2014 Mock Drafts

[WMH]

Originally Posted by painekiller

Bob McNair is the person I remember listening to, he was talking about this in an interview. And he is not going any where in the near future.

McNair also mentioned Carr as a did not love the game type. He said they have now added love of the game into the profile they use to rate players.

Was that during his Ox in a ditch speech or the one that said we're on the right track?

Just sayin......

[nunusguy]

I think ultimately we are going to regret taking Hopkins this year with our 1st round pick, and that's just among other WRs that were available in the draft this year including several receivers who went in later rounds.
Anybody else catch the Fresno - San Jose State game yesterday ? I watched Derrick Carr on a couple drives and he's an impressive passer, had excellent accuracy atleast on several short and medium length passes, didn't really watch enough of the game to see him throw it downfield. And San Jose has a slinger named David Fales who might be another interesting QB prospect.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

I think ultimately we are going to regret taking Hopkins this year with our 1st round pick, and that's just among other WRs that were available in the draft this year including several receivers who went in later rounds.
Anybody else catch the Fresno - San Jose State game yesterday ? I watched Derrick Carr on a couple drives and he's an impressive passer, had excellent accuracy atleast on several short and medium length passes, didn't really watch enough of the game to see him throw it downfield. And San Jose has a slinger named David Fales who might be another interesting QB prospect.

Who do you like more than Hopkins from the later rounds?

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by barrett

Who do you like more than Hopkins from the later rounds?

Keenan Allen (SD/CAL) & Terrance Willimans (Dal/Baylor) are a couple and both were 3rd rounders in April.
As more time passes the less I like our Draft, and it's not just the player we took with our top pick. Swearington for example is a good player, I like him and he will most likely be a success in the NFL over the long-term, but I don't think we should have used a second round pick on him, or any safety for that matter. And then there's the third round where we had 2 picks and it was clearly a disaster for us.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Keenan Allen (SD/CAL) & Terrance Willimans (Dal/Baylor) are a couple and both were 3rd rounders in April.
As more time passes the less I like our Draft, and it's not just the player we took with our top pick. Swearington for example is a good player, I like him and he will most likely be a success in the NFL over the long-term, but I don't think we should have used a second round pick on him, or any safety for that matter. And then there's the third round where we had 2 picks and it was clearly a disaster for us.

I don't like our 3rds at this point either, but I like rounds 1 and 2 a lot. I'd rather have Hopkins than any WR in the draft. I think he has a much higher ceiling than any of those guys. He has clearly struggled since our QB play took a nose dive, but he is still the guy from the 4th quarter and OT of Tennessee in week 2. In fact, I think WR might be the best position group on the team going forward. AJ is still near the top, Hopkins looks like he could be a true #1, and I really like Posey.

Swearinger has been our best Safety this year (I know that is like being the favorite prison guard, but still). We needed a safety at the time and he filled the need nicely. I would say he is the only sure piece of our Secondary going forward.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by barrett

I don't like our 3rds at this point either, but I like rounds 1 and 2 a lot. I'd rather have Hopkins than any WR in the draft. I think he has a much higher ceiling than any of those guys. He has clearly struggled since our QB play took a nose dive, but he is still the guy from the 4th quarter and OT of Tennessee in week 2. In fact, I think WR might be the best position group on the team going forward. AJ is still near the top, Hopkins looks like he could be a true #1, and I really like Posey.

Swearinger has been our best Safety this year (I know that is like being the favorite prison guard, but still). We needed a safety at the time and he filled the need nicely. I would say he is the only sure piece of our Secondary going forward.

I hope you are right about Hopkins.
Re our secondary, Keo has shown a lot of improvement this year, but don't know if it's enough for him to viewed as a starter over the long-term here in our secondary ? Sounds like you don't think Keo has a future beyond a reserve/ST type, atleast here in Houston ?

[HPF Bob]

Re: Hopkins. Not sure about his downfield speed or ability to get open but he can win jump balls and seems to have good ball skills. I think he has suffered withour QB woes and clearly Andre is still the receiver of choice. I'm not down on Hopkins. Sometimes receivers need a year or two to flourish.

Re: Swearingen. He's just as advertised. Tough guy. Big hitter. Not a polished product and sometimes takes bad angles. Smith obviously knew all that when he was drafted so how can anyone complain with what we got? He was meant to be insurance in case Ed Reed was not ready and, boy, did we need that.

Re: Keo. I've never thought of him as more than backup/special teams and I'm really surprised he has lasted this long. Somebody obviously sees more in this guy than I have been.

[painekiller]

Walter 12.3.2013

1 Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

The Texans are losing games, but it'll pay off. They've quit in most weeks - losing consecutive home games to the Raiders and Jaguars, and then battling the Patriots tough is an obvious sign of that - but it'll work out in the long run because they'll be able to land Teddy Bridgewater.

Given how important the quarterback position is, Teddy Bridgewater will the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, barring injury or Marcus Mariota declaring. There's really no discussion. Jadeveon Clowney wouldn't get Houston's franchise back into the playoffs. Bridgewater would.

I should mention that I've seen some project Mariota to be the No. 1 pick. He'd be in contention, but redshirt sophomore quarterbacks seldom declare. Andrew Luck didn't even come out despite being guaranteed the No. 1 spot. Besides, Mariota is only 19. I'm not saying he won't declare, but I think it's more than likely that he'll stay at Oregon. Mariota is the No. 1 pick in my 2015 NFL Mock Draft.

By the way, I'm doing this live because I thought it'd be fun to get instant feedback. I'm going to post my mock anyway, so why not do it this way? Follow @walterfootball for updates.

Pick change; previously Jadeveon Clowney, DE/OLB

33 James Hurst, OT, North Carolina

Teams that spend early picks on quarterbacks often double up on offense. If the Texans decide to do that, they could certainly upgrade the right tackle position, which is a big problem area for them.

Follow @walterfootball for updates.

Pick change; previously Tajh Boyd, QB

65 Jeremiah Attaochu, DE/OLB, Georgia Tech

This pick kills two stones with one bird, as Emmitt would say. The Texans have to upgrade their pass rush and bolster the inside linebacker position. With Jeremiah Attaochu on board, Houston can move Brooks Reed into the interior.

Follow @walterfootball for updates.

Pick change; previously Shayne Skov, ILB

[nunusguy]

Just how good is this Jadeveon Clowney ? Has his reputation, image, whatever been blown totally out of all proportion because of this one hit, this one play he made on the RB across the los that got so much pub, or is he really that rare of a talent as a pass-rusher that comes along once just ever so often ? Maybe another Jevon "the freak" Kearse, or even the potential to be the second coming of Lawrence Taylor ? I've not seen any of his games and I'd like to know
since it's looking like he ours if we want him in the 2014 draft. So thoughts, comments anybody ?

[Nconroe]

I'm not the expert on this either, but,

Jadeveon Clowney , 6',6", 268 lbs South Carolina seems to be top choice some draft boards recommending for Texans

http://fansided.com/2013/12/02/2014-...-takes-1-spot/

The Freshman QB from Florida St might be worth waiting a year for, although not sure he would pass Texans ethics background check..

Right now, my opinion for top three draft picks is all defense, two pass rushers, DE and OLB, then a tall playmaking CB like Seattle has who can cover the tall Wr and TE.

There are a few other top pass rushers in this draft such as Barr from UCLA.

[Nconroe]

Just a thought, if Zach Mettenberger is available at top of third would we take him. Good size, arm strength, injured now. Had been rated late first or early second round.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings...2014&genpos=qb

[painekiller]

WalterFootball 12.11.13

1 Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

The Texans are losing games, but it'll pay off. They've quit in most weeks - losing consecutive home games to the Raiders and Jaguars, and then battling the Patriots tough is an obvious sign of that - but it'll work out in the long run because they'll be able to land Teddy Bridgewater.

Given how important the quarterback position is, Teddy Bridgewater will the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, barring injury. There's really no discussion. Jadeveon Clowney wouldn't get Houston's franchise back into the playoffs. Bridgewater would.

By the way, I've repeatedly discussed why Mariota wouldn't declare as a redshirt sophomore. He has announced that he'll be going back to school. He's the No. 2 pick in my 2015 NFL Mock Draft, updated a few days ago.

33 James Hurst, OT, North Carolina

As mentioned earlier, teams that spend early picks on quarterbacks often double up on offense. If the Texans decide to do that, they could certainly upgrade the right tackle position, which is a big problem area for them.

65 Jeremiah Attaochu, DE/OLB, Georgia Tech

This pick kills two stones with one bird, as Emmitt would say. The Texans have to upgrade their pass rush and bolster the inside linebacker position. With Jeremiah Attaochu on board, Houston can move Brooks Reed into the interior.

I want so bad to offer another alternative, but I promised not to.

[jaimeg]

don't like Bridgewater, like Bortles

[barrett]

Originally Posted by jaimeg

don't like Bridgewater, like Bortles

Have you followed Bortles? All I saw was the one game against UH and he was pretty bad. Strangely, Bridgewater was pretty average against them too. And obviously UH is not Alabama on defense. They turn people over at an awesome rate but don't really stop people (but did against Bortles and Bridgewater).

I keep seeing his name and wondered if anyone else had seen him play more. What are his strengths? Weaknesses? How has he climbed to a potentially high draft pick? etc?

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by jaimeg

don't like Bridgewater, like Bortles

Never heard of him, but then I never heard of OT Eric Fisher of Central Michigan this time last year and he ended up being the #1 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.
So whoever goes #1 in the 2014 Draft may also be a complete unknown to many NFL fans at this point in time.

[Nconroe]

Did a search on Bortles, quite a few recent articles on him. Underclassmen who hasn't decided yet to enter draft. Found a Raiders blog where they had analysis and quoted ESPN Todd McShay-

In fact, it wouldn't shock me if he ends up going ahead of Bridgewater.

Bortles has good size, arm strength and accuracy, and has proved he can win from inside the pocket. He also possesses good character and a strong football IQ. A nice bonus is that he's built to last in the NFL because he's big and mobile enough to move around. He isn't Cam Newton, but more of a cross between Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger.

[jaimeg]

I did see the end of the Louisville game, but didn't see the UH game. Heard an analyst on either espn radio or nfl radio saying he was probably the most "clutch" along with Stanford qb. He also mentioned smarts or IQ. Since that point Ive tried to research (draft sites, youtube, etc). I seem to remember liking his pocket presence and the fact that he throws the ball well with pressure around him. I can't name specifics but that is what I came away with. But there is still a long time and Im sure the Texans won't be asking for my opinion.

[HPF Bob]

It's a been awhile and they've made some changes with the lower rounds:

1. 1. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

I wrote this in my NFL Power Rankings a few weeks ago regarding the No. 1 pick: Mel Kiper appeared on Sunday NFL Countdown and said that the No. 1 overall pick will come down to three players: Jadeveon Clowney, Anthony Barr and Jake Matthews. If the 2014 NFL Draft were held today, Clowney would probably be the pick. But this reminds me of the 2011 NFL Draft. Both Kiper and Todd McShay thought a defensive lineman would be the top choice (Kiper said Nick Fairley, while McShay suggested Da'Quan Bowers), yet the Panthers ultimately fell in love with Cam Newton.

With Jay Cutler re-signed, the same thing will almost certainly happen to the Texans, who will have four months to become smitten with Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles or Johnny Manziel. One of those signal-callers will probably be the No. 1 pick.

Given how important the quarterback position is, Bridgewater or another signal-caller will the No. 1 selection in the 2014 NFL Draft. There's really no discussion. Clowney, Barr and Matthews wouldn't get Houston's franchise back into the playoffs. A franchise quarterback would. The Texans will talk themselves into drafting one of them.

So, which one will it be? Bridgewater is considered the favorite right now, but Bortles might be a better fit for Bill O'Brien's offense. I may slot him here in the near future. Then, there's Manziel, whom owner Bob McNair seems smitten with. He can't be counted out.

2. 33. Kyle Van Noy, DE/OLB, BYU

The Texans would kill two stones with one bird with this pick, as Emmitt would say. They need to upgrade their pass rush and find some help at inside linebacker. Kyle Van Noy would satisfy the former, which would allow Brooks Reed to move inside.

3. 65. Joel Bitonio, OT/G, Nevada

As mentioned earlier, teams that spend early picks on quarterbacks often double up on offense. If the Texans decide to do that, they could certainly upgrade the right tackle position, which is a big problem area for them.

4. 97. E.J. Gaines, CB, Missouri

Brice McCain was a huge disappointment in 2013, so the Texans will want to add a cornerback at some point during the middle rounds.

The 1-1 choice will be picked apart so no point rehashing it here. Van Noy is an interesting choice as he is an impact player but a tad undersized for the next level. He can defenitely rush the QB and we need that and, as a bonus, has some pass coverage skills so he can definitely be a three-down player. He makes plays. As with anybody from BYU, check the birth certificate.

Drafting OL in the third round makes sense except we seem to do that every year and mostly have wound up with crap. Help at RT is definitely needed but I'm leaning towards finding a veteran in free agency rather than fooling around with more rookies. CB in the 4th round is another smart get. I wonder if/when we might look for a RB to give us depth and insurance in case Foster/Tate aren't ready. Your thoughts?

[Blitzwood]

I think we all need to(or have already come to) realize this team needs more than a new QB and new HC to get to the SB. We have needs at almost every position due to some bad draft picks and FA signings in recent years. With that said, this is a scenario I would do, although I know it's been over 10 years since a First overall pick has been traded.

Trade the 1 to the Browns for the 4, 26, and 35.
Trade the 26 to the 49ers for their 30 and 94.


1-1. Browns - J. Manziel. QB
1-2. Rams - G. Robinson. OT
1-3. Jags - J. Clowney. DE

1-4. Blake Bortles. QB, B.O.B. makes out like a bandit in his first draft as HC. He gets the proto type signal caller he most desires and many assumed he'd take 1st overall, and a hand full of additional picks to help reload the team. (Anthony Barr also gets a long look here)

1-30. Stephan Tuitt. 3-4DE, 1st Team All-American. A. Smith is not resigned.
2-33. David Yankey. OG, 1st Team All-American. W. Smith is not resigned.
2-35. Ed Reynolds. S, 1st Team All-American. Keo becomes expendable.
3-65. Bryan Stork. C, Consensus All-American. Ben Jones moves to the PS.
3-94. Jeremy Hill. RB, 1st Team All-SEC. Tate is all but gone.
4-97. Christian Jones. OLB, Brooks Reed is not resigned.
5.129. Stanley Jean-Baptiste. CB, Offers much needed depth.
6-161. JaWuan James. OT, Newton becomes the swing OT.
7-193. Spencer Shuey. ILB, Trevardo Williams and Shuey battle for the other ILB.

[HPF Bob]

The old trade chart from the 1990s is probably outdated now that there's a rookie salary cap but I seriously doubt the Browns would give up #4, #26 and #35 just to move up three spots. We'll be lucky to get #4 and #26 but your choice at #35 can be eliminated from the exercise without much impact in the overall design.

Then swapping #26 for #30 and #94 is very plausible if the 49ers target someone they want. The Niners have two picks in the second and third with #94 the lowest of them.

Bortles and Tuitt would seem like wasted opportunities to me. Yankey ought to be an anchor for the line. Stork I don't see as upgrade from Jones who was just as highly praised coming out of Georgia.

I'm not expecting Christian Jones or JaWaun Jones to be there where you have us choosing them. I do like the trade down ideas and if you can talk Cleveland into giving up their top three picks, give Rick Smith a call.