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Every year during draft season, the conversation is often centered around our favorite prospects. We throw out names of our desired targets and defend them to anyone who questions them. Come draft day, the mock drafters puff their chest out when a pick is right and will not let anyone forget when their draft crush has an amazing season.
What doesn't get nearly the same amount of discussion time? Those prospects we all don't like. The prospects we are certain are overhyped, will be overdrafted, and never materialize as others project them. Consider them a sort of anti-crush. When it comes to your Houston Texans, I don't have too many anti-crushes. However, there are a few prospects that I cringe at when I read their names.
- Georgia Inside Linebacker Alec Ogletree may or may not be on Houston's draft board, but his boneheaded decisions during the most important time period of his career make me hope that it's the latter. If Brian Cushing were to go down to injury or leave, Ogletree would be the new man in the middle. Would you trust him right now?
- Notre Dame ILB Manti Te'o's catfish story isn't what concerns me at all. It's his performance against the Crimson Tide in the national championship game that does. Te'o showed a real lack of speed and strength and was incredibly outclassed against the superior Alabama offense. Yes, one game does not a season make, but I'll judge the Alabama game harder because I'm not going to put a lot of stock in his performances against the ACC, Big Ten, and service academies. Te'o would probably fare better as a middle linebacker, if he's going to fare well at all, but he's not what Houston needs at all.
- I'm really not calling wild success for any of the quarterbacks in this class. A number of guys would intrigue me in the right round (read: after round two) since they'd have time to develop behind Matt Schaub, but they'll likely all get drafted too early.
- I know Houston's in need of a tackle, and this is a very strong class for tackles. Alabama's D.J. Fluker is not a tackle I'd be particularly happy with. Watching him, I just don't see the quick-footed athlete that succeeds in the zone-blocking scheme, especially in dealing with pass-rushers around the edge. I just don't have enough that convinces me that he would be an improvement over Derek Newton in 2013.
- Another area of concern to the Texans is safety, especially if Glover Quin isn't retained. LSU's Eric Reid has been mocked to Houston by some, but I saw a drop in production without guys like Morris Claiborne and Tyrann Mathieu around him. I have legitimate concerns about whether he looked better than what he is due to the elite talent around him. He just didn't look like the same player in 2012.
This conversation doesn't just have to be about prospects who wouldn't work in Houston, but let's put our names on it, shall we? Let's talk who we all think won't live up to the hype and has us looking another way.