team. The draft evaluation process is an inexact science, but what I strive to do with this project is provide unique insight into each of the players, as the analysis comes directly from the coaches who have scouted, game-planned for and played them. Those sources, granted anonymity to speak freely about the prospects, know exactly what they’re dealing with and what they’ve tried to do to them in real game situations — and how it all turned out. 1. Carolina Panthers (via CHI): C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State It’s been well-documented that new head coach Frank Reich has an extensive history of playing with taller quarterbacks — Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Carson Wentz among them. This point has come up repeatedly given Bryce Young’s lack of prototypical size — and that there are two very big quarterbacks this year in Anthony Richardson and Will Levis. Stroud has good size as well at 6 feet 3, 215 pounds — and he had no trouble carrying 220-plus in his college career. Reich did push back a bit on that size narrative this month when he noted that he had a very high grade on Russell Wilson in 2012. Stroud is worthy of the top overall pick. He checks every relevant box. Buckeye coaches have been raving to NFL personnel about his intelligence, according to sources. He is extremely accurate; can make all the throws; has played (and excelled) in many big-game situations; is very football smart; and sees the field well (even if it’s “muddy”). He also has better athleticism than most are giving him credit for — although he put on an impressive display in the College Football Playoff Peach Bowl semifinal against Georgia, going 23-of-34 for 348 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for 34 yards on a defense loaded with more NFL-caliber athletes than any other in the college game. The Coaching Intel “He’s so accurate and so calm. I wasn’t sure about the (Buckeyes’) previous guy’s ability to read coverage. But I know C.J. can. He has such a good ability to process, and his anticipation is so good. He runs better than you think. He’s the complete package.” “He’s the most accurate quarterback I’ve ever played against. It’s like he couldn’t have handed the ball to his receivers any better, and they’re 30, 40 yards downfield. He’s got high-level NFL accuracy and NFL vision. I think he understands the game so well and gets it out in under three seconds. He has very high football IQ.” “His accuracy downfield is really special. He’s bigger than you think and faster and harder to sack than people realize. I thought he’s better than Trevor Lawrence. He’s such a pure passer and can make all the throws. He does really unique stuff. Watch some of the stuff he did against Michigan. There are two plays in that game, one on a deep go-ball and another on a corner route, where the DB undercuts it. It’s to the wide side of the field, and he just drops it in over the outside shoulder. Then, I’m watching him against Georgia, against those guys, and he was dominant in that game. We did our best to disrupt the timing, and he still got us. We played more aggressively at the line of scrimmage and he made a bunch of big plays. On third-and-11s, in real rough spots, he was able to improvise when it wasn’t there. If we didn’t match a pattern or cover a guy just right, he took advantage every time.” “I think he has a little different personality. He’s very level, which is good. Blank face. I think he’s got that elite mindset that is always neutral: not too high and not too low.” “I think he’ll be really good in the pros. He’s very smart. They did a good job with him. He keeps his eyes downfield. I think he’s confident. He understands protections. He’s got poise. He’s been on the big stage. Georgia’s defense is as good a comparison to the NFL as you’ll get, and look what he did to them.” 2. Houston Texans: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama The DeMeco Ryans Era kicks off with another decorated former Alabama star. Young should be a good fit in a Shanahan-style offense that should have a potent running attack that can lean into the play-action game with him moving out of the pocket. Young at 5 feet 10, 195 pounds does not have ideal size. He’s a hard comparison. There’s some Russell Wilson in his game, but Wilson is much thicker, built more like a running back. Young is fleet-footed but not quite as dynamic as Kyler Murray, though he’s still a pretty special talent. He had a 79-to-12 TD-to-INT ratio playing in the toughest league in college football, winning the Heisman Trophy as a first-year starter. Against ranked opponents, it was 25-to-5. That’s still a strong ratio that also works in the face of the fact that his completion percentage dropped more than 10 percent in games against SEC opponents compared to nonconference games. As one coach noted, some schools might’ve had a lot less success with shorter, less athletic players than top-of-the-line SEC schools did when they tried to heat him up and get in his face. The latter is probably a much more realistic barometer of what Young will have to manage at the next level. The Coaching Intel “I am a big believer in Bryce. Been watching him forever. I was really impressed, especially with his intelligence and his decision-making. He’s emotionally mature and really accurate. We heard when Bill O’Brien got there, Bryce ended up teaching him the early stages of their offense. My only concern is that he’s little. At some point one of these gigantic interior guys is gonna land on him and you’ll be scared that he’s not gonna get up. His size scares me because against us, he really didn’t escape. We ran him down three or four times. We’ve got some good athletes, but those are the athletes that you’re trying to run away from at that level.” “I don’t think people give him enough credit for his feet. He doesn’t look like he’s running real fast, but he is. He’s also so damn accurate on the move. I was really impressed with how well he understands where to go with the ball, if you gave him any tip or tell of what you were doing, pressure-wise. If you do, he’d kill you. In our game, there’s no way he knew it was coming; our safety wasn’t even off the hash. There was nothing to tip him off. Nothing that said throw it out there. We hit pretty hard eight or nine times. I thought he did a really good job of handling that. He slid protection really good. I Zero-ed (blitzed) him a bunch, thinking, f— it. Let’s hit this quarterback as many times as I can. But he did such a great job of seeing it at the snap, especially for being such a young guy in terms of snaps played.” “If he’s got time, he’s gonna kill you. His arm is good in person but Hendon Hooker has a stronger arm. He’s at his best extending plays in the pocket, and he throws dimes. He also has a very good feel on touch and when to rifle it in there. We changed significantly (scheme-wise) before we played him. We ran Fire Zone and Cover 0 and really heated him up, and I didn’t think he saw it that well when there’re athletic 6-5 dudes running down your throat. I’m not sold on him. I’d take C.J. before him.” “He shredded us. It was like that old Denny Green line, he was who we thought he was. He completes passes on really good coverage. Incredibly accurate. He never left the pocket. Was impressed by his ability to go through his reads and find receivers down the field.” 3. Arizona Cardinals: Will Anderson, Edge, Alabama
4. Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida Signing Gardner Minshew, one of the NFL’s better backups, should give the Colts some flexibility not to feel like they absolutely have to lean on the 21-year-old. His stats in his first season as Florida’s starter in a new system were modest: 54 percent completion percentage, 17 TDs and nine INTs, plus 654 rushing yards for nine rushing touchdowns. Curiously, he had a 9-to-2 TD-to-INT ratio against ranked opponents and just 8-to-7 against unranked teams; seven of those rushing TDs were against Top 25 competition. Richardson put on a jaw-dropping show at the NFL Scouting Combine, measuring in at 244 pounds and clocking a 4.43 40 to go with a 40.5-inch vertical jump and a 10-9 broad jump. His cannon of an arm might’ve been even more impressive. The NFL coaches I spoke to think he may be utilized similarly to how Brian Daboll brought along Josh Allen, who also came into the NFL raw and with accuracy concerns. Daboll also did a terrific job managing Daniel Jones with the Giants, moving the pocket a lot, incorporating more QB run game and cutting the field in half, using more play-action and more RPOs so there was less true drop-back game. New Colts coach Shane Steichen has an excellent track record of bringing along young, agile QBs in his work with Justin Herbert in his rookie season and Jalen Hurts. The Coaching Intel “Six years ago, this guy would’ve been crushed because of the completion percentage. But Josh Allen is the comp for me, and he had a low completion percentage at a Group of 5 program (56 percent). The completion percentage would scare me, but Richardson has a lot of physical tools and he can be coached to make better decisions. And pro football is changing and becoming more like college football with the running quarterback. And holy s—, this guy is big. Because of how strong his arm is and how big and fast he is, there’s a lot of upside there. I have a good friend on (Florida’s) staff, and he said he’s a terrific human being, just a great kid, and that every intangible is there.” “He’s an incredible athlete. His decision-making was OK. I think he lacked touch. A lot of his throws were rockets. I think he’s the closest thing we’ve seen to Cam (Newton), and his combine numbers were obviously better. I think that comp is fair. I think his best football is in front of him. I don’t think they asked him to do too much with reads.” “Talent-wise, there isn’t anybody better. When he’s got his knees bent (mechanics-wise), he’s really good. When he gets straight-legged at the top of his drop, he becomes inaccurate.” “I like Richardson more than Levis. There have only been three players in my college coaching career that I was hoping did not play that day we faced them: DeSean Jackson, Tavon Austin and Anthony Richardson. He’s that different.” “Richardson has a cannon and has more raw ability than Levis. Everything you love about Levis, you love about Richardson even more.” 5. Seattle Seahawks (via DEN): Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia 6. Detroit Lions (via LAR): Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech 7. Las Vegas Raiders: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State 8. Atlanta Falcons: Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa 9. Chicago Bears (via CAR): Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern 10. Philadelphia Eagles (via NO): Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas 11. Tennessee Titans: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State 12. New York Giants (trade with HOU): Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon 13. New York Jets: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia 14. New England Patriots: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois 15. Green Bay Packers: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame 16. Washington Commanders: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State 17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Nolan Smith, Edge, Georgia 18. Detroit Lions: Calijah Kancey, DT, Pitt 19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College 20. Tennessee Titans (trade with SEA): Will Levis, QB, Kentucky 21. Los Angeles Chargers: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah 22. Baltimore Ravens: Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland 23. Minnesota Vikings: Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee 24. Jacksonville Jaguars: Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson 25. Houston Texans (from NYG): Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU This is a big, more explosive target than Young had in Tuscaloosa in 2022. The 6 feet 3, 208-pound Johnston didn’t run the 40 in Indianapolis but displayed his freakish athleticism by vertical jumping 40 1/2 inches and broad jumping 11-2. He had a big 2022, helping the Horned Frogs make it all the way to the national title game, catching 60 passes for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns despite battling a naggy ankle injury in the second half of the season. The Coaching Intel “He’s big and he can really take the top off the defense. Long strider with straight-line speed. He doesn’t necessarily get out his breaks that well.” “He’ll jump over guys to get it, but he has inconsistent hands.” “A Calvin Johnson type of the Big 12, so big, so much length, and so fast. What are you supposed to do with him? Press him, you better have someone over the top if they don’t get him.” “I thought he was OK. Our DBs are really soft and don’t like challenging wide receivers. He definitely has playmaking abilities, but he’s not polished.” “He’s a red-zone threat. People were afraid to press him up. His unlocking at the next level is how well he separates at the top of routes. Can he run the 18-yard comebacks? I don’t really know.” 26. Dallas Cowboys: Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia 27. Buffalo Bills: Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan 28. Cincinnati Bengals: Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee 29. New Orleans Saints (via SF): Jordan Addison, WR, USC 30. Philadelphia Eagles: Keion White, Edge, Georgia Tech 31. Kansas City Chiefs: Will McDonald, Edge, Iowa State Teams without a first-round pick 36. Los Angeles Rams: Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State 51. Miami Dolphins: YaYa Diaby, Edge, Louisville 74. Cleveland Browns: Andre Carter, Edge, Army 67. Denver Broncos (via IND): Sydney Brown, S, Illinois 99. San Francisco 49ers: Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland
Appreciate you posting this; this is so stupid however. If Gonzalez is on the board and we pass on him to trade down and get Quentin(who won't be there at pick 25 anyway) that would be a disaster
Just to be clear, "they 1" is Ryans/Caserio and "they 2" is the poster. Right? Pronouns are always unclear.
My preference is ALWAYS BPA. If you are stacked at a position, then trade your way out of it, don't give it away for free.
“Some later picks” “In a deal to move up 13 spots, the Giants know there’s a run on top corners coming very soon, and they swap first-rounders with Houston (plus some later picks) to grab Gonzalez before Bill Belichick or Mike Tomlin. The 6 feet 1, 197-pounder, who began his career at Colorado, has ideal size and length. Gonzalez is a Freak athlete who ran a 4.38 at the combine, broad jumped 11-1 and vertical jumped 41 1/2 inches. He might not be quite as instinctive as Witherspoon but he’s much bigger, and in a division with A.J. Brown on the top team, that matters.”
That’s not enough. This is a terrific draft for DL. If Carter or Nolan Smith are available you jump on them, especially Carter.
That's the type of deal I expect BDN to make only more around 21 than 25. An extra 2nd rounder in this draft can go the extra mile. And plenty of talent left that the trade will be worth it.
I’m ok for trading down from 2, but we have the most draft picks of any team over the next 2 years and a tremendous amount of cap room next year. I think the talent available at 12 is just too good to pass up. Trade 2 for a top 4-8 and we still have a chance at one of the top 4 qbs and if that doesn’t work out, go big on defense in first round. 2nd round either another TE or center. With Schultz and top draft TE we can have a pretty good ball control offense and a top 10 defense. What is the strength of this draft? I think it is TE, DL, QB in that order. If we can get AR with our first pick and Smith/Carter with the 2nd with even more draft capital next year and all the cap space, the re-build will be complete. I think Caserio has put us in an incredible position for a quick path to relevance. We just need to nail this draft.
Love the trade proposal. If we can get Johnston there and pickup an extra 2nd. I'm good! Would love best pass rusher on board at #33 and Jahmyr Gibbs or Darnell Washington w/2nd #2 pick. Texans need playmakers
I would like the balance of offense and defense too but I think of your number 1 wr is available at 12, it would be hard to pass them up unless the number 1 dlinwman, linebacker etc was available too
