Houston Texans 2010 Draft Review

The Texans' draft was an excellent example of filling need and getting value. Houston needed a starting corner, and Kareem Jackson was the obvious choice because of his experience in a complex pro defensive scheme at Alabama. Ben Tate could become the starter and get the majority of carries due to his strength and tackle breaking ability. Earl Mitchell and Darryl Sharpton are great athletes and should improve the depth of the front seven.  Tridon Holliday and Dorin Dickerson are steals based on the fact that they have first round speed and ability, but other teams passed them up because of their lack of size. The Texans have a draft class full of talent, and I will be looking forward to seeing their progress over the next few seasons.




Round 1, Pick 20

Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama

Ht: 5’ 10 ½” Wt: 196

EMQB’s analysis on the pick:  Jackson being selected this high might be shocking for some but his experience in press coverage makes him pro-ready.  The Texans were in great need of a cornerback after losing Dunta Robinson.  

Pro Football Weekly’s scouting report: Is what you’d expect of a Nick Saban corner and helped himself at the Combine by running surprisingly well. Could always struggle to match up with quickness, but his instincts and tackling ability should play well in a cover-2 scheme. Could be overdrafted coming from a national-championship program under a coach known for maximizing talent of his defensive backs.

NFL projection: Second- to third-round pick.

GM Jr’s scouting report:  Jackson is a junior who came out early for the 2010 and definitely could have helped himself by staying in school for another season to improve his footwork.  He is a quick and agile cornerback with good instincts, which helps him to consistently read and react quickly to passes in front of him.  He is a tough and competitive cornerback who does not hesitate to play physical with the receiver and has shown the ball skills to consistently break up passes.  He is a quick footed cornerback with good speed to run/stay with most receivers in tight M/M coverage, but must improve backpedal in order to turn and run more consistently vs the fastest NFL receivers.  Overall, Jackson is a good cornerback prospect with the talent to be a very good nickel corner or solid starter.  His lack of size and elite speed may limit his play-making ability in the NFL, but his good all around athleticism, instincts, ball skills and competitiveness give him the other tools to make up for his limitations to become a productive NFL cornerback – Ideally he will be a #3 Nickel, but with good cornerbacks hard to find he could do a solid job as a starter.

Lindy’s Sports scouting report:  Jackson is a good fit with press-cover teams.  He’s a top competitor who uses his hands well at the line of scrimmage, is aggressive throughout the route and has the ball skills to burn quarterbacks willing to challenge him.  Questions about his pure speed and how he’ll handle the NFL’s strict pass interference rules are concerns. 

Round 2, Pick 58

Ben Tate, RB, Auburn

Ht: 5’ 11” Wt: 220

EMQB’s analysis on the pick:  Texans were in need of running back help, and Tate will make an excellent pairing with Steve Slaton.  Tate is a physical runner who lacks break away speed but could take on 20 carries per game in the NFL.  

Pro Football Weekly’s scouting report: Racked up a lot of yardage behind an average offensive line and has the power and run skills to develop into a solid, complementary backup.

NFL projection: Third- to fourth-round pick.

Lindy’s Sports scouting report:  Tate lacks the agility and straight-line speed to be effective in every NFL scheme.  Teams looking for a traditional power back with underrated receiving skills, however, would be wise to consider him.  His lack of flashy test numbers should push him down the board enough that he’ll be available in middle rounds, when his durability and consistency should make him a terrific value. 

Round 3, Pick 81

Earl Mitchell, DT, Arizona

Ht: 6’ 1 ¾” Wt: 296

EMQB’s analysis on the pick:  Earl Mitchell is a high-motor type defensive tackle and should hopefully bring that energy to a defense that is sorely lacking.  Mitchell rose up the draft ranks after an excellent combine and, with the failure of Amobi Okoye to make a significant impact, Mitchell was to tempting for the Texans to pass on.

Pro Football Weekly’s scouting report: Made himself a mint at the Com- bine when he clocked faster than any other defensive tackle in the 40-yard dash and posted superb 10-yard time (1.56 seconds) for a near- 300-pounder. Easily could warrant looks in the top 100 picks as an up-the-field penetrator.

NFL projection: Third- to fourth-round pick.

Lindy’s Sports scouting report:  A strong performance during the week of practice at the East-West Shrine Game helped Mitchell develop some momentum before the draft.  NFL scouts love Mitchell’s athleticism and work ethic, but may struggle to find a spot for him at his size.  Some even feel his future position could be on the offensive side of the ball as a fullback. 

102.)  Houston Texans

Darryl Sharpton, LB, Miami

Ht: 6' 0" Wt: 229

EMQB’s analysis on the pick:  Sharpton is an excellent athlete and a typical small but fast Miami linebacker.  He should fit in well in Houston's front seven as a rotational player.  

Lindy’s Sports scouting report:   Sharpton is viewed by some scouts and as an ascending talent and a better athlete than football player.  His experience at multiple positions is an asset, though some consider him to be a bit of a ‘tweener, with the athleticism (but not the size) for the outside but not the instincts and use of hands to defeat blocks playing inside.   

118.)  Houston Texans
Garrett Graham, TE, Wisconsin
Ht: 6' 3" Wt: 243

EMQB’s analysis on the pick:  Graham is a solid, all-around prospect but does not stand out in any particular area.  A typical tough Wisconsin player, he could come in and start immediately if injuries continue to deplete the Texans tight end position.  

Lindy’s Sports scouting report:  He might not be considered a top-50 selection if only because he’s not overly strong, big or fast.  Graham’s work ethic and solid all-around game puts him in third-round conversation for NFL teams primarily utilizing an H-back or motion tight end in their base offense.

144.)  Houston Texans
Sherrick McManis, CB, Northwestern
Ht: 5' 10" Wt: 195

EMQB’s analysis on the pick:  McManis is a perfect candidate for a nickel or dime corner as he is effective in short areas.  He possibly could play special teams and also could be converted to a safety by the Texans.  

Pro Football Weekly’s scouting report:  Helped himself with a solid senior season, showing enough versatility and physicality to warrant consideration as a zone corner and developmental free safety prospect.

NFL projection: Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

187.)  Houston Texans

Shelley Smith, OG, Colorado State
Ht: 6' 3" Wt: 300

EMQB’s analysis on the pick:  Smith is a prototypical zone-blocking guard that most teams overlook because of a lack of power and size.  Smith has an opportunity to latch on to the Texans as a back up.  

Pro Football Weekly’s scouting report:   A weak-side pulling guard and solid pass protector with enough athletic ability to develop into a functional backup guard in a zone-blocking scheme.

NFL projection: Fifth- to sixth-round pick.

197.)  Houston Texans

Trindon Holliday, KR, LSU

 Ht: 5' 5" Wt: 162

EMQB’s analysis on the pick: A returner with sprinter speed, Holliday is a one dimensional player in the fact that he can only contribute in the NFL by returning kicks and punts.  He does excel at that, and, if he can stay healthy, he could be a game changing player based upon his effect on field position.  

Pro Football Weekly’s scouting report:  Dangerous, diminutive punt and kickoff returner who only needs a sliver of daylight to take it the distance. Also shows versatility to contribute as a change-of-pace back or work out of the slot.

NFL projection: Fifth- to sixth-round pick.

227.)  Houston Texans 

Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pittsburgh

Ht: 6' 4" Wt: 226

EMQB’s analysis on the pick:  Dickerson's issue is he's oversized for a receiver and much too small to be a full-time tight end.  The Texans need to have a plan to use him as a receiver/blocker that lines up wide of the offensive tackle.  Dickerson can be more than successful if used properly.

Pro Football Weekly’s scouting report:   Found a home at H-back as a senior after being shuttled between positions his first three years and has shown big-time flashes of potential. Possesses the vertical speed to stretch the seam and athletic ability to mismatch linebackers on crossing routes. Exceptional Combine performance and rare top-end speed will enhance value but is still raw as a route runner and will need to be used on simple routes where he does not have to make sharp cuts to be most effective. Has ability to factor situationally immediately.

NFL projection: Third- to fourth-round pick.

Pro Football Weekly 2010 Draft Preview available @ http://www.pfwstore.com/detail.aspx?ID=695

GM Jr. 2010 Draft Guide available @ http://gmjrnfldraft.com/

Lindy’s Sports 2010 Draft Guide available @http://www.lindyssports.com/product.php?cn=332

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