FBG Board Consensus 2010 Mock NFL Draft (1 Viewer)

1.01 St. Louis Rams select QB Sam Bradford (83% of the vote)

1.02 Detroit Lions select DT Ndamukong Suh (59% of the vote)

1.03 Tampa Bay Buccaneers select DT Gerald McCoy (85% of the vote)

1.04 Washington Redskins select OT Russell Okung (73% of the vote)

1.05 Kansas City Chiefs select S Eric Berry (41% of the vote)

1.06 Seattle Seahawks select OT Trent Williams (41% of the vote)

1.07 Cleveland Browns select QB Jimmy Clausen (28% of the vote)

1.08 Oakland Raiders select OT Bryan Bulaga (23% of the vote)

1.09 Buffalo Bills select OT Anthony Davis (61% of the vote)

1.10 Jacksonville Jaguars select ILB Rolando McClain (30% of the vote)

1.11 Denver Broncos select DT Dan Williams (38% of the vote)

1.12 Miami Dolphins select WR Dez Bryant (47% of the vote)

1.13 San Francisco 49ers select CB Joe Haden (52% of the vote)

1.14 Seattle Seahawks select RB C.J. Spiller (45% of the vote)

1.15 New York Giants select OLB Sean Weatherspoon (37% of the vote)

1.16 Tennessee Titans select DE Derrick Morgan (46% of the vote)

1.17 San Francisco 49ers select CB/S Earl Thomas (26% of the vote)

1.18 Pittsburgh Steelers select G-OT Mike Iupati (40% of the vote)

1.19 Atlanta Falcons select DE-OLB Jason Pierre-Paul (42% of the vote)

Houston Texans

Positions of Need (as per NFL.com)

CB, RB, S, DL

Needs Analysis: The Texans' situation in the AFC South reminds me of when I was with the Jets, and we had Dan Marino and Jim Kelly in the division. We got better, but no one knew it because we couldn't beat either QB on a consistent basis. Houston has Peyton Manning blocking its growth and the pressure of building a pass rush and a secondary to contend with him never goes away. The Texans need a bell cow running back to help keep Manning off the field. Houston needs a wide body on the interior of its defensive line, especially since Jacksonville and Tennessee plan on running the ball 30 times a game. Houston figures to focus on defense in the selection process.

This is pretty easily K.Wilson for me. Biggest value meets big need.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...nt/6957716.html

On Pro Football: First-round things first for the Texans

By JOHN MCCLAIN

While the days tick down to the April 22-24 draft, I get a lot of questions about the Texans and what they plan to do with their premium picks.

I've written and said for weeks that the biggest priorities general manager Rick Smith and coach Gary Kubiak need to address are running back and cornerback.

I may be wrong, of course, but I think the Texans are more likely to select a running back in the first round and a cornerback in the second round — even though they have never taken a running back in the first or second round of the draft.

This is the deepest draft in more than 10 years. Fortunately for the Texans, the positions they need to fill the most, including defensive tackle, interior offensive line and free safety, also are blessed with terrific depth.

Let's examine why the Texans need to address running back first.

Steve Slaton, a sensation as a rookie, slumped last season. He didn't run well and fumbled too much. Then he got hurt and underwent serious neck surgery. He's undergoing rehab and is expected to be 100 percent before the season starts.

Kubiak and the offensive coaches have high hopes Slaton will return to his rookie form. But what if he suffers a setback?

Arian Foster spent most of his rookie season learning, but in starts and victories over Miami and New England in the last two games, he ran for 216 yards and three touchdowns.

The other running backs are veteran backup Ryan Moats and Jeremiah Johnson, who spent his rookie season on injured reserve.

If Smith and Kubiak don't address the problem, they could amplify it.

Not exactly a coin flip

Two running backs are expected to be selected in the first round: Clemson's C.J. Spiller and Fresno State's Ryan Mathews.

I can't find anyone I trust who believes Spiller will be available when the Texans make the 20th pick.

But if Spiller is available, Smith and Kubiak will have a difficult decision to make. Do they take Spiller (5-10½, 197 pounds), a true game-breaker capable of scoring any time he touches the ball, or Mathews (6-0, 218), a 1,808-yard runner who averaged more yards per carry last season than Spiller (6.6 to 5.6) and suits their scheme better than any prospect available?

The truth is the Texans would be fortunate to get either back. But what if Spiller is gone and a team like San Diego trades ahead of the Texans and selects Mathews?

Then Smith and Kubiak would have to turn their attention to their second-biggest need. They could draft a physical cornerback like Rutgers' Devin McCourty or a pure cover corner like Boise State's Kyle Wilson.

They could solve the running back issue later with Stanford's Toby Gerhart, Tennessee's Montario Hardesty, California's Javid Best, Auburn's Ben Tate or Georgia Tech's Jonathan Dwyer.

When all is said and done, I think the Texans will select a running back in the first round and a cornerback in the second.

Solid up front

Some of you ask why the Texans don't use their first-round pick on an interior offensive lineman like Idaho guard Mike Iupati or Florida center Maurkice Pouncey, the best prospects at their positions.

The Texans believe when everybody is healthy, they're good enough up front to win if they have a play-making running back who can have an impact on the offense — whether he comes in the first or second round.

And don't forget: Kubiak wants to get tougher on offense, and the best way to do that is to have a consistently productive running game, which they've had only once in his four seasons.

Agree with cookie monster. Go RB in second or a DL that falls to them.

http://www.foxsportshouston.com/04/14/10/T...amp;feedID=3714

Tough decisions for Texans on Draft Day

by David Dalati

With the NFL draft exactly one week away, Texans owner Bob McNair remains uncertain about which position his team will address with its first round pick. That’s because the Texans, like other NFL teams picking lower in the first round, can’t predict with certainty which players will be available.

"You might look at a player and say this is a player that would be a really good pick at the 20th pick. Let’s just say it’s a running back. But then when you get there, the person you think is the best offensive lineman in the whole draft for some reason has fallen down. Now you have a chance to make that pick. All of a sudden your thinking changes,” McNair said. “I’m not trying to be evasive, but I really don’t know.”

It is safe to say that the Texans priorities are running back and defensive back. But, McNair contends his team will not choose need over value. “If an outstanding offensive lineman were available, that would be fine,” said McNair. “If we get could a defensive tackle that’s an impact player, that would be fine.”

Going with the presumption the Texans will prioritize defensive backs, they should be able to fill their need with the 20th selection, as well as get value for the pick. The top defensive backs in this draft include Tennessee safety Eric Berry, Texas safety Earl Thomas, Florida cornerback Joe Haden, Boise Sate cornerback Kyle Wilson and Rutgers corner Devin McCourty. Berry and Haden are expected to be unavailable when the Texans pick. That leaves Earl Thomas as a real possibility for the Texans. Wilson and McCourty are likely later first round picks or may fall to the second round. Thomas is a free safety with terrific range. At 5-10 and 208 pounds, his size may be questionable, especially in playing the run.

With regard to running backs, C.J. Spiller of Clemson is at the top of most draft boards, but he too should be gone by the time the Texans make their pick. The consensus is that Fresno State’s Ryan Matthews is the next best running back. Although, Cal’s Jahvid Best may go in the first round if a team is willing to risk his concussion history. There is an excellent chance that Matthews will be available when the Texans go on the clock. One web scouting report on Matthews describes him as a back that doesn’t dance in the backfield and “hits the hole with authority.” Perfect for the Texans’ zone blocking philosophy.

But the Chargers, who own the 28th pick, are also in need of a running back. With LaDainian Tomlinson gone and Darren Sproles shaky as a full time back, San Diego could trade its way ahead of Houston to take Matthews. Ultimately, Texans General Manager Rick Smith will have to make the call on which player the Texans take. Or perhaps Smith trades the 20th pick, as he did in 2008. The Texans moved from the 18th position to the 26th and picked up tackle Duane Brown. The Texans got an extra third round pick from the Ravens as well as a sixth rounder from Baltimore that year.

McNair says the responsibility of the decision lies with Smith. “It’s his final decision. That’s his responsibility and he’s accountable for what happens there,” McNair says. “It’s really a team effort, but Rick is the leader of that team effort.”

As much attention as the first round pick gets, the NFL draft consists of seven rounds. And a team’s overall draft success is determined by the success or failure of later round picks.

McNair says it’s not just about the first round. “If that were the case, Demeco Ryans wouldn’t be around.” The Texans’ 2006 draft netted Ryans in the second round, Eric Winston in the third and Owen Daniels in the fourth. But in 2005, nearly the entire Texans draft was a bust. After taking Travis Johnson in the first round, the rest of the draft looked like this:

Vernand Morency in the third; Jerome Mathis in the fourth, the fifth round pick was Drew Hodgdon and C.C. Brown and Kenneth Pettway were the sixth and seventh round picks respectively. "You have to be very careful with those picks. Each one of them counts," McNair said.

Close race between the two favorites for this pick!

Wilson seems like the best pick here. The opportunity will be there to pick an RB later in the draft. It also seems as though the draft is deep for rotational DT's.

I really don't want a RB here. A CB is better. I would actually prefer a run stuffing DT. I voted for Odrick. If Houston can get someone to beef up the run D, it will only help. I think that a corner can be had in the 2nd or later and that RB is not as big of a need as people make it out to be. Perhaps I believe in Slaton more than others, but i think the inability to run inside lay more with poor interior OLine play, than RB. Houston could not get push from its guards and center last year. A RB isn't really going to help that.

With the players that are still on the board, the Texans would chose from these four:

1. Ryan Matthews

2. Kyle Wilson

3. Devin McCourty

4. Patrick Robinson

One RB and 3 Corners, those are the only choices. I think if Matthews is there he is the pick.

With the 1.20 pick in the 2010 FBG Consensus Draft, the Houston Texans select RB Ryan Matthews

Faust said:

With the 1.20 pick in the 2010 FBG Consensus Draft, the Houston Texans select RB Ryan Matthews

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