“Hindsight is always 20/20, but looking back it’s still a bit fuzzy.”
Since we’re gearing up for the draft, I thought I’d just throw out something fun for us to kick around. The point? There really isn’t one, it’s just to give us all a chance to further “get to know” each other and our past preferences. You know how when you’re talking about the Texans with friends, you have a few beers, and the sadness sets in? Yeah, me too. For me, those conversations often turn into (drunken voice) “now iff I waas the gerenal marnager… auuuh, I woould have taken Revis in ’07 over Amoobi *BELCH*”
You get the idea. I’m also going to include the #11 pick from each of these seasons, just as a completely irrelevant reference point since the Texans are picking in that spot this year. Also keep in mind that when I say “the guy I wanted,” I mean guys who were a realistic option when Houston’s draft slot came up. For example, in 2007 when the Texans drafted Amobi Okoye, of course I WANTED Adrian Peterson, but he was never going to be available. For a bonus, I’ll include my “unrealistic most wanted” as well.
2002
The pick: QB David Carr
The guy I wanted: DE Julius Peppers (Panthers)
I’m a FIRM believer in building a team from front to back (as you’ll see following this choice). So yeah, I was a Peppers guy. He turned out to be a dominant player, and Carr turned out to be a legend in Houston for all the wrong reasons.
Unrealistic most wanted: N/A with the number one pick.
#11 – DE Dwight Freeney (Colts)
2003
The pick: WR Andre Johnson
The guy I wanted: DT Dewayne Robertson (Jets)
Sigh. Yeah, I really nailed that one. I guess I just didn’t think that a guy – a WR no less – from Miami who wasn’t brash and obnoxious could make it as a star in the NFL. Oops. Meanwhile, Robertson isn’t even in the league anymore.
Unrealistic most wanted: N/A
#11 - CB Marcus Trufant (Seahawks)
2004
The picks: CB Dunta Robinson, OLB Jason Babin
The guy I wanted: CB DeAngelo Hall (Falcons)
Hall ended up going just two spots ahead of Dunta. I had no problem getting Robinson, but I was really hoping Hall would slide a couple more slots.
Unrealistic most wanted: OT Robert Gallery (Raiders)
Noticing a trend so far? D-line, D-line, O-line… and a couple of them not so good.
#11 – QB Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
2005
The pick: DT Travis Johnson
The guy I wanted: OLB Derrick Johnson (Chiefs)
Missed him by a pick. He went right before Travis Johnson.
Unrealistic most wanted: RB Cedric Benson (Bears)
The Texans weren’t exactly in dire need of a RB at the time with Dominick Williams coming off a decent season, but I really thought Benson was going to be a special player. Oops again. Also, my Longhorn homerism was definitely showing in this year.
#11 – OLB DeMarcus Ware (Cowboys)
2006
The pick: DE Mario Williams
The guy I wanted: OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson (Jets)
I was so not on the Reggie Bush or Vince Young wagon… but Brick was the guy I wanted. When news came down of the Mario pick, I was in Vancouver of all places. I was shocked that they didn’t take Bush, but I was definitely good with Mario being the guy if it wasn’t going to be Brick.
Unrealistic most wanted: N/A
#11 – QB Jay Cutler (Broncos)
2007
The pick: DT Amobi Okoye
The guy I wanted: CB Leon Hall (Bengals)
I wish I could say the guy I wanted was Darrelle Revis, but I liked Hall over him. Hall has turned out to be one of the better CBs in the league, but Revis is in the running for the best at his position in the whole NFL. All that said, I’m not gonna lie – I was very happy with the Amobi Okoye pick. I thought he would go before the Texans picked, so I was pleasantly surprised.
Unrealistic most wanted: RB Adrian Peterson (Vikings) /SS LaRon Landry (Redskins)
I would have done naked backflips through the streets if one of these guys had fallen to Houston.
#11 – MLB Patrick Willis
2008
The pick: OT Duane Brown
The guy I wanted: CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Cardinals)
Nobody saw the Brown pick coming until the Texans traded down. I was not a fan of that pick. I was really wanting OT Chris Williams for the longest time, but I got caught up in the Blogosphere hysteria and put all my eggs in the DRC basket. Unfortunately, the Cardinals snatched him up. I could hear computers being smashed all over Houston as I was blogging during the draft.
Unrealistic most wanted: OT Ryan Clady (Broncos)
Who DIDN’T want Clady? He’s turned out to be a two-time All Pro selection, with a lot of great years ahead of him.
#11 – CB Leodis McKelvin (Bills)
2009
The pick: LB Brian Cushing
The guy I wanted: LB Clay Matthews (Packers)
After his rookie performance, I was certainly happy with the Cushing pick, but Matthews was the guy I wanted. Of course, it’s debatable how well he would have performed in the 4-3, and not just the 4-3, but Frank Bush’s 4-3. Matthews is likely about to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award, and appears to be a superstar in the making. Cushing was headed that way too, but we have no idea where his career is going after his performance and the PED controversy of 2010.
Unrealistic most wanted: DT BJ Raji (Packers)
The Packers are doing everything they can to make me a fan, but it’s not going to work. Keep your Super Bowl appearance, and your Clay, and your Raji… I’ll just keep being miserable down here in Houston, thanks. *groan*
#11 – DE Aaron Maybin (Bills)
2010
The pick: CB Kareem Jackson
The guy I wanted: DT Dan Williams (Cardinals)
I guess it’s worth noting that the (realistic) CB I wanted most was Devin McCourty… but the guy I really wanted was Williams. Of course, I knew there was no shot the Texans would take him. A big DT? PSSHH, never!
Unrealistic most wanted: DT Ndamukong Suh (Lions)
You guys know how much I love Suh. The clincher for me was on draft day, while all the other top picks were sniveling, crying and hugging the commissioner, Suh just looked like he was pissed off and ready to hurt someone. That’s my kind of football player. Is it too late to trade our entire draft class for Suh? SUUUUUUH!!!!!!
#11 – OT Anthony Davis (49ers)
Alright, have some fun with that one. Kick it around. Who did you have? This is your chance to look smart… just remember, the honor system is in place.
Jan 27, 2011 at 08:27:44
Incredibly funny how these are largely similar to my wants, especially 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2010. BTW, the upgrade difference between Dan Williams and Shaun Cody last year would’ve been shockingly positive. *sigh*
Jan 27, 2011 at 08:38:23
The #11 picks were doing pretty good until Aaron Maybin, lol
Jan 27, 2011 at 09:01:26
2005
The pick: DT Travis Johnson
The guy I wanted: OLB Derrick Johnson (Chiefs)
Missed him by a pick. He went right before Travis Johnson.
We could have had him. We started with the 13th pick and swapped with the Saints to drop to 16. The Saints took two time pro bowler Jammal Brown with the pick and we passed on DJ. Although to be fair without dropping those spots we don’t pick up Eric Winston with an extra 3rd round pick the following year.
Jan 27, 2011 at 09:48:20
I should probably have a few drinks before doing this to really do it justice, but here goes:
2002 – I was just happy to have a football team again, and I assumed they would get the pick right since they had two years to scout them up. I was ok with Carr, but I did think we should build inside-out.
2003 – It seemed apparent that we needed a WR, so I was happy with AJ. Glad the Texans didn’t screw that one up. Turns out Carr needed a lot more than a stud receiver.
2004 – I also wanted Hall, but was happy with Robinson. The Babin pick floored me. It just didn’t seem smart to throw away that many picks for anyone… ok, maybe Suh, but he was probably still in High School.
2005 – I also wanted Derrick Johnson, and we could have drafted him but we traded down and got the wrong Johnson.
2006 – I wanted to trade down with NYJ and get their 2 first round picks (5th and 29th, I think). I would have drafted exactly who they drafted – Ferguson and Mangold. Again, inside – out. Since the trade down probably wasn’t even on the table, I was ok with Mario. Getting that #1 pick is almost a punishment for being terrible with the salary they get.
2007 – I really wanted us to take Patrick Willis. LB wasn’t a pressing need at the time, but that one highlight of him hitting the RB at the goalline and toppling over in a full 360 completely sold me. His times at the combine just sealed the deal. Leon Hall was my second choice. I didn’t think Amobi would even be there, but even when he was available, I figured there was a good reason he was.
2008 – I had a list of around 4 OTs I wanted and they all got picked pretty quickly. Clady topped the list. Once they were gone, I was hoping for Cason (CR). Again, we got our second rounder (Brown) in the first. I know we couldn’t have gotten him in the second, but there comes a point where you’d think the Texans would just go BPA and try to find that need in FA or a later round. I guess there’s a good reason we’re terrible.
2009 – I was all in on the Clay Matthews bandwagon for two reasons – 1. the bloodline, of course. Those guys don’t peak until they get to the pros, and they never get hurt. 2. His 10 yard sprint was as fast as any CR, RB, WR – anyone. I thought that closing speed might actually allow him to be able to get to Peyton. I was happy with Cushing, especially after that first year, but I get the feeling that Matthews is going to have a long and productive career. I just have to hope Cushing gets back to his first year abilities. Casey is coming out this year and he’s rated as a 2nd or 3rd pick. He’ll probably go a little higher than his rating just because of his brother.
2010 – I wanted McCourtney. My second choice was Wilson. When Brian Bulaga was available, I thought he was the BPA, and Jackson might be available in the second (maybe with a trade up). Turns out we got our second round pick in the first – again.
2011 – My early favorite is Ryan Kerrigan, IF he can play OLB in Wade’s system. I’d really prefer to trade down and see if we can get him in the 20s. I’d be happy with Mike Pouncey or several of the other LB or DT prospects.
AND, can this finally be the year we draft a FS in the second or third round??!!??!! Our corners would sure look better if we had a FS who could cover.
Jan 27, 2011 at 11:26:55
I wasn’t really involved in Texans mock drafting until 2008 with Duane Brown. I think that was THE best draft-day trade that has been pulled off by this organization. We all knew that the Texans were finally drafting their franchise left tackle, and that, with Alex Gibbs in the fold, it was going to be on his short list of acceptable players.
Duane Brown was on the bottom of that list, but he WAS on the list of franchise LT’s, and say what you want about him being “a second round talent”, but his floor was San Diego with the very next pick. That is about as close to ofact as you can get. That said, we traded down and essentially got our second round pick from the Schaub deal and the sixth round pick from the Myers deal back to us.
Let’s be honest: the Texans do NOT draft BPA, they draft by need, so for the Texans to get a 3rd and a 6th for the same player they would have drafted at 18 anyway is a good deal.
2009 – I was also on the Clay 3 bandwagon, but I’m actually happy how it turned out. We had no way of knowing we’d be in a 3-4 two seasons later, and Cushing fits better as a SAM 4-3 than Clay, and Clay, well, he’s looking alright as a 3-4 WOLB.
2010 – If you recall my Top 10 rankings of cornerbacks last April, Kareem Jackson was my #5, so I wasn’t necessarily happy with the pick, although I am usually the first to defend a scouting front office that has thousands of manhours of studying these players whereas we have what we can find on youtube and google. I WANT to say I wanted Devin McCourty, and I was definitely a fan of his, but I actually ranked Kyle Wilson over Joe Haden as overall prospects, so, were it me, I would have drafted Kyle Wilson, who was the worst first round rookie according to drafttek.com (which, for the record, gives Kareem credit for being a starter; Wilson is #4 on the Jets’ depth chart behind Drew Coleman)
2011 – I’m liking my trade down for 17 and 60 and nab Greg Jones idea. It fits the Texans M.O. of drafting a player that people call a second round pick (though Drafttek.com has him ranked #21 overall and the highest-ranked ILB regardless of scheme), and I’m still a LOT more sold on Cushing as a SOLB than a WILB.
Speaking of which, I seem to be in the minority that Cushing fits better as our SOLB (#2 pass rusher plus covering TE’s) than as our SILB (#3 pass rusher plus zone coverage). Can there be a post in the near future explaining why everyone thinks I’m crazy for being content with Cushing at SOLB and Barwin as the WOLB “blitz like crazy” guy?
Jan 27, 2011 at 11:56:38
Yeah with the strong OLB class whe need to add a first round talent since we are already thin at LB and unsure of Barwin and ryans because of their injuries and Cushings sub par year. Outside of and the 3 mentioned we don’t have another descent LB. There aren’t any Eric Berry’s or Earl Thomas’ but maybe Raheem Moore would be good in the second. However, I think getting a vet FA and moving Quinn to FS who now has experience, coverage, hitting, and descent speed would be the best move instead of adding more youth to the secondary. But we still have the problem of the poor draft choice of Jackson
I don’t think he’s a starter but maybe he’ll learn from a terrible year.
Jan 27, 2011 at 15:48:34
Kyle,
I like the idea of trading down too, and I like Greg Jones. I’m not sure if he’s rated that highly though. I’m thinking we could even snag him in the second round. As for Cushing, I originally thought he’d be perfect as the OLB opposite Barwin. That whole covering the TE thing made me think he may be better suited inside. I think he’s the wildcard here. I think he could do either ILB or OLB, but I don’t think coverage is his strong suit. It may come down to who we draft and where we need him. There have been some really good ILBs taken in the 2nd round the last couple of years, so maybe we could get one there. Given Barwin’s and Ryans’ injuries, we need a few LBs – inside and outside.
Jan 28, 2011 at 13:44:10
Kyle,
I’m buying everything you’re selling. We’re now best friends. I’m split on where Cushing will fit better, inside or outside, but I think he’s very capable of doing either, and our best current option for jamming/covering TE’s. I wanna throw a rock in the pond every time I hear someone suggest that Mario or Barwin play SOLB.
Also, I should say awesome job to Chris… very nice post, sir! I’m going now to check the drafts to actually see if I can answer your question with mucho brevity.
Jan 28, 2011 at 14:13:06
2002- Was ok with Carr because it was a new team, and new coaches have to guarantee themselves development time and the built in excuse of rookie and 2nd year QBs.
2003 – Agree on Robertson. Kid looked like a murderer at KU.
2004 – Sean Taylor, but was ok with *unta bc we weren’t getting Taylor.
2005 – Derrick Johnson because he’s from Waco and was awesome.
2006 – D’Brickashaw, but was just ecstatic we didn’t take Reggie or Radio. Prayed we’d trade out of it.
2007- Adrian Peterson. That one hurt bad.
2008- Any of the T’s or Branden Albert. Would’ve liked Kenny Phillips also.
2009- Anyone but Malcolm Jenkins or Orakpo (although I would’ve been ok with the player, I just didn’t want to hear the texas people talk anymore about him). Settled in with Matthews. Hated the Cushing pick at the time.
2010- Eric Berry or McCourty. Anyone not named Ryan Mathews would’ve been #3.
Jan 28, 2011 at 16:57:49
Quick question. Where did we rank in kick & punt return average this year? Slaton had to be near the worst in the league.
Jan 29, 2011 at 09:37:12
@Dustin
Yes. Yes he was. That’s why I recommended telling andre’ Davis to take a MASSIVE pay cut and be our return man.
I also have just heard of Bears’ SS/KR Daniel Manning, who averaged just under 25 yards a return and played well at the SS position. If we choose to dismiss Pollard, he’s my #1 choice to replace him.
Jan 29, 2011 at 13:31:36
I agree with a lot of these most wanted players. I really wanted Patrick Willis. Maybe you can’t spend that much money on one position but can you imagine our defense with DeMeco and Willis patrolling the middle?
Jan 31, 2011 at 15:10:53
I am looking at Von Miller or Julio Jones at the 11 spot and picking up Taylor (Baylor) or Fua (Stanford) in the 2nd round. This draft is deep at the DL and LB position. The Texans can improve their pass rush if Miller falls to them. If not I think the pick is up in the air. Wasn’t a big fan of Miller to start the Senior Bowl but he can flat move in space and cover.Not to mention rush the passer. 2nd round a NT will be there and a chance for the Texans to improve quickly. I still think secondary help is coming from Free Agency.
Feb 2, 2011 at 14:24:25
2002
i was okay with D. Carr
after all the measuremnts and media blah blah. I still think the O line and Capers child glove treatment did it to Carr.
2003
A. Johnson
i wanted AJ and dint’ really like that smoking dope WR from Michigan since he was thinish and Andre was soos big and fast, he reminded me of David Boston.
2004
Dunta & Babin.
i was okay with Dunta but really wanted Hall since he was a ball hawk. The Babin pick caught me off guard and I remember John McClain saying thats the kind of pick that gets someone fired which did eventually.
2005
Travis Johnson
I did not want Travis at all, i wanted OL Brown who we let the saints draft!
2006
Mario Williams
I was shocked and i do remember Matt Jackson saying how that night was a gloomy night in Houston and he was sooo pissed!
I wanted Reggie Bush over VY
2007
Amobi Okoye
I remember guys attending the draft party at reliant stadium cheering for this pick and i was kinda soso, not really excited nor sad.
-Was hoping they trade down and pick someone else than a project.
2008
OT Brown
I really din’t want them to pick any OL
-My wish list was Rashad Mendenhall or James Steward
2009
B. Cushing
-I wanted them to pick Clay Matthews since he had same measurements as Cushing and had better speed for short distance.
-I still think Cushing might turnout better in a 3,4 and playing next to Demeco. They can be Smarts and Beast!
2010
Kareem Jackson
Wanted Kyle Wilson and was shocked when i heard k. Jackson
2011
I really want them to draft Cameron Jordan or Prince Amukamara. Cam Jordan playing next to Mario can be devastating for opposing guards.
-Von Miller is my other wish list but not doable.