The 11th Pick in the 2011 Draft
 

The popular pick in most Mocks (if we stay at 11), have us taking CB Prince Amakamura, but I think the smart pick would be LB Aldon Smith from Missouri. What do you think we should do?

I think we should take Julio Jones. He is a big target, run solid routes, has deep speed, is an excellent blocker, and AJ is not getting any younger so get a guy to play #2 now and then later be the #1.

Julio Jones, AJ, Owen Daniels, and then Foster. Pick your poison.

This would be the smart pick if he were still available, but my gut tells me Dallas will take him if he's still there at 9. After dealing with Dez last year, they want a clean impact player. Plus the Texans brass are quoted to have said they have "some concerns" selecting CB's in consecutive first rounds. The old mutually congruent formula for drafting CB's in the first round.....................Brilliant!

No way in Hell that happens, although I wouldn't mind JJ and I beleive the pick would make sense, they just can't seem to go offense with such a bad defense last year. But a player like JJ only comes around every so often.

If I had to guess who THE TEXANS will select at 11,

I'd have to say:
Bowers, if he's still there. All the "experts" say he's slipping, and I say let him slip all the way to us, That is if the Redskins let him.


If he's gone, and Quinn and Prince are gone........then I'm pretty sure the TEXANS select:
Cameron Jordan.

Our trade down target(if all our target players are gone)
Justin Houston.

No need to debate this. It's going to be Robert Quinn. He so much fits the profile of almost every first-rounder we take that it's scary. Bowers, coming from another ACC school, sorta fits the profile as well but it's gonna be Quinn and he'll be there to pick.

The consensus opinion among analysts is that Bowers is strictly a 4-3 DE, which should automatically remove him from the Texans' Board.
Not completely sure about your comment of Quinn fitting the profile of "almost every" Texan first-rounder, as I can see similarities between Quinn and some of them but I can also see differences ? I'm guessing you're thinking of the very young Okoye when he came out as a player with a big upside but also a big downside ?
Lot of questions marks about Quinn for sure, but any team thinking of drafting him has got to wonder if he's going to be more like a Clay Matthews or instead more like a Aaron Maybin or a Vernon Gholston ? The guy has tremendous talent in a purely athletic sense, but there's so many issues with him including medical, an absense from competitve sports since 2009, and just the basic uncertainy of accurately projecting a 4-3 DLinemans ability to succeed as a 3-4 OLB ?

My feeling is that Perhaps Prince, and the Mighty Quinn, will both be gone.

To HPF: To predict who will be our #1 right now, is an invitation to get cut off at the knees.

I've been spending some time on one of the Chiefs boards and those guys know Smith very well since a lot of them obviously are Mizzou fans/grads and have followed him there very closely as they followed their favorte college team. Anyway while most are not surprisingly bias about Smith and think he's a tremendous prospect, many think he's stricly a 4-3 DE prospect, FWIW ?
Re Amakamura: good speed and size, physical but not very skillful at a corners most important task - coverage.

The more tape I see on Patrick Peterson, the more I'm wondering if he wouldn't be a more valuable addition to the Texans roster than
Von Miller ? Afterall, aren't shut-down corners an even more valuable commodity than steller edge-rushers and the Texans surely don't have either one ?

Kind of an either-or type of thing. Big time rush specialists make the job of sitting out there on that island a little easier. The quicker the QB has to get rid of the ball, the better chance for the CB to make the int.

It seems mostly to be defense, defense, defense, and hope we get the good to exceptional and great players.

From Nick Scurfield's blog at Texans site he has two interesting mocks, one could consider

quoting
ESPN draftniks Mel Kiper and Todd McShay came out with new three-round mock drafts today. Here’s who they had the Texans taking with each of their first three picks:

Kiper (link)
1 (11): North Carolina LB Robert Quinn
2 (42): Texas CB Curtis Brown
3 (73): North Carolina CB Kendric Burney

McShay (link)
1 (11): Temple DE Muhammad Wilkerson
2 (42): Georgia OLB Justin Houston
3 (73): Temple S Jaiquawn Jarrett
end quote

I hear lot of people saying these guys need to start right away, just seems this is not a realistic expectation and often a bad idea, atleast if you want to win right away, might be good for long term.

Which makes a defensive turnaround in one year difficult if there is no free agency.

On the other hand, if you took away two or so long pass plays in most games, we could have had a possibly better record, and defensive stats, not making excuses.

On path to the draft today, they said the front guys have more impact on the back guys than the back guys do on the front guys. In other words, pass rush has more effect than coverage does. Obviously the coverage has to at least be competent for that to actually hold true.

Until we actually get into the playoffs, we will always be an afterthought to the sports networks. Both Quinn, and especially Wilkerson, have issues. Heck Wilkerson isn't even projected to go in the first round.

I think the Texans select Ryan Kerrigan to play opposite of Connor Barwin. Just my 2 cents.

Are you looking for one, or both Barwin and Kerrigan to play the 3-4 OLB? Or DE?

My 2 cents ? I wouldn't mind it a bit if the Texans took Kerrigan.
I guess the conventional thinking is that maybe he is not thought to have the potential of either Quinn or Aldon Smith, but he's also got less downside with a very solid resume as a multi-year starter and no serious injury concerns and is an unquestioned team guy (captain at Purdue) with a serious work-ethic & high-motor intensity.

Kerrigan is also a lot slower afoot. I will put my 2 cents worth on OLB Aldon Smith.

This is entertaining:

http://thexlog.com/201104140801/xtra...ew-matt-millen

I'm not going to defend Rick Smith, but a lot of half truths in this article.

First the good news:"I think the potential is there for him to become a quality NFL pass rusher both inside and outside," said Cosell. "(Missouri) lined him up very often inside in their sub packages and then he beat guards because he was a quicker, better athlete. I actually think he's a better natural pass rusher than Da'Quan Bowers, and he has more scheme versatility."
But there's always a flip side:
"The concern with me (about Smith) is that he has the tendency to play too upright and if you do that in the NFL you get driven out because it's not college football, (in the NFL) you're playing against men. He's going to have to work on that. If he loses leverage he will not be able to use any of his athleticsm or power because he'll just be driven out (away from the play) as a stand up guy."
http://www.examiner.com/houston-texa...on-aldon-smith
&&
So that's Howard Cosells nephews evaluation of Smith, FWIW ?

Sure, that's why I said entertaining rather than essential. There are some half truths and some whole truths. But to argue that Rick Smith has been anything but an abject failure would be a fool's errand.

Texans Odds on Favorites to be the first Pickl
 

http://blogs.chron.com/fantasyfootball/texansnfl/

Olb Aldon Smith would appear to be the best choice.

lots of draft speculation. I took LZ's odds as this is what he opinions most likely to occur not that Smith was necessarily the best, although whoever is chosen will be defined as highest ranked , as the best available once it happens.

Peter King of SI always has some supposed good insite, page 2, item 7, he says we might trade up to get Patrick Peterson.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...17/mmqb/1.html

Just 10 more days till Thursday, April 28 and we find out.

5-Tech
 

I am a little concerned about the speculation over Jordan & Watt as potential picks for the Texans. Mainly because I like Cam Heyward more and believe he will be drafted lower, meaning better value. Also, the 5-Tech in a 3-4 just doesn't generate the type of pass-rush I am looking for with that high of a pick. Looking back at the Cowboys draft when they selected Spears and Ware, we see which is more valuable.

Chiefs took LSU DLineman Tyson Jackson 3rd overall in the 2009 Draft to play 5-tech in their 3-4.
5-techs use to never be drafted that high when there was only a handful of 3-4s in the NFL, but not now with half the league using that defense. Economic laws of supply and demand kicked in and prices moved up dramatically.

I know and I think the Chiefs were stupid when they drafted Tyson Jackson that high.

I think if Patrick Peterson drops to between 7 and 9 then we should definitely trade up no doubt about it. Also I think there is no way in hell we should pass up on a rare specimen like Julius Jones if he drops to 11. We can still use our 2nd rounder on a second tier DE like Justin Houston.... my 2 cents. So glad that the football talk is starting once again.

I am thinking if Peterson makes it to Cleveland at 6 we should be on the phone. I agree on Julio unless they have Watt rated the same then you opt for defense or move down, but if Jones is clearly the better player take him. And Houston was one of two players testing positive at the combine, he should fall which is too bad since I think he was an option at OLB at some point.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/N...ug-test-042611

If Peterson or Dareus are at #6 - we should trade up. If you know my philosophy...I am always looking to trade down to get more picks. I don't think either drop..so I am willing to swoop in if either do. Houston's alleged drug test should drop him to the 2nd round. So! I might be moving Jimmy Smith up my board. Still...I like Cam Heyward more than Jordan orWatt. Wonders if this solidifies Aldon Smith as the pick.

I don't think Jimmy Smith is coming to the Texans unless he's still available in the 3-4 rounds, his character issues I'm sure have scared the Texans... I assure you Justin Houston is now off the Texans' board unless he's there in the mid-late rounds as well. I'm the opposite of you on 3-4DE's, I like Jordan then Watt, then Heyward. Although I do agree with you that this likely makes Aldon the Texans Fav.....unless of course Quinn is still there, I have Quinn just behind Von Miller.

I'm starting to see Fairly drop on some drafts with the increasing possibility the Titans go QB in the 1st, I'm not at all opposed to drafting him as our end, but then the question is who to take if he and Smith/Prince are still there.....??

Think I'd have to go with Fairly; maybe something like this:

Fairley 3-4DE
Acho/Sheard OLB
Chris Culliver CB/S (rumors of interest)
Martin Parker NT (MVP of east-west sg)
Ahmad Black/Mark LeGree S
Alex Henery K
Steven Friday OLB
JT Thomas ILB 3-4


I wouldn't be suprised to see several players from the e.w.s.g. in training camp as FA's, just to state the obvious....

Who is to say Fairley will not be another Amobie Okoye, and we already have one of him. So nix to Fairley.