With The 18th Pick Of The 2008 SB Nation Mock Draft, Your Houston Texans Select...

by Tim on Apr 6, 2008 5:09 PM CDT in News

Read all about it here. And let me know your thoughts in the Comments below.

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Not too enthused

I am ok with the pick but I think he is a bit of a reach at 18. I just don't think he is the best value right now. I would rather have Alberts at 18 and a cb in the 3rd and an rb in the 4th. Still, Stewart is significantly better than Felix Jones or anyone else left at the position and he will makes us a better team next year. So I am ok but I would be disappointed if that was our pick.

by danger man on Apr 6, 2008 5:26 PM CDT reply actions

Re: Not Too Enthused

Totally valid criticism. I came awfully close to pulling the trigger on Albert; the tiebreaker for me was that I think the guard position is on considerably more solid ground than RB. Plus, I'm wary of drafting a guy like Albert in the first round with the hope that he can slide to LT.

Make no mistake--I'd have traded this pick in a heartbeat if I could have. Stewart was the pick purely because I couldn't move back.

Looking forward to a day when being a Texans fan doesn't mean that April is the highlight of my season...

by Tim on Apr 6, 2008 7:59 PM CDT up reply actions

agreed

I think I would gone a different direction, but we were left with some tough choices. If the first round really does play out like that, I'll yell "TRADE THE PICK" til I'm hoarse and even more hammered.

by bigfatdrunk on Apr 7, 2008 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions

This is a stud pick

The only realistic pick better than Stewart would have been if Chris Williams had fallen to you guys. Smithiak culls late round RB gems because he/it has to. If you ahve an opportunity to get the whole package, you do it. Denver will be looking at both Stewart and Mendenhall before draft day is over, cause they are good talents and great one cut runners.

Stewart fits the zoneblock a LOT better than mendenahll, however, and the only question is his toe. I have seen reports that it is a guaranteed early heal, and reports that it could cause trouble. Who knows? I would put money on it being just fine, and you guys would have a franchise back.

Mile High Report

by Jeremy Bolander on Apr 8, 2008 3:48 AM CDT up reply actions

Mock Draft Results Aside

I wondered, if the opportunity exists, should the Texans draft a RB in round 1 of the NFL draft? I think this is a particularly important question if you think the Texans need 2 drafts to become serious Super Bowl contenders.

It seems that RBs are injured more often, and have shorter careers (on average). Is this true? According to an article posted on the Bleacher Report, "...the average career of an N.F.L. player is 3.3 years. The shortest careers were those of running backs (2.57 years), followed by wide receivers (2.81) and cornerbacks (2.94)...Running backs had an 81.8 percent chance of getting to a second year, but a 63 percent chance of reaching a third, a 40.4 percent chance of reaching a fifth, and a six percent chance of reaching a 10th."
Ref: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/14729

So, taking this information into account, I would guess that you really don't want to take a RB in round 1 unless you believe that you are on the verge of making the Super Bowl.

Accordingly, the Texans shouldn't select Stewart or Mendenhall.

by kozanack on Apr 6, 2008 8:27 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't know who was on the board

but this is a good pick if there wasn't a high ranked LT...good job Tim!

by 1Texan on Apr 6, 2008 6:50 PM CDT reply actions

Agreed, Good Job On The Pick

This was one of the more difficult draft scenarios to work through

by kozanack on Apr 6, 2008 8:42 PM CDT up reply actions

Kiss of death

Great pick. The Texans have not had a home run hitter in their backfield except for Merciless. Three yards and a cloud of dust can be effective, but being able to take one to the house on any given play is an element much needed. Congrats.

Oh, and trade Sage for a tee time at Redstone.

by Scott on Apr 6, 2008 9:00 PM CDT reply actions

uh oh

Looks like Tim's hit the Zima...

Yeah, I agree. When it's the 3rd round and the ViQueens pick comes up, we are going to be going apeshit that we don't have that pick. At least, I will be.

by bigfatdrunk on Apr 6, 2008 9:04 PM CDT up reply actions

Not too enthused here either

Tough scenario, but to invest first round money at RB requires cap analysis.

Assuming Stewart and Brown make the team, how much is gained by cutting Green, or maybe we can get a second rounder for him!!! :)

How many RB's do we keep? I think 3 oft-injured and a practice squadder has to equal a decent running game. Adding a 5th to the mix is great for showing Darius the door, but thats a lot of $$$ if we keep those 4 RB's.

1- DE 3- CB 4- OT 5- CB

by texanphil on Apr 6, 2008 9:15 PM CDT reply actions

good points all

And that's why I recommend ballmer. I've been pushing the DE thing for a while, but I want to make sure we have a badass group to create pressure. If Bentley or Diles or Thompson can add to that off the DE, all the better (acknowledging that Diles isn't that kind of guy, but I'm focusing on the scheme).

by bigfatdrunk on Apr 6, 2008 9:30 PM CDT up reply actions

Makin the grade

We got an A.

It's not Awful
It's not Awesome
It's the Apparent choice at 18.

So in my best Wooderson -

"Alright, alright, alright..."

To DE or not to DE... that is the question.

by SOLIS on Apr 7, 2008 2:23 AM CDT reply actions

When did that ever happen ?

That is Kubiak taking a RB in the first round ?

So just another second guesser.

Aquib Taleb woulda been my pick.

by TexasOutlaw on Apr 7, 2008 9:19 AM CDT reply actions

Re: RB in the First

Again, totally legitimate gripe. I didn't like having to do it, but concerns about Talib's off-field behavior and questions about his ability to excel in a defense that features plenty of man coverage scared me off.

I really, really, really hated having to make this pick.

Looking forward to a day when being a Texans fan doesn't mean that April is the highlight of my season...

by Tim on Apr 7, 2008 1:18 PM CDT up reply actions

Re:RB in the First

Yea. I messed up and offered an alternative when I should have just been critical.

Stewarts stock has gone down a little in my book. Talib fills a void in our secondary.

Just for grins who else was on your list ?

by TexasOutlaw on Apr 7, 2008 3:10 PM CDT up reply actions

Who Else?

Albert--if I didn't go with Stewart, he would have been who I picked.
K. Phillips--reach at 18?
Otah--probable RT in the NFL, and not well-suited to ZBS?
Balmer--couldn't pull the trigger on a DT.

Looking forward to a day when being a Texans fan doesn't mean that April is the highlight of my season...

by Tim on Apr 7, 2008 3:12 PM CDT up reply actions

General mock draft observation

I looked at that entire mock draft and was surprised how good the different blogs picked for each team (with the exception of the Jets who picked Dorsey who doesn't fit their scheme at all - he was the best player available, however). That said, I think most of us would probably say that Stewart would be one of our top 3 or 4 picks of the players remaining, meaning Stewart was a good pick. The one thing we can always count on is one team will pick stupid ahead of us (i.e. the 'phins last year) giving us a shot at someone we wouldn't expect. I'm more worried about someone trading with Minnesota to get a CB (Jenkins) or an OT (Williams) that slipped because of a dumb pick ahead of us (hello Detroit, you need Limas Sweed!).

by danger man on Apr 7, 2008 9:40 AM CDT reply actions

re: SBN Mock

I agree completely. For the most part, the SBN bloggers have been completely in-tune with what their team should do in the draft.

And like Tim's write-up said, we would have been beating down the doors for a trade if they were allowed. I can only hope that Smithiak will have the same philosophy if the real draft shakes out like this mock did in #1-17.

We can be critical of the draft picks, but in the end we always support the new Texan.

by Shake on Apr 7, 2008 10:21 AM CDT up reply actions

In short...

boo.

It's not that I hate the pick, but I think (a) even a healthy Stewart is a reach at 18 and (b) Stewart coming off toe surgery and likely to miss the start of camp is a mid-second-rounder at best.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=rotowire-onathantewartoeuttea&prov=rotowire&type=fanta sy

by MDC on Apr 7, 2008 11:36 AM CDT reply actions

Inward singing

"Always nay saying! Everything I create!"

To DE or not to DE... that is the question.

by SOLIS on Apr 7, 2008 12:00 PM CDT up reply actions

awesome

Tim tries to come across as all squeaky clean and Zima free, but I could totally picture him yelling that, throwing his favorite stuffed teddy bear across the basement in wailing agony.

by bigfatdrunk on Apr 7, 2008 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions

Matt

Who would you have taken?

We can be critical of the draft picks, but in the end we always support the new Texan.

by Shake on Apr 7, 2008 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions

My choice

in that situation would have been Balmer or Campbell (if his pro day is better than his combine) or even Kenny Phillips. If I were going to take a running back, I'd have gone with Felix Jones, but I fully admit that is a reach and is based solely on my hunch that he will wind up being the second-best back in this draft. And, also, he doesn't have an injured toe.

by MDC on Apr 9, 2008 8:06 AM CDT up reply actions

Figured that much...

I was curious to see if you would have gone for Cason with this untradable pick.

We can be critical of the draft picks, but in the end we always support the new Texan.

by Shake on Apr 9, 2008 10:00 AM CDT up reply actions

All things considered...

I like the pick. No trades possible, no one who we were dying for was left. The surgery was hopefully just a one-and-done for Stewie, and his burst could really help us out.

Remember that time when MJD totally blew up Merriman on a gaol-line pass block? He was shot out of a damn cannon. I don't think Stewart is quite capable of that right now. But in due time...

wish i knew how to insert hyperlink......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXeAG2VuBo0

by BigTexBD on Apr 7, 2008 2:23 PM CDT reply actions

fail

also wish i knew how to spell "goal-line"

by BigTexBD on Apr 7, 2008 2:25 PM CDT up reply actions

Can't help with the spelling...

But here is an assist for the embedded hyperlink:

[a href="website address"]text you wish to have the link beneath[/a]

Now, just replace all those [] brackets with less-than & greater-than signs. I'd type them, but it will get all pissed off at me for invalid coding and such.

Take her for a test spin and see what you think.

We can be critical of the draft picks, but in the end we always support the new Texan.

by Shake on Apr 7, 2008 8:08 PM CDT up reply actions

Takes a little practice

But it eventually becomes second nature.

To DE or not to DE... that is the question.

by SOLIS on Apr 7, 2008 8:45 PM CDT up reply actions

mmkay....

voila

by BigTexBD on Apr 7, 2008 9:28 PM CDT up reply actions

wtf?

BTBD, aren't you supposed to be young and cool? Shake is pwning you with the html??? Shake's like 82 years old.

What's next? 1Tex gonna help you with your T9 text messaging?

(Vengeance is mine!)

by bigfatdrunk on Apr 7, 2008 9:32 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't like your attitude

Just where to you get off? Wait...don't answer that question literally. There are a few trade secrets that I really don't want to know.

What's that you say? You're the one that schooled me on all this fancy interweb typing? Oh? Umm, nevermind.

And 1Tex uses a slingblade to watch the games from the equator, so that's pretty modern.

We can be critical of the draft picks, but in the end we always support the new Texan.

by Shake on Apr 7, 2008 9:45 PM CDT up reply actions

what can I say?

It was nice not being the old geezer for, oh...looks at watch...15 seconds.

I've had my moment. :-)

by bigfatdrunk on Apr 7, 2008 9:57 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm back in Houston

You may not be old, you just slow. ;-)

by 1Texan on Apr 7, 2008 10:04 PM CDT up reply actions

If 1Tex wants to, yes

I don't T9; the phone is too damn frustrating. But it's great for entertainment: I receive drunk texts from friends who use T9 that arrive as "i'm drink. Came gather me know from jogms."

I may be young, but I'm no hipster douche who walks around campus while on their crackberry/iphone so often they run into other people because they're not looking where they're going and then they get pissed when their half-caf skinny mocha latte spills on their andy warhol messenger bag because "OMG its a limited edition you retard watch where you're going" before they bore you to death with their ability to quote Nietzsche in an attempt to belittle you. Fuck that.

by BigTexBD on Apr 7, 2008 11:28 PM CDT up reply actions

re: "Fuck That"

Word.

We can be critical of the draft picks, but in the end we always support the new Texan.

by Shake on Apr 8, 2008 6:39 AM CDT up reply actions

Cason - CB

reading the Cowboys' write up on Cason made me want to potentially take him over Stewart. He sounds like he would make a great tandem with Bennett and then w/ Dunta.

by marroncito on Apr 8, 2008 1:23 PM CDT reply actions

yep

Another possibility, for sure. I saw one mock draft - somewhere - that has us taking him with #18.

by bigfatdrunk on Apr 8, 2008 2:27 PM CDT up reply actions

That would be acceptable

I remember watching the Arizona/Oregon game last season, and Cason won that game for the Cats. He had a INT return TD and a punt return TD. He wasn't last year's Thorpe Award winner for nothing.

by BigTexBD on Apr 8, 2008 8:49 PM CDT up reply actions

Great Player, Great Guy

Unfortunately, [supposedly] lacks acceleration. It sounds like he's better suited for a team like Tampa Bay

by kozanack on Apr 8, 2008 10:50 PM CDT up reply actions

I like it

Before the whole "toe surgery" thing everybody was talking about the big 3 RB's being Stewart, Mendenhall, and McFadden. I know people like to shy away from players having surgery, but I thought after McFadden, Stewart would be the 2nd best in the draft.

I know you didn't want to make that pick because Kubiak and running backs in the first round is just a big question mark, but I think it would still be a good pick.

That draft sucks because nobody is reaching, and you know somebody on draft day is going to reach. Somebody always does (Ted Ginn Jr).

Also, Vernon Gholston to the Rams seems like a silly pick to me. Does St. Louis even run a 3-4?

by b0ng on Apr 12, 2008 1:10 PM CDT reply actions