Extraordinary Possibilty

by SOLIS on Apr 9, 2008 2:30 AM CDT in News

In a sort of hypothetical hyperbole where reality dictates the probability of a speculative existence, Jonathan Stewart is a Texan. Huh? Never mind. Jonathan Stewart was taken 18th overall with our pick in the annual SBN NFL Mock Draft. While reaction has been mixed, this might very well be the selection the Texans make on April 26th.

Using Hail Redskins outstanding mock draft database, I was able to compile the results of the first fifty (50) mock drafts they had listed. While there was no overwhelming vote for one position or player, Jonathan Stewart ( must see video) was the majority pick. Below is a pie chart that shows a breakdown of what those fifty prognosticators predict for the Texans selection at 18.

The Texans are eager to make a move that will help their team immediately. Couple that with the Gary Kubiak's desire to establish a dominant ground game and Jonathan Stewart could be the one sporting a Texans cap on draft day. With that in mind, I decided to take a closer look at the one they call "Snoop".

The first thing that you notice about the running back out of Oregon is his build. Jonathan Stewart stands an NFL ready 5'11" and weighs a bruising 235 lbs. He has freakish upper and lower body strength. In college, his recorded lifts include a 402 lb power clean lift, 410 lb bench press, and a 555 lb squat. At the combine, he was a top performer, putting 225 lbs up a total of 28 times. To give you a little perspective, OT Jeff Otah turned in a 27 rep performace, OT Ryan Clady did a total of 24, and OG Branden Albert was only able to complete 23 reps.

Jonathan Stewart also turned in a top-ten 40 time of 4.48 at the combine - in spite of a nagging toe injury. Without the injury, Stewart could conceivably run in the low 4.4s. His rare combination of size and speed has garnered league wide attention. Seattle PI reporter Clare Farnsworth quoted Texans running backs coach Chick Harris as saying, "(Stewart's) speed is interesting. When he turns the corner on you, he's deceiving, because he's a big man moving really fast. He's strong, powerful and he's got good quicks".

Farnsworth goes on to write the following:

There's also more to Stewart than first meets the eye. He is a natural receiver with soft hands, making him a good fit for a West Coast offense. He is a willing blocker, allowing him to stay on the field in all situations.

Stewart was an integral part of Oregon's spread offense, where they employ a zone blocking styled rushing attack. A quick look at his collegiate numbers shows how effective he could be as a 'one cut and go' style rusher.

The one stat that impressed me the most was the 516 rushing attempts without a fumble. It speaks to his brute strength, and his ability to stay focused. He's going to be a valued asset to any team trying to grind out wins on Sunday.

To recap, Snoop is big, fast, strong, and quick. He can provide protection in the passing game as a blocker, and be an outlet valve as a receiver. Oh yeah, and he never fumbles. So what's not to like? Well... the knock on Stewart is his knack for getting dinged up; but don't dare call him injury prone. Check out this quote as reported by Fox Sports' Adam Schien:

Stewart said sternly, "I am not injury prone. I've played through injuries, the normal aches and pains. My freshman year (when he was limited to 10 games with an ankle injury as a true freshman) was the only year where injuries limited me to not seeing the field as much as I would like to. After that, I learned to play through pain and tough it up.

"I want to play every game. I play every snap. I had an ankle injury and now this toe. That's been the only problems I have ever had playing football. It hasn't slowed me down yet and it won't slow me down. I had 250 yards against a very good South Florida team on a messed-up toe in our last game of the season. That's me. That's how I play through. That should show a lot."

There is no doubt that the Texans need for a franchise running back is paramount as we head to the NFL draft, but so cornerback. With the health of Dunta Robinson in question, we need to bolster the secondary; however, a talent like Jonathan Stewart doesn't come around every year. A dynamic running back with the ability to open up the passing game could turn the Texans into one of the leagues most explosive offenses. Jonathan Stewart just may be that extraordinary talent the Texans need to take them from playoff hopefuls to playoff contenders.

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Comments

great post

i'm loving the pie chart. now i'm jealous. your graphs are better than mine :). i would love to have Stewart as our 1st pick. i've read that he compares to Steven Jackson. Any truth to this?

by marroncito on Apr 9, 2008 10:12 AM CDT reply actions

..didn't know the guy could catch

nice post, i didn't know that much about him. The fumble stat is incredible. I like that he had two receiving td's to go along with his 11 rushing last year. He seems like the perfect fit in Kube's offense.

On the CB front, do you think Talib is no longer a consideration for us given his "character" issues. McClain had an article on Chron.com today where he stated that certain players are off the Texans board due to off the field issues.

by bullpen116 on Apr 9, 2008 10:29 AM CDT up reply actions

I would be shocked

I don't see any way at all that Talib is on the Texans' draft board.

by knave64 on Apr 9, 2008 8:12 PM CDT up reply actions

Aqib

Someone forgot to tell SI.com's Don Banks this, as he has the Texans taking Weed Talib at 18.

by BigTexBD on Apr 9, 2008 11:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Heh

I saw the same thing... He seems to jumped aboard the Good Ship Kiper, thinking that J-Stew is going to fall out of the first round. I just don't see it.

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

by SOLIS on Apr 10, 2008 10:54 AM CDT up reply actions

Thanks

Yeah the pie chart took a little work, but it was worth it. Hell, you're the one who gave me the idea to start graphing my data. I just picked up the ball and ran with it.

As far as who he compares to, I've read everything from Steven Jackson & Larry Johnson to Bo Jackson & Barry Sanders. Lofty praise, to say the least... but his numbers don't lie. I'm interested to see what he can do against an NFL defense.

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

by SOLIS on Apr 9, 2008 11:32 AM CDT up reply actions

i've been won over

great post. i officially now want us to draft stewart. i'm that easy. i had wanted a d-end or a LT but i have been swayed. the thought of what he could do to make our offense damn near unstoppable gives me a chubby. so, here's hoping we call his name on april 26.

by cbass on Apr 9, 2008 11:23 AM CDT reply actions

uh

I was going to respond, until that "chubby" reference. Now I'm not going to.

by knave64 on Apr 9, 2008 8:13 PM CDT up reply actions

falling

Stewart may be the RB that falls in this draft.

Darren McFadden may slip a little bit over Reggie Bush-esqe concerns. He'll still be taken early, but him slipping will push the rest of the RB's down.

Reshard Mendenhall's stock keeps climbling. I wouldn't mind having him either, but he's looking to go in the 10-15 range now. He'll satisfy the Bears or another team looking for a RB.

Stewart's surgery seems to be scaring a lot of people off. I don't see why it should scare the Texans off. I think Mario Williams had the same surgery on his toes and he hasn't been slowed at all by it. I expect Stewart to bounce back the same way. This stud RB could fall right into our lap.

I'm really hoping Kubiak's never taking a RB in the 1st round pattern won't stop them from pulling the trigger if Stewart is who they want. I read that Kubiak doesn't care what round he gets players from, he just takes who he likes. Clinton Portis supposedly had 1st round talent, but dropped because people didn't see him as having a lot of size or power.

by marroncito on Apr 9, 2008 11:54 AM CDT reply actions

Re: Portis

We passed on him twice in the second round of the 2002 draft. Twice.

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

by SOLIS on Apr 9, 2008 11:59 AM CDT up reply actions

To be fair...

We did get Jabar Gaffney that round - as well as a SuperBowl advertising star.

Tell me again why I follow sports?

by DisplacedTexan on Apr 9, 2008 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions

Unbelievable Work, SOLIS

J. Stewart's agent should print this post out and mail it to every NFL GM.

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 9, 2008 1:25 PM CDT reply actions

Gracias Tim

I was able to dig up all kinds of impressive stats and facts about J-Stew, and decided he needed to get a little dap as he heads into the draft.

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

by SOLIS on Apr 9, 2008 3:44 PM CDT up reply actions

Go figure

Pancakes disagrees with you. And Rotoworld seems to be able to read between the lines regarding whom he is referring to with this sentence:

"And they need another cornerback as well as a running back who's not coming off an injury."

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

by Shake on Apr 9, 2008 1:28 PM CDT reply actions

Stew

From the video, I like his abilities to hit the corner fast, hit the hole hard, make the first guy miss, and get some always important YAC. Put it all together, and he is a stud and a half.

by BigTexBD on Apr 9, 2008 4:10 PM CDT reply actions