NFL and Houston Texans Superthread: Are we ready for some football?

[DickEmDown]

Originally Posted by Daddio

Aguilar the USC WR are still available.

^^^^^
He went to Eagles already

[BigLouie]

From SI about the Texans pick:

Strengths: Wake Forest won seven games combined in 2013 and ‘14, yet Johnson still shows up repeatedly on film making plays. No question, he stood out on a dismal roster. Adapts to any type of coverage he is asked to play, flashing the footwork and strength to be a very steady press corner moving forward. Comfortable in off-coverage or in zone, too—his lone interception of the 2014 season, vs. Clemson, came with Johnson dropping deep in a Cover-3 look and then jumping a TE route. Backpedal is silky smooth. Stays square, while keeping his eyes on target. Above-average transitions out of that backpedal, no matter which direction he has to move. Athleticism on display at the combine (41.5-inch vertical, 130-inch broad jump, 3.89-second short shuttle). An NFL-ready player.

Weaknesses: Makes up for a lot of his shortcomings with technique, but Johnson’s overall size leaves something to be desired. More specifically, the 188 pounds on his 6'0" frame do not provide him with enough bulk to really dominate in press as an NFL cornerback. While he’ll still win some of those matchups because of his footwork and how well he uses the sideline to his advantage, there will be times when WRs overpower him. Took a lot of penalties, usually while trying to recover. Same problem exists against the run. Can be walled off by blocking receivers, even when he’s in position. Not a great tackler for a cornerback, either. Quarterbacks started to throw away from him as his Wake Forest career progressed. Still, he did not produce many game-changing plays last season—interception number dropped from 2013 to ‘14 (three, down to one) and his total passes defensed fell each year from 2012–14 (18-12-six).

[DarthMaul]

Originally Posted by Wakeup

Dat suit doh...

Originally Posted by BigLouie

Texans have no speed at WR and no one that is a true #1 and they passed on three. Texans have almost no playmakers on offense but damn do we have CBs

Let's see what happens in round 2

Originally Posted by Satin

DED:

You guys could always draft Nebraska OLB Randy Gregory or Missouri DE Shane Ray. They are both habitual potheads and would fit in quite nicely in Shittsburgh.....

Daayyuuuummm...Personal foul!

[Guest040616]

From Bleacher Report (and Johnson's former WF Head Coach) :

New Texans cornerback Kevin Johnson isn't afraid of anyone
Tania Ganguli, ESPN Houston Texans reporter

HOUSTON -- Last year during ACC media day, ESPN.com college football reporter Andrea Adelson ran into then-Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson in passing. Making conversation, she asked what type of season he thought he'd have.

"I'm the best cornerback in the ACC," he said, without hesitation.

"Oh yeah?" she said.

"Oh yeah," he replied.

Confidence is a hallmark of good corners, and for Kevin Johnson, who the Texans selected 16th overall on Thursday night, it goes well beyond words.

"Some corners are always hoping you’ll throw it to the other side of the field, and there’s some guys that are hoping you’ll throw it their way and that’s Kevin Johnson," said former Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe. "It’s not a cockiness, it’s not an ego thing. It’s just confidence that not only he can take care of not only the deep ball but the underneath stuff. ... I think most kids would tell you that’s the way they are, in reality I think Kevin Johnson’s just one of those guys that has the ability to break up and take care of the underneath stuff but has the confidence to flip his hips and play deep ball."

We'll meet Johnson this afternoon for his introductory press conference. In the mean time, I spoke to Grobe this morning for some insight on Johnson. He recruited Johnson to Wake Forest and coached him for four seasons. Johnson was there for five, redshirting his sophomore year when he was academically ineligible. Here are some of his thoughts in bullet-point form.

Who is he?: "Great character, great work ethic. Absolutely loves football. Absolutely loves the game of football and a great teammate. Was not a big ego guy. The whole team just loves him."

How did he change while in college?: "When he got to us, he was really slight. He still has, I think, room to grow and get bigger and stronger. He had great foot speed and great athletic ability. He really was a good kid to work hard in the weight room. A lot of times skill-position guys don’t push themselves in the weight room. He worked to get stronger and more physical. That was the only thing we thought he lacked when he got to Wake Forest."

Texans coach Bill O'Brien talked about Johnson's versatility last night. Grobe offered more detail: "He’s got a great coach in [Wake Forest secondary coach] Derrick Jackson. ... He learned how to play zone coverage and man coverage. That’s the thing Kevin can do, he can play zone coverage an that gives you a guy that can fold back into the middle of the field on the inside stuff but he also can … get in your mustache and play man."

Johnson was good enough to play as a true freshman, but Grobe was nervous about doing it. He believes that had something to do with Johnson becoming academically ineligible and having to redshirt as a sophomore: "I gotta be honest, that happens in a lot of cases where a kid plays as a true freshman and they just, for whatever reason, they kind of lose their focus a little bit sometimes in the classroom. For Kevin that caught us all by surprise because we knew he was a really, really bright kid." Johnson recovered well enough that he now has a degree. "You can’t survive at Wake Forest without being really, really smart," Grobe said.

And how was that redshirt year?: "He was probably the best scout team corner in the country that year."

[Guest040616]

From Associated Press:

Texans choose Wake Forest CB Kevin Johnson 16th overall
By KRISTIE RIEKEN (AP Sports Writer)

HOUSTON (AP) -- Houston general manager Rick Smith didn't shy away from Kevin Johnson in Thursday's NFL draft because of he had academic problems early in his college career.

The way he bounced back from those struggles made Smith like him even more.

''He's a young man who made some mistakes early in his college career and I don't know that he took things as seriously as he needed to and had some academic troubles,'' Smith said. ''And then all of the sudden he realizes what's at stake and I like those kind of situations where a guy ... might not be as mature as he needs to be and then he turns it around.''

The Wake Forest cornerback, who put his early troubles behind him to earn a degree in communications, was taken by the Texans with the 16th overall pick in the draft.

Johnson reflected on having to sit out the entire 2011 season because he was academically ineligible.

''It hurt me not to play ... (and) it helped me mature as a man,'' Johnson said. ''Helped shape me as the person I'm trying to be today.''

View galleryTexans choose Wake Forest CB Kevin Johnson 16th ov …
NFL prospect Kevin Johnson, of Wake Forest, wheels pediatric patient Ben Martin in an obstacle cours …
Of course the Texans liked more about Johnson than his character. He had 43 tackles, including 3 1/2 for losses, defended 15 passes and had three interceptions as a senior last season.

''He was by far my favorite corner in the draft,'' Smith said. ''Just a complete football player in our opinion. This guy is an intelligent guy ... he's tough, he can cover, he's versatile, he plays on, he plays off, he's got great instincts, great play on the ball.''

The 6-foot Johnson joins a secondary that features cornerbacks Kareem Jackson and Johnathan Joseph.

''We're really happy where (the secondary's) at right now,'' second-year coach Bill O'Brien said. ''We feel really good about the corner position, specifically after (Thursday) with the addition of Kevin. We have two really good veteran corners in Johnathan and Kareem that he can learn behind. He'll come in and compete right away.''

Johnson, who idolized Champ Bailey growing up, is looking forward to working with Joseph and Jackson.

''It's going to be great to come into a situation like that and learn from those guys, guys that I've watched over the past six, seven years of my life,'' Johnson said. ''Anything I can learn from those guys is going to be invaluable.''

The Texans have gone heavy on defense in recent years, selecting a defensive player in the first round in six of the last seven seasons, including taking Jadeveon Clowney first overall last year.

Johnson was voted second team All-ACC by coaches last season to wrap up a career where he broke up 35 passes, which were the fourth-most in school history.

The Texans had a need at receiver after cutting seven-time Pro Bowler Andre Johnson in the offseason. But they instead chose to add to an already star-studded defense led by 2014 Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt. Watt's spectacular season was a big reason why the Texans improved seven games last season to finish 9-7.

They're counting on their defense to be even better this season if Clowney is healthy to pair with Watt. Clowney injured his right knee in his first NFL game and had arthroscopic surgery. The outside linebacker returned for three games, but never got back to form and eventually had season-ending microfracture surgery in December. His recovery is going well and the Texans hope he'll be ready for Week 1.

[boardman]

I'm not excited about the pick but I didn't expect to be regardless of who they picked.

The fact that the Texans didn't take Dupree or any other edge rusher tells me that Clowney is progressing and they expect to have him on the field. I think the Texans are looking ahead to 2016 and possibly cutting J-Jo and getting out of that salary. If that is their strategy then good on them for looking ahead. I hope Johnson is durable. Apparently he never missed a game for injury while at Wake.
I'm worried about his size.
Been listening to 610 all day and they interviewed the newest KJ a little while ago. The kid has a ton of confidence without being cocky. Anyone that knows anything about him say his fluid hips and smooth footwork are good enough to make him a starter in the NFL.
I'm worried about his size.
I've been watching some of his highlights from last year and here is what I see. He play's bigger than he is. That's a concern going up against NFL caliber WRs every week. The footwork and technique is definitely there. He's got good hand work and body control when tying up with receivers after the ball is in the air. He can disengage from blocks to defend the run.
I'm worried about his size.
He's a solid tackler despite what someone said earlier(I don't know where they got that he wasn't a good tackler from). He has good speed. He apparently ran a 4.52 but I bet he loses almost nothing in pads.
I'm worried about his size.
He tends to bite on play fakes and then has to catch back up to his man. He had the acceleration to get away with that at Wake. He won't get away with that in the NFL against say T.Y. Hilton and Luck. He's gonna have to put on some weight and not lose the acceleration. I just don't know how much more weight he can put on though. He's worked hard to put on the 20 pounds that he did in college.

If he doesn't become an immediate starter as the nickle he'll definitely add some speed to special teams. Problem is he's a 1st round pick. He'd better start.

Did I mention that I'm worried about his size?

[Satin]

Texans trade up and take Bernardrick McKinney ILB 43rd overall.....

[BigLouie]

Texans grow a pair and trade Posey to Jets and trade places and take the WR from Ariz State. Suppose to be big and fast

[Guest040616]

Originally Posted by Satin

Texans trade up and take Bernardrick McKinney ILB 43rd overall.....

From the Chronicle:

The Texans have opened the 2015 draft by taking back-to-back defenders.

The team selected Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney with the No. 43 overall pick in the second round of the NFL draft Friday in Chicago.

The Texans traded up with Cleveland to take McKinney. The Texans sent their original No. 51 pick, 116 (fourth round) and 195 (sixth) to the Browns. The Texans received Nos. 43 and 229 (seventh) in return. Their next pick is No. 82 (third).

“It means a lot to know they traded up to get me,” McKinney said. “It shows how much they wanted me.”

The Texans took Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson with the No. 16 pick Thursday.

The 6-foot-4, 246-pound McKinney was a first-team All-American in 2014, also finishing as a Butkus and Lombardi Award semifinalist.

“This is a prototype inside linebacker and you don’t get many of those coming out of the college game any more,” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. “He’s a downhill thumper but he also lined up on the edge, so there’s some versatility there.”

A true two-way star in high school, McKinney started at quarterback for Fort Rosa (Tunica, Miss.) and served as the team’s punter during his junior year. He also started on the school’s basketball team. McKinney accounted for 2,036 yards of overall offense during his senior year, including 1,334 passing yards and 22 total touchdowns.

McKinney played in 39 games (36 starts) during his three years at Mississippi State, leaving for the draft after his first-team All-SEC junior season. He totaled 102 tackles, 4.5 sacks and four pass deflections in 2014.

The ex-Bulldog ran a 4.66 in the 40-yard dash and posted a 40.5-inch vertical. He only benched 225 pounds 16 times.

brian.smith@chron.com

twitter.com/ChronBrianSmith

NFL.com draft profile of McKinney:

Strengths: Tall, proportionally built inside linebacker with ability to play outside. Has thick, powerful legs. Good straight-line speed to chase. True take-on linebacker who can meet linemen head-on or beat them to the spot and leverage his gap with above average play strength. Scrapes and stalks while using length and powerful hands to keep himself free and clear of blockers. Steps into hole and fires into running back, finishing with wrap-up tackle. Able to run downfield in seam with tight ends. Aware of cutback lanes and rarely runs himself out of the play. Shows very good attention to assignment. Seems to have a nose for the play and is frequently in the mix. Has value on special teams and as a blitzer. Has adequate football intelligence.

Weaknesses: Plays high and is lacking suddenness. High center of gravity causes clunky change of direction in space. Foot quickness in tight quarters is below average and limiting. Instincts against run are there, but tends to fight his feet and marginal agility. Has trouble clearing the trash near his feet and labors against cut blocks, losing lateral momentum. Potential liability against the pass. Looks stiff when asked to cover in space and gives away too much separation to routes in his area in zone coverage.

Draft Projection: Round 2

NFL Comparison: Brian Cushing

Bottom Line: Productive, steady performer in the middle with above-average size and length for the position but below-average agility. McKinney plays within the scheme and finds himself near the play frequently. He plays with strength and has an ability to take on offensive linemen and get downhill to finish his tackles. McKinney looks like an above-average NFL inside linebacker who could become part of a really good defense. He lacks star-making talent, though.

[Guest040616]

Originally Posted by BigLouie

Texans grow a pair and trade Posey to Jets and trade places and take the WR from Ariz State. Suppose to be big and fast

Considering where they picked Jaelen Strong, let's hope he turns into a rare 3rd round steal for the Texans.

From the Chronicle:

JAELEN STRONG

Pick: 3rd round (70th overall)

Position: Wide receiver

School: Arizona State

Height/Weight: 6-2, 217

College career: Came out of junior college to emerge as the Sun Devils’ go-to receiver as a sophomore with 75 catches for 1,122 yards and 7 TDs, then improved on all counts as a junior with 82 catches for 1,165 and 10 scores, earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors. Was said to be the hardest worker on the team.

Strengths: Lacks burner speed (4.4 in the 40) but goes up high to get balls and has the hands to make acrobatic catches. Won’t take any guff off cornerbacks, either, giving as much as he gets. Work ethic suggests he’ll make every effort to become a better blocker.

Weaknesses: Lacks a second gear once he gets downfield and tends to tip his intentions to DBs. Struggles getting separation sometimes. Tends to lope on a route until he gets going and he’ll suffer the occasional concentration drop.

How he’ll be used this season: That starting job opposite DeAndre Hopkins should be his to lose if he comes in and shows himself to be the player the Texans think they drafted. He’s a guy who moves the chains and tends to lift his game in the red zone. But he needs to stay healthy, an issue at times at ASU.

[Guest040616]

On another note: The Great Blue North Draft Report had Johnson rated as the #26 prospect on their final Top 100 Draft Board, Mckinney was at #51 and Strong was #30.

http://gbnreport.com/2015-nfl-draft-...p-100-players/

Another Chronicle update on Strong:

The Texans have their new, young wide receiver and a potential answer to Andre Johnson’s departure.

By trading up for the second time Friday, they took Arizona State wide receiver Jaelen Strong with the No. 70 overall pick (third round) in the 2015 NFL draft Friday in Chicago.

“I’m just blessed, man,” Strong said. “You can’t be much more thankful than I am right now. I’m just happy that they trusted in me.”

To select the 6-foot-2, 217-pound Strong, the Texans dealt fourth-year wide receiver DeVier Posey to the New York Jets. The Texans also sent their Nos. 82 (third round), 152 (fifth) and 229 (seventh) picks to the Jets for the No. 70 selection.

“There’s a guy (Strong) sitting there that has obvious value,” general manager Rick Smith said. “And so, again, just trying to be aggressive and adding talent to the football team. Got on the phone again and actually executed, I think, the first trade of the Mike Maccagnan-era.”

Maccagnan, the Jets’ new GM, previously was the Texans’ director of college scouting.

The Texans only have four picks remaining in the draft: Nos. 175 (fifth), 211 (sixth), 215 (sixth), 235 (seventh).

“I don’t have much ammunition left in the barrel,” Smith joked.

Posey was the No. 68 overall pick (third) in 2012. He had a strong rookie season but never recovered on the field from an Achilles injury as a rookie during a playoff loss to New England. Posey struggled to even be active last season — he was limited to just one catch in one game.

“It’s a good opportunity for DeVier,” Smith said. “For whatever reason, his career just hasn’t materialized the way he had hoped why he was here. But we had talked with him prior to the draft. We had communicated to him that we would try to find a situation that was a good one for him.”

The 6-foot-2, 217-pound Strong ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds at the scouting combine. He recorded 82 receptions for 1,165 yards and 10 touchdowns during his redshirt junior season with the Sun Devils.

“I don’t think my film lies at all,” Strong said. “I’m just really excited. I can’t wait to get there and see what the Houston Texans have in store for me.”

Strong will help fill the void left by Johnson’s offseason release and subsequent signing with AFC South-rival Indianapolis. The Texans added Cecil Shorts and Nate Washington in free agency. Third-year receiver DeAndre Hopkins is the Texans’ No. 1 wideout.

“That’s what I look forward to,” said Strong, who watched Johnson when he starred in college at Miami. “I look forward to stepping in big shoes like his.”

Strong transferred to Arizona State from Pierce College. He missed the 2011 season due to academic reasons.

The receiver was one of the biggest drops in the 2015 draft. Initially slotted as a first-round pick, he fell through the second and into the third.

“I’m not really worried about that,” he said. “I told the Houston Texans when I was down there, no matter which round I went in, I’m here to work, I’m here to be a competitor and I can’t wait to get there.”

Asked about a wrist injury that contributed to his draft fall, Strong said it’s no longer an issue.

“My wrist is fine,” Strong said. “The Houston Texans tested my wrist when I was down there and they thought that everything was OK.”

Smith said the Texans’ hand doctor evaluated Strong and cleared him before the draft.

Strong’s eventual draft spot fell in the range the Texans had for the receiver prior to the draft.

“I don’t know that anybody here is expecting him to replace Andre Johnson,” Smith said. “We’re revamping our wideout position. For a number of years, if you thought about wide receiver in Houston, you thought about Andre. So it’s natural that that question arises.

“But that’s not the expectation in our building. We want him to come in and we don’t want him to be anything other than himself. And if he does it and he works hard and he understands that, he’s got a chance to be a good football player.”

Ex-Texans general manager Charley Casserly, an NFL Network analyst, had Strong going to New Orleans at No. 31 in his last mock draft while Brian Baldinger projected Strong going to Philadelphia at No. 20. CBS’ Will Brinson had Strong landing in Baltimore with the 26th pick.

[spear88]

I am very very satisfied with this draft. it looks solid from top to bottom. guys who might not do a lot in their first year but will be solid contributors 2nd year on.

[Guest040616]

Round 1, 2 and 3 all look to be solid picks and hopefully will all be starters sooner rather than later. If so, this years draft will be rated as very good to excellent on that issue alone.

I will withhold judgement on the 5th, 6th and 7th rounders. They were taken as depth picks and let's hope they will be able to produce. Of the late rounders, the only one I have seen play was Christian Covington, the DT from Rice. He had impressive quickness but it is my understanding he has had injury problems in the past.

3 Takeaways (in no particular order of importance):

Takeaway #1: I believe Boardman nailed it: This years draft is the best indication yet that the Texans feel Clowney has been progressing well from his unfortunate injury. If so, they have improved their defense significantly in the past two drafts.

Takeaway #2: I believe the Texans were blowing smoke when they made their pre-draft comments about DJ. It appears that they made their comments more so to motivate DJ, than anything else. If they were seriously considering trading him (unless they plan to trade him for another Starting Safety), they would have drafted his replacement. They obviously did not!

Takeaway #3: BoB seems to be satisfied with the current QB situation. It appears that he has high expectations for Ryan Mallett. None of us know if he will end up being a top-tier QB but apparently BoB thinks it is a possibility. My feeling would be that BoB would have used a mid to late round pick on another QB otherwise. I suppose that is a good thing!

The General gave the Texans a solid B for this years draft (based largely on their Top 3 picks). Not bad, considering they were picking at #16. Knowing what we know now, a "B" is probably pretty accurate.

[jstone420]

You said that shit last year

[Guest040616]

Originally Posted by jstone420

You said that shit last year

Which one of the 3 takeaways did I say last year?

Be sure to include the link!

Speaking of "last year" and links, the following is what I had to say immediately following "last year's" draft.

Originally Posted by bigtex

This is my assessment of the Texans prospects for the 2014 season. Barring injury, I believe the Texans should have an outstanding defense. It should be the strength of this years team.

The front 7 should be exceptional. The one caveat to that would be Cush. He is a very good Inside Linebacker but he is extremely injury prone. Each and every time he has left with an injury, our defense suffered without him in the lineup.

The DB's are not as good but I do not believe they can hold their coverages unless the Texans have a good pass rush. Neither KJ or JJ are shutdown corners but they can hold their own if the defensive line and linebackers are getting a push on the quarterback.

The offense is a concern. I believe they need to go back to a major emphasis on the running game. Arian Foster is a key component. If he can return to being a major offensive weapon we might be able to effectively move the ball. If he is injured again in 2014, I suspect it will be a long year offensively.

The offensive line should be better this year than last. I don't believe our QB will be worse than last year but obviously that is not saying much. If Fitz or Savage can manage the game without many mistakes we should be ok. If we have to depend upon Case or TJ, we've got trouble!

Special teams should be better but I don't see that being a significant uptick. Hopefully our Ex Aggie kicker is more consistent than last year.

My prediction is 7-9 with a battle between the Titans, Jags and Texans for 2nd place in the AFC South. I wish I had better news but it is what it is!

And finally jstone, since you brought up "last year," I wasn't too far off. Was I?