The only thing constant is change. That maxim is especially true when speaking about mock drafts. Last week, I was prompted to do an article on Jonathan Stewart because the majority of the mock drafts polled had him sporting a Texans draft cap. Now a more recent survey shows a definite shift in their perceived needs of the Texans.
In an effort to provide you all with the most up to date predictions from around the net, I decided to revisit the fifty most recent mock drafts, extrapolate the data, and put it in a tidy little pie chart. Again, with the help of Hail Redskins' enormous mock draft database, I gathered information from only the sites listed as professional, media, and/or veteran. Below is the chart that illustrates the findings.
If you recall, as little as ten days ago, most draft pundits had the Texans taking a running back in the first round. In fact, running back accounted for nearly half of the overall predictions. Now that's changed. Stewart, the previous majority pick, has slipped from 22% to 16%, while Mendenhall fell from a 16% favorite to completely off the chart. However, I think this has more to do with Mendenhall solidifying his spot as the No. 2 back in the draft than it does with the Texans and their team needs.
Replacing Mendenhall on our chart is the cornerback out of Tennessee State, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Coming in at the 18th pick is an indication that his stock is slipping a bit after his superb combine numbers had him running neck and neck with Leodis McKelvin. While still rated very high on most mocks, it appears as if he's now jockeying to be the 2nd or 3rd corner taken in the draft.
The three others, Talib, Jenkins, and Williams, all saw a percentage increase from the previous week. CB Aqib Talib hopped up from 12 to 14%. (Talib is McClain's pick - see his rationale here). CB Mike Jenkins (+4%) and OT Chris Williams (+6%) remain the majority favorites at their respective positions, with each holding a 20% share of the overall votes.
So what does this most recent survey tell us? If you look at the shift from running back to corner, it's apparent that the news regarding Dunta's projected return date is forcing the prognosticators' hands at 18. Also, the low interception totals were often sighted as a key deficiency of the Texans defense. The rally to Chris Williams comes as no surprise. The Texans' mock drafts are stereotypically tackle heavy, and will continue to be until they get a stud in there to shore up the position.
While I would love to draft a running back with stellar potential, I would also like to see a few more tide-turning picks out of the secondary. With all that said, I have faith that the Texans' braintrust will pick a solid player, be it at corner, tackle, or running back.
Look for my final installment of the mock draft survey towards the end of next week. It will be interesting to see who had what right, and what all has changed.