BRB GroupThink: Combine Crushes

Our hearts are our hearts. Our eyes are our eyes. These two components of our bodies will be put to use this week as we watch NFL prospects accomplish their goals and live their dreams in Indianapolis. With the NFL Combine starting this week, which prospect are you most excited to see run and jump? And do you have a favorite for the Texans to select with the third overall pick?

This was the question I asked the masthead. These are our responses:

MATT WESTON:

I have my eyes on K’Lavon Thibodeaux. The preseason number one overall pick has slid in recent mockdrafts, because of things like tenacity, desire, grit, and this new narrative that he’s a sports car who isn’t a real football guy. He’s still the best edge rusher in this class. If he blows out the combine, Houston could get a wrecker of worlds early on in the first round, it’s something a front without a true game changer has to have in order to improve defensively. A rockstar combine would solidify him in the top three, allowing Houston to pick between him and Aidan Hutchinson, or eye a possible trade down. No first round offensive tackles around these parts.

EVAN WILSMORE:

There’s too many guys that I’m excited to see at the combine, so I won’t list them. However, for the third overall pick, there’s a few directions that could go. In my mind, it’s either going to be Kyle Hamilton or Kayvon Thibodeaux, but I still can’t put one over the other yet. Both would be great pieces for this team. It’s going to be a tough call, so hopefully the combine can make the decision a bit easier for the Texans front office.

RANDALL BRONN:

This is a very deep draft class at a few positions including edge rusher, defensive back, wide receiver and O line but most of my favorite prospects are on defense. With the third pick if the Texans don’t take Kyle Hamilton I will not only be super surprised I will be very sad. My favourite prospect in this draft though is Ahmed “Sauce” Gardner. With a nickname of “sauce” that should immediately make him a top five pick but being a lock down 6’3” corner also makes him unique. It maybe a hot take but I think Sauce Gardner is the best corner prospect we’ve seen since Jalen Ramsey and i think if he gets drafted to a good system he’ll be an instant starter.

L4BLITZER:

With the Combine, I generally don’t get too excited one way or another. They might confirm or raise some questions, but not much more than that. The biggest parts are those things that will not be televised, the medical and background checks.

That being said, if there is a player I am curious about, it would be wide receiver Jahan Dotson. Coming into the off-season, the former Penn State University wide receiver was thought to be a certain late first round pick, as most mocks had him anywhere between the middle and end of the first round. Yet, that has long since fallen off. He did not have a great Senior Bowl week and most see him as a Day 2 prospect. Not that this is the end of the world, but for a guy whose stock has taken a hit, a good combine performance, especially when it comes to his 40 time, is a must if he plans to go as high as he could. For reference, a recent multi-round mock draft had Dotson coming to Houston, which as a 2nd round pick might be a decent thing, but that would depend on what happens with Cooks/etc.

As for who the Texans should take with the #3 pick, any of the top DL/OL prospect are good with me. Neal, Hutchinson, Thibodeaux, Ekwonu...no issues with them. I am not quite as sold on taking a S, even Hamilton, with the #3 pick and CB Stingley Jr has some significant injury questions he needs to answer. There is no quarterback on the board worth the #3 pick, so stick with one of the linemen. If there is a great offer to trade down, I would be good with that as well. They need help, and with relatively limited cap space, that helps needs to be as cost-efficient as possible.