The Houston Texans come off of a season where their offense was even more productive than ever, with the development of Arian Foster into the league rushing champion. Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson continued to shine, but once again the defense let them down, and the result was a 6-10 finish.
The defense was the focus going into the 2011 NFL Draft, and the Texans hit on all three levels. The first round brought J.J. Watt, the defensive end from Wisconsin. Watt has the size, speed, strength and motor to excel in Houston's new 3-4 scheme, and along with Mario Williams he should be an anchor on the defense for years.
Round 2 brought a pass rushing linebacker in Brooks Reed from Arizona. Reed is an outside speed rusher that many saw as a late first round pick. Reed should move into an outside linebacker position, and it looks as if Williams may line up on the opposite side. With one of the leagues premier pass rushers on the opposite side of the field, opportunities to rush the quarterback should present themselves for Reed.
The defensive secondary got help in Round 3 with the selection of Brandon Harris, a cornerback out of Miami. Harris may be a bit undersized by NFL standards, but he is a big hitter and tackler, and has the speed to cover down the field. Harris was seen as a 1st Round pick on many mock drafts, and the Texans got a steal in the third round.
Two late round sleepers look to be Rashad Carmichael and Shiloh Keo, defensive backs selected in rounds 4 and 5, respectively. The Texans secondary was one of the worst in the NFL, and along with Harris both players have a chance to rebuild the defensive backfield.
Draft Grade: B+
Showing posts with label J.J. Watt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label J.J. Watt. Show all posts
Friday, May 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
DSA Player Rankings 4.0
It's amazing how players can fall into and out of favor the closer the NFL Draft approaches. This year, the big mover up has been Marcell Dareus, and the faller has been Da'Quan Bowers. A month ago, Dareus was ranked 7th in the DSAs, with an average score of 6.00. In that same rankings, Bowers was 1st with an average of 1.70. Oh, how things have changed. Dareus is now #1, and Bowers has fallen all the way to 9th. And if questions concerning his knee are not answered soon, he is likely to fall even more.
Von Miller and J.J. Watt have also moved up in the latest rankings, both climbing three spots. Miller is now 5th, and many are seeing him as one of the safest picks in the 2011 NFL Draft, along with Patrick Peterson and A.J. Green. Watt has been the workout wonder this offseason, but his play on the field has matched his performance in front of the scouts. He is now 12th, and could very easily move into the top 10 in the nest three weeks.
I have only listed players that have scored a first round grade, with an average of 32 or better. So far, I have tracked 56 players that someone has placed in a mock draft. Teams are going to be selecting players in the second and third round that a draftnik somewhere has seen as a first round pick. As I have stated before, it is going to take a serious screw-up for a team to be seen as a loser in the early rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft.
DSA Players Rankings 4.0 04-05-2011
Rank Player Average Plus/Minus
1) Marcel Dareus 2.70 3
2) Cam Newton 3.70 (1)
3) Blaine Gabbert 3.80 0
4) Patrick Peterson 3.90 2
5) Von Miller 4.80 3
6) A.J. Green 4.90 (1)
7) Nick Fairley 7.60 0
8) Prince Amukamara 7.80 1
9) Da'Quan Bowers 8.20 (7)
10) Julio Jones 10.20 1
11) Robert Quinn 11.90 (1)
12) J.J, Watt 13.40 3
13) Mark Ingram 15.40 0
14) Tyron Smith 15.70 0
15) Aldon Smith 16.80 1
16) Cameron Jordan 16.80 (4)
17) Ryan Kerrigan 17.50 0
18) Anthony Castanzo 17.90 1
19) Mike Pouncey 21.80 4
20) Adrian Clayborn 22.00 1
21) Jake Locker 22.90 5
22) Nate Solder 23.40 (4)
23) Gabe Carimi 23.70 (3)
24) Justin Houston 26.60 0
25) Corey Liuget 27.40 0
26) Derek Sherrod 27.60 1
27) Jimmy Smith 28.80 (5)
28) Cameron Heyward 29.30 4
29) Akeem Ayers 29.40 (1)
30) Aaron Williams 30.20 6
31) Muhammad Wilkerson 30.30 (2)
32) Phil Taylor 30.80 1
33) Stephen Paea 31.50 1
34) Brandon Harris 32.70 (4)
Von Miller and J.J. Watt have also moved up in the latest rankings, both climbing three spots. Miller is now 5th, and many are seeing him as one of the safest picks in the 2011 NFL Draft, along with Patrick Peterson and A.J. Green. Watt has been the workout wonder this offseason, but his play on the field has matched his performance in front of the scouts. He is now 12th, and could very easily move into the top 10 in the nest three weeks.
I have only listed players that have scored a first round grade, with an average of 32 or better. So far, I have tracked 56 players that someone has placed in a mock draft. Teams are going to be selecting players in the second and third round that a draftnik somewhere has seen as a first round pick. As I have stated before, it is going to take a serious screw-up for a team to be seen as a loser in the early rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft.
DSA Players Rankings 4.0 04-05-2011
Rank Player Average Plus/Minus
1) Marcel Dareus 2.70 3
2) Cam Newton 3.70 (1)
3) Blaine Gabbert 3.80 0
4) Patrick Peterson 3.90 2
5) Von Miller 4.80 3
6) A.J. Green 4.90 (1)
7) Nick Fairley 7.60 0
8) Prince Amukamara 7.80 1
9) Da'Quan Bowers 8.20 (7)
10) Julio Jones 10.20 1
11) Robert Quinn 11.90 (1)
12) J.J, Watt 13.40 3
13) Mark Ingram 15.40 0
14) Tyron Smith 15.70 0
15) Aldon Smith 16.80 1
16) Cameron Jordan 16.80 (4)
17) Ryan Kerrigan 17.50 0
18) Anthony Castanzo 17.90 1
19) Mike Pouncey 21.80 4
20) Adrian Clayborn 22.00 1
21) Jake Locker 22.90 5
22) Nate Solder 23.40 (4)
23) Gabe Carimi 23.70 (3)
24) Justin Houston 26.60 0
25) Corey Liuget 27.40 0
26) Derek Sherrod 27.60 1
27) Jimmy Smith 28.80 (5)
28) Cameron Heyward 29.30 4
29) Akeem Ayers 29.40 (1)
30) Aaron Williams 30.20 6
31) Muhammad Wilkerson 30.30 (2)
32) Phil Taylor 30.80 1
33) Stephen Paea 31.50 1
34) Brandon Harris 32.70 (4)
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