NFL Draft Grades: Houston Texans

Houston Texans 2008 Draft Picks:

Round 1 - 26. Duane Brown, LT, Virginia Tech
Round 3 - 79. Antwaun Molden, CB, Eastern Kentucky
Round 3 - 89. Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia
Round 4 - 118. Xavier Adibi, OLB, Virginia Tech
Round 5 - 151. Frank Okam, DT, University of Texas
Round 6 - 173. Dominque Barber, SS, Minnesota
Round 7 - 223. Alex Brink, QB, Washington State

The Good: Coming into this draft, the Houston Texans only had five picks because of previous deals. So a trade down from the 18th pick to the 26th was welcomed to get picks in both the third and the sixth round. The Texans draft class looks like they went to the store with a shopping list, because they targeted very specific, key needs. They drafted for a zone-blocking o-lineman, a tall fluid corner, a young, fast change of pace running back, help for a thin linebacking group, a space eating DT and a quarterback who can be developed and live on the practice squad. (Watch HT.com video above or transcript here to see what GM Rick Smith and coach Gary Kubiak say about the draft).

The only key needs that they didn't get were a DE on the other side of Mario Williams and a free safety. (Barber is listed as a FS on the Texans website, but from what I've read, it seems like he is more of a strong safety). The top five picks of the Texans, however, were arguably the five positions the Texans needed the most.

The Bad: Duane Brown? Texans fans instinctively cringe when hearing that the team has drafted yet another upside, developmental player to groom for the left tackle position, especially if it is one taken in the first round who may not see the field for a while.

The difference in 2008, of course, is that offensive line guru Alex Gibbs hand-picked Brown. If the draft notes on a player are that he has great athleticism and may be the steal of the draft if he gets good coaching, well, I guess matching Gibbs with Brown may end up making this pick a good one....eventually.

Some believe that this pick was a reach at the 26th spot. For purposes of the zone blocking scheme, many of the zone blocking-type offensive lineman were off the board by 18, and if they didn't get Brown, they weren't going to get a similar tackle lower in the draft. They wanted left tackle value at 18 and figured they could get a good corner lower. Some mocks suggested that Brown would go a lot lower in the draft and that maybe the Texans could have traded down again. However, there was the risk that Brown might get swiped, like the 49ers taking Brown at 29.

The Texans have been jinxed at the left tackle position for so long that it's probably best that they didn't tempt fate by trading down again and missing out on the guy they really wanted.

The Texans first two picks are raw but high upside guys with good measurables. Sometimes you would feel more comfortable if the Texans picked more proven guys that they didn't have to coach up so much. It's hard enough coaching a young team without also having to do extra work with guys with rough fundamentals.

The Grade: B / incomplete. The Texans in the Gary Kubiak era have often taken picks that pundits do not like, but those classes have resulted in some very productive starters Unlike the previous coaching staff, this one knows that it is important to get good players but to also have those players fit into what they are doing.

I think draft grades are generally steaming piles of excrement, but if I am forced to give an actual letter grade for players it will be a B for the trade down and addressing many key needs, and an incomplete for the drafting raw developmental players with the first two picks.

What say you?

Click here for more 2008 NFL Draft Grades.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-28-2008 @ 2:00PM

Big Sam said...

Brown was a bit of a reach but certainly not a catastrophic failure of a selection like the biggest bust in the history of the universe... Mario Williams.

Seriously though, I think this was an above-average draft for Houston. Probably not as good as their 2006 draft, but close. Picking up Slaton and Barber for moving down 8 spots was a nice move. Molden may end up being the best corner of the draft. Okam could end up being the 1-gap guy that they have needed the past two seasons and a steal in the 5th. And Adibi may be the pass rushing LB that has been missing since Steve Foley left town. Alex Brink was a real head-scrather considering all of the guys still on the board that may have been able to help on special teams, but I guess Kubiak wanted a special project to work on.

Most of the media and "sports journalists" will give Houston a grade in the "C" range. Of course this is the same group of knuckleheads that graded their 2006 class with an "F".

4-28-2008 @ 2:02PM

da Bull said...

If I recall correctly, the window for Alex Gibbs was 2 years when he signed on with the Texans. So, the the window of opportunity to train a left tackle was also "on the clock" when the Texans made their first pick. Also, if you're going to make a pot out of clay you prefer that the clay hasn't been "fired" before you work it.

4-28-2008 @ 6:44PM

penguintale said...

I don't see how you can give a B/Incomplete as a grade. It should either be an F or an incomplete: that's the way it normally works when you have incompletes. Obviously, as you say, you can't give grades until they actually perform. But you have to give a grade. Therefore the incomplete is a cop-out as anyone can argue giving an incomplete for players who haven't performed. Obviously all the football teams are "smarter" than even their fans about their teams needs but just because you're smart doesn't mean good grades should be handed to you or should even be taken into account in grading at all. I have to give the Texans no higher than a C because there are still many question marks. Your first two picks are unproven. Your 5th rounder has a lot of question marks. Your 7th rounder is essentially a practice squad player. You didn't get a DE.

4-28-2008 @ 6:52PM

Stephanie Stradley said...

penguintale-

I think draft grades are stupid. If I were to give a grade, it would be an incomplete, but FanHouse isn't allowing. I gave a B because I think what they did was above average given how they started out with 5 picks.

I think the DT need was more dire than the DE need. There weren't the type of DEs that the Texans were looking for low, and the Texans have had significant problems with being all the same size at the DT position.

I think the 5th rounder could actually be the #1 steal of the draft. Lots of starts for a good program. He meets the need of having a space eater at the DT, which the Texans have needed. I think some of the pre-draft concerns are a little overblown.

I think it is silly to have a cow about the sixth and seventh round picks. For example, if you have a coach that can develop quarterbacks, it is possible to turn a 7th round pick into a 3rd for example. A number of WCO teams have the philosophy of taking QBs late.

The Texans do a good job of finding guys that fit what they are trying to do. I think this draft does that.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

-Steph

4-29-2008 @ 8:19AM

According to the statistics, the Texans were 19th against the run, 25th against the pass, 23rd in sacks. So the Texans could use a pass-rushing DE and a space-eater. If the Texans are very weak at CB, then that pass-rushing DE becomes more important than a space-eater, especially since you say there is a need at FS since they drafted a SS. Okam might turn out great, but there were greater needs. It seems the Texans chose the best available player and not the greatest need, which is fine, but the question is whether he's even the best available player. I can see what they envision: if Amobi and Okam and Mario can play to their potential, then that can be a very dominant line. But a pass-rushing DE immediately fills a need.

4-29-2008 @ 9:02AM

Ksolo said...

Wow, nobody's talked about the Texans best pick in this draft yet: Steve Slaton. Coming into this draft, the Texans really needed a guy in the backfield that could actually DO something when given the ball. We're talking about "proven players", how about Steve Slaton? What back in this draft not named McFadden was more "proven" than him. Granted, he's more of the Warrick Dunn type,I think I speak for all Texans fans when I say if that is what we got out of a 3rd round pick, AWESOME. again, what's the point of getting pissed off about not drafting 'x', it's the draft, other than maybe Matt Ryan or Glenn Dorsey, I don't think any player in this draft made me go "OOOHH let's go get that guy." solid draft, filled needs, and each player is athletically superior to anyone left on the board when they selected. We'll get our stud DE next year (Fili Moala from usc) chill out penguintale, i bet ur a cowboys fan. lol, enjoy an aging receiving corps against Washington's up and coming studs. :)

4-29-2008 @ 9:22AM

Ksolo-

How about this Slaton love: http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/04/28/houston-texans-coach-loves-steve-slaton-calls-reggie-bush-thir/

The Texans pick a lot of brussel spouts picks--ones that are good for us but not too fun. Slaton is our dessert.

penguintale-

Stats don't tell the whole story, you have to watch the games. Yes, I know that the Texans needed a passing rushing DE, but that wasn't one of the Texans highest priorities, and DT was a terrific value in the 5th--smart, Texas guy, fills a huge need.

If you look at all the DTs who are on the team prior to Okam, they are all in the 305 range. This killed the Texans at the end of games and at goal line. You could see them wearing down. Having a space eater up front will help Okoye and will also help DeMeco.

The other thing the Texans have to think about with a DE is how much is already invested at that position. They claim that Anthony Weaver is 100% healthy and they are expecting him to play better this year versus last. The salary cap figures show that because of the way his salary is structured, he is an unlikely cut:

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/02/20/nfl-salary-cap-and-contract-information-houston-texans/

Weaver had shoulder problems and two surgeries last year. The Texans believe that now that he is healthy, he will be able to contribute more. He's a smart player, and they have been able to do different stuff with him.

In sum, LT, CB and RB were the big three needs. After that, you are looking for best athletes who fit the team. I think they did that. I know that the media hadn't talked much about the need for a space eating DT, but those of us who paid attention to what was happening in the middle of the line knew.

Thanks for reading and commenting,
Steph

4-29-2008 @ 11:11PM

Tom said...

Thinking about the Texans draft position, and team needs, I would characterize the Texans draft as a smart bomb landing on target.

I don't like draft grades, because the real grade is we won't till 5 years from now.

The left tackles the fans wanted for the Texans were gone. They could get the next best tackle but trade down and still have a chance of drafting him and pick him up and get extra picks. The fans myself especially complained about the lack of draft picks this year and they maneuvered the situation into extra draft picks. In reality an early 3'rd is as good as any second, because that's on the scouting guys. Any fan who thought they would get all the guys they needed to win a super bowl this year are un-seasoned fans. I'm just happy they don't emberass us any more and they're in every game. As an expansion franchise they could have gotten here sooner, but few teams have.

I could make up a false complaint. That complaint would be a fabrication. I think under the circumstances, the Texans drafted as well as they could have.

Looks like a deliberatly steered ship to me. My only gripe is the fit the system vs the pure athlete guy, but since no fit the system guys have'nt lost any games my gripes aren't legitimate. The guys on defense seem to be of the pure athlete mold.

They do look like they're trying to get faster on both sides of the ball, and as long as they can still run and stop the run I can't complain about that either.

My grade is I incomplete. as in...

I can't find any legitimate complaints.

4-30-2008 @ 8:06AM

ok, so I'm watching Todd Mcshay grade the AFC south and their drafts. wow, is he serious? If anyone wants to waste 3 minutes of their life, watch Mcshay's view of what the Texans did. First of all, the idiot said we "moved up to pick #26." Whu? We moved DOWN and picked up 2 extra picks which we used to address the RB and safety position. Second, he said we gave up TOO much to get Duane Brown, yes by gaining an extra two picks we must've given up ALOT mcshay. He's a developmental project as it is, I understand, and at "worst" situation we end up using his athleticism elsewhere on our line. Does Mcshay not understand that we have Ephraim Salaam (who did a nice job) and Charles Spencer (who if healthy shows promise as well.) Getting a handpicked Alex Gibb tackle in the first round where another team was willing to select him there as well doesn't seem to be a bad decision. Ugh, ESPN pisses me off, unless we were to draft Felix Jones or Jerod Mayo I don't see how we would've come out with a "good grade." Man...what a BAAD player Mario Williams turned out to be, right Mcshay?

4-30-2008 @ 4:23PM

Gere said...

Well, its been a few days now and many of the experts as well as the fans have had a chance to digest and or examine the recent picks of the various NFL teams last weekend and it looks to me like a lot of the prognosticators in the media are revising the earlier negative assessment of the Texans draft. Both ESPN and the NFL Network crowd both had segments yesterday evening that upgraded their assessments on both the Texans 1st round pick and their elections in the 3rd and 5th rounds as well. It seems that they now consider the Texans to have picked three almost certain high impact players and possibly a 4th if the big DT from UT pans out as well. Only the NFL Networks super analyst Mike Maycock still stuck to his original assessment of the Texans # 1 pick. I inititially ways perplexed by the selection of VT's OT so early but after reading other assessments I think he might be a hidden gem of a pick if his success at other positions is any indicator. Anyway I hope things work out for the Texans, and personally think the draft this year will prove above average for what they had to work with selection position wise.