Jonathan Wade (CB, Tennessee).
This was an excruciatingly difficult decision, far tougher than any debate we had in the first round. The hole at the WR spot is huge, and it almost made Jason Hill a Texan at No. 56. I was eventually convinced to pass on Hill (and any other WR) by the cogent argument that we would still be able to get value at the WR spot with one of our third round picks. That, and my recurring nightmares about the Texans' secondary last season did the trick. As of the date of this post, the Texans are set to open the season with Petey Faggins or Jamar Fletcher starting opposite Dunta Robinson. Read that last sentence again, and remember to breathe.
Anyone who watched Houston last year remembers how often the Texans got burned in the passing game, and a major reason for that was due to poor play in the secondary. Jonathan Wade should help alleviate that problem. He's disgustingly fast (a freaking track star at Tennessee) and excels in coverage. The guy was all-conference in the SEC (thirteen (13) pass deflections and four (4) interceptions in 2006) despite spending all but one off-season running track, which means he's successfully faced top-flight competition without the coaching he'd get as a professional. His tackling and apparent weakness against the run is a concern, but I'm betting that Richard Smith and Jon Hoke aren't going to let him detract from the solid run support the secondary can usually be counted on to provide (now that Phillip "Ole!" Buchanon is someone else's problem). Wade is by no means a finished product, but the combination of the glaring need(s) in the secondary, Wade's success in the SEC, and his raw skills made him too tough to pass up. Now if we can just figure out what to do at safety...