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Grading The Texans' Draft

By Tim

Now that the dust has settled, let's take a long, hard look at what the Texans did this weekend.  First, the draftees:

  1.  Amobi Okoye (DE, Louisville)
  2.  Jacoby Jones (WR, Lane College)
  3.  Fred Bennett (CB, South Carolina)
  4.  Brandon Harrison (S, Stanford)
  5.  Brandon Frye (OT, Virginia Tech)
  6.  Kasey Studdard (G, Texas)
  7.  Zach Diles (LB, Kansas State)
Mel Kiper graded the Texans' draft as a C-, primarily because he doesn't think that the Texans helped Matt Schaub out via the OL or WR.  John McClain gives the hometown team a B-, though he doesn't give much detail as to why the grade is so low.  SI.com's notoriously red-assed Dr. Z craps on Smithiak to the tune of a D+, dishing out a healthy helping of "where's the OL" smack.  Though he didn't grade the draft per se, Peter King wrote that we'd all look back on Amobi Okoye as "a steal at No. 10 to Houston" and terms the new Nigerian Nightmare "a clean-as-a-whistle Warren Sapp."

My thoughts, you ask?  Well, sure...

Anyone that doesn't absolutely LOVE Okoye at No. 10 is likely under the influence of mass quantities of illegal narcotics.  He's going to anchor DT for years to come, and his arrival should mean the departure of former Casserly first-round pick Travis Johnson.  

While I have my concerns about taking Jacoby Jones over Jason Hill and a handful of other guys in Round Three, I am encouraged by TPL's report on Jones from the Shrine Game.  Time will tell whether he can be the complement to Dre that the Texans so desperately need.  

The more I think about it, the more I love the addition of Fred Bennett at CB.  While I don't think he'll start immediately over Petey Faggins, he seems to have the tools that could portend a prosperous future in the battle red for years to come.  At the very least, Bennett should be part of the rotation at CB this season.

I'm still scratching my head over the Harrison pick, especially considering that Josh Gattis (a true FS) was still on the board.  That said, Harrison could well be a jack-of-all trades in the secondary and on special teams, which would make him infinitely more valuable and a tremendous addition in Round Five.

By all accounts, Brandon Frye will be a project.  Fortunately, the presence of Ephraim Salaam, Jordan Black, Eric Winston, and (hopefully) Charles Spencer should give him time to develop.  While I don't expect much out of him next season, it was a fine roll of the dice on him in Round Five.

Yeah, I'm biased.  But I am still on Cloud Nine over the Kasey Studdard pick.  He's ornery.  He's mean.  He's tough.  He's a winner.  And he'll be a starter in Houston sooner rather than later.  BRB has a new cult hero.

Zach Diles has a chance to contribute on special teams, but the plethora of linebackers already ahead of him should make it tough for him to make the squad.  That said, the guy should drop that David Carr wristband like a bad habit.

Overall?  I'd give Smithiak a solid B for this weekend's performance, and that grade improves exponentially if Jacoby Jones justifies the faith that the Texans have in him.  What say you, BRB Nation?

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