Grading Texans draft

[Nconroe]

Saw this A From Rob Rang of CBS sports

Given the big investments in Brock Osweiler and Lamar Miller, as well as the extraordinary body control of No. 1 receiver DeAndre Hopkins, first round pick Will Fuller should prove the perfect vertical threat complement. Houston only reinforced their splashy offseason with the selection of steady interior offensive lineman Nick Martin in the second round, silky smooth athlete Braxton Miller in the third and my favorite third down receiving specialist running back Tyler Ervin in the fourth.

When was the last time an offense in the NFL was so dramatically different in just one offseason? Watch out for heavy-hitting safety K.J. Dillon and developmental nose guard D.J. Reader to surprise, as well. I'm not as high as some on Fuller but there are some terrific schematic fits here for the Texans, earning them one of the top grades this year.
Grade: A

[Nconroe]

Then SBNation gave Texans a B+

Houston Texans

1 (21). Will Fuller, WR, Notre Dame

2 (50). Nick Martin, C, Notre Dame

3 (85). Braxton Miller, WR, Ohio State

4 (119). Tyler Ervin, RB, San Jose State

5 (159). K.J. Dillon, S, West Virginia

5 (166). D.J. Reader, DT, Clemson

Best pick: Miller - Miller is a player who has sky-high potential if he can continue the development at wide receiver that he flashed at Ohio State.

Questionable pick: Fuller - The Texans obviously loved Fuller's speed, but his drop issues are real.

Houston gave out a bunch of money in the offseason with quarterback Brock Osweiler and running back Lamar Miller. They added some athletic pieces around them with wide receivers Will Fuller and Braxton Miller. Fuller can open up the whole field thanks to his speed and route running. Miller was, personally, one of my favorite players in the draft. He can be a special player if he continues to develop as a receiver. At running back they got a third round back that compliments Miller. He's a big play athlete who can break big plays. Safety K.J. Dillon is a player who you could play in the slot or drop back in zone. He was a smart pick in the fifth round. Houston needed a nose tackle and got a good one in D.J. Reader in the fifth round.

Overall grade: B+

[Nconroe]

On ESPN Texans got Thumbs Up

Houston Texans

Thumbs up. After signing quarterback Brock Osweiler, the Texans’ biggest remaining need was offensive speed. They started with Will Fuller, the fastest receiver at the combine. Third-round pick Braxton Miller didn’t blow anyone away with his combine 40-yard dash, but his functional speed on the field can’t be denied. Fourth-round pick Tyler Ervin is fast, too, with a 4.41 40-yard dash and quick times in other agility drills. A lack of speed hurt the Texans offense last season, and that shouldn’t happen again with additions from this draft class and free agency. -- Tania Ganguli | Grading the Texans

[HPF Bob]

As I was watching the Texans get demolished by the Chiefs, I was thinking their problem was not enough speed on offense. Others said it was because Hoyer sucked or the receivers couldn't catch a pass to save their lives or our offensive line was getting owned like a child sex slave but, no, clearly our skill players just lacked speed and that would answer all our problems.

[popanot]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

As I was watching the Texans get demolished by the Chiefs, I was thinking their problem was not enough speed on offense. Others said it was because Hoyer sucked or the receivers couldn't catch a pass to save their lives or our offensive line was getting owned like a child sex slave but, no, clearly our skill players just lacked speed and that would answer all our problems.

I would choose "All of the Above".

[chuck]

Originally Posted by popanot

I would choose "All of the Above".

I don't think too many people would accuse me of being a Texans apologist but the team went out and addressed all of these issues and then some.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by Nconroe

Then SBNation gave Texans a B+

Houston Texans

1 (21). Will Fuller, WR, Notre Dame

2 (50). Nick Martin, C, Notre Dame

3 (85). Braxton Miller, WR, Ohio State

4 (119). Tyler Ervin, RB, San Jose State

5 (159). K.J. Dillon, S, West Virginia

5 (166). D.J. Reader, DT, Clemson

Best pick: Miller - Miller is a player who has sky-high potential if he can continue the development at wide receiver that he flashed at Ohio State.

All of these players with the exception of Ervin were My Guys. I simply had players ranked higher than when we selected them. The best value in my opinion was Braxton Miller when he was selected, but I would have preferred his teammate TE Nick Vannett at that point in the draft to address what I feel is a glaring hole. Ervin had a ton of touches at San Jose, so perhaps he is more durable than his size would lead me to believe. If he and Braxton Miller rack up some huge returns this season, I will quiet down. I would have gone after Tyvis Powell late instead of Dillon and he ended up being signed as a UDFA by the Seahawks. I had Sean Davis (#58), Vonn Bell (#61), and Miles Killebrew (#111) ranked higher than Dillon (#159) and they were off the board. There were no other 320lbs NT available and Reader has talent. My only concern was rumors concerning his motivation and work ethic. I think Nick Martin will be a solid OC for years to come and an upgrade over Ben Jones. Braxton Miller is raw and doesn't know how to run routes yet, because he was converted from QB. If he develops into a NFL WR, he could be a huge steal due to his agility 6.65-Cone and 4.07 - Shuttle is amazing for 6'2" 201lbs.

It's too early to grade without seeing them on the field, but I give them a B.

[Blitzwood]

I read somewhere the reason Reader left football for a while was to deal with the loss of his father. As you probably know people deal with loss differently, and Reader shouldn't be punished for that. I'm sure bob did his due diligence after the Nix debacle, plus having fellow allumni Hopkins on the team can't hurt either.