...In the Bullseye.com: Filling Needs with the 2013 Draft

The Houston Texans spent the first two days of the college draft staying put and filling needs. They did not try to move up or down the draft board or reach out for a development guy. The Texans are now a team in quest of a Super Bowl ring, and they just wanted to shore up expected areas of weakness or lack of depth.

On Thursday, they chose Clemson wide receiver Deandre Hopkins with the 27th overall choice of the first round. Hopkins is not the tallest, swiftest or most agile among receivers, but he is steady and capable of making people miss. He has solid hands and body control. Until DeVier Posey returns from injury, Hopkins could be in the starting lineup opposite Andre Johnson the first half of the season.

In Friday's edition, Houston chose South Carolina safety D.J. Swearinger in the second round. Swearinger is a hard hitter who will be groomed to replace veteran Ed Reed at free safety as soon as Reed's career is done which could come at any time.

In the third round, the Texans landed offensive tackle Brennan Williams of North Carolina. He's huge, athletic and expected to compete for the starting job at right tackle. Williams has the talent to rise above his draft position but has also suffered from injuries throughout his career.

Spotting a trend here? Once again, the Texans seem to have their focus locked on players from the Carolinas and Virginia. I can't really understand what they see in ACC players but they aren't alone. For what's clearly the fifth best college conference in the land, they do produce a bevy of draftees every year. Five of the 13 first round choices in franchise history have been ACC players and one more (Dunta Robinson) also came from South Carolina.

The supplemental pick at the end of the third round for losing free agent Mario Williams last year was used to take controversial defensive end Sam Montgomery of LSU who will be converted to a 3-4 rush linebacker by the Texans. Montgomery has talent, at least as a defensive lineman, that should have landed him in an earlier round but he has made statements that caused several teams to question his effort and his ethics. I sense guys like Reed and J.J. Watt will do their best to keep him focused.

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