Houston Texans
1. Jadeveon Clowney OLB South Carolina
33. Xavier Su’a-Filo OG UCLA
65. CJ Fiedorowicz TE Iowa
83. Louis Nix III NT Notre Dame
135. Tom Savage QB Pittsburgh
177. Jeoffrey Pagan DE Alabama
181. Alfred Blue RB LSU
211. Jay Prosch FB Auburn
216. Dre Hal CB Vanderbilt
256. Lonnie Ballentine S Memphis
Immediate Impact: OLB Jadeveon Clowney, OG Xavier Su’s-Filo
I’ve made my feelings known about Clowney’s fit in Houston’s defense but if you’re going to take a chance on a making a guy fit taking a chance on someone with Clowney’s talent is the way to go. At the very least he’s an upgrade to their pass rush over Brooks Reed and Whitney Mercilus. Xavier Su’a-Filo will take over the LG spot and teaming him with LT Duane Brown should make the left side of the offensive line a major strength.
Best Value: NT Louis Nix III
The reasons for Nix’s fall into the third round have to be related to his injury history because nothing else makes sense. There is some worry about his weight fluctuating and while that might contribute to his knee issues he is too talented to have fallen this far. The Texans make out like bandits because other than free agent signee Jerrell Powe from Kansas City Houston is very thin at the position.
Sleeper: RB Alfred Blue
Blue played in a talented backfield at LSU so his full skill wasn’t utilized but with Arian Foster’s injury history and Ben Tate’s free agent defection he could be quite a find. The Texans brought in free agent RB Andre Brown from the Giants but he’s also coming off an injury. Blue should excel as a downhill runner and the addition of Su’a-Filo makes running left a really good idea.
Overall Analysis:
Overall the Texans did an excellent job of drafting good players that are schematic fits that also plug holes and add depth to their roster. Su’a-Filo, Nix and Blue are joined by TE CJ Fiedorowicz the first pick of the 3rd round, DE Jeoffrey Pagan and FB Jay Prosch in the sixth round as great schematic fits. Fiedorowicz will be a good red zone target and a fantastic in-line blocker to pair with Garrett Graham. Pagan is a perfect fit as a five-technique DE, the position he played at Alabama, and will give Tim Jamison a run to play opposite JJ Watt. Prosch is an old school blocking fullback and the Texans are one of the few teams that have actually employed one in the past few years (remember Vonta Leach). The overall grade of this draft may rest on the shoulders of QB Tom Savage. The Texans didn’t address the position early and the rumored trade for Patriots backup Ryan Mallett never materialized so at the moment Savage is the future of the position. The Texans signed Ryan Fitzpatrick and they still have Case Keenum and TJ Yates but Savage has the most upside of any of them. Savage was talked about a lot in the last weeks before the draft and many thought he would go in the second round but the Texans got him late in the fourth round. He fits the mold preferred by Bill O’Brien being a big strong-armed pocket passer but the question is if he can handle taking over right away. I do believe Savage can beat out the rest of the candidates. He may even be successful if Arian Foster stays healthy and the Texans defense makes the strides they look like they can.
Indianapolis Colts
59. Jack Mewhort OL Ohio St.
90. Donte Moncrief WR Ole Miss
166. Jonathan Newsome DE Ball St.
203. Andrew Jackson ILB Western Kentucky
232. Ulrick John OT Georgia St.
Immediate Impact: OG Jack Mewhort
Mewhort will have to convert from OT to OG but he was drafted to take over the RG spot and he steps in as a day one starter. He isn’t an exceptional athlete but he’s tough and he will upgrade the interior of the Colts line. Given their poor performance last year that isn’t asking much but any help is welcomed.
Best Value: WR Donte Moncrief
Getting Moncrief at #90 overall is a steal and it only happened because of the depth of the WR position in this draft. Reggie Wayne is returning from an injury, Hakeem Nicks was signed as a free agent after a disappointing year in New York, and TY Hilton is fast but small and plays best in the slot. If Nicks disappoints or Wayne isn’t back Moncrief can step in and if he beats Nicks out for the job outright I won’t be surprised.
Sleeper: ILB Andrew Jackson
A guy out of small school Western Kentucky might have to step in at ILB because the Colts don’t have much next to free agent signee D’Qwell Jackson.
Overall Analysis:
This is small draft class and it isn’t going to put the Colts over the hump to the Super Bowl. Mewhort is a need on the offensive line, Moncrief is the stud of this class and Jackson might become a starter too soon. Jonathan Newsome is probably going to transition to OLB and will have to fight for a roster spot. Ulrick John is a small school prospect that needs time to develop but given the Colts bad offensive line he might actually stick around to do just that.
Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Blake Bortles QB Central Florida
39. Marqise Lee WR USC
61. Allen Robinson WR Penn St.
93. Brandon Linder OG Miami
114. Aaron Colvin CB Oklahoma
144. Telvin Smith OLB Florida St.
159. Chris Smith DE Arkansas
205. Luke Bowanko C Virginia
222. Storm Johnson RB Central Florida
Immediate Impact: WR Marqise Lee, WR Allen Robinson
Justin Blackmon isn’t expected to play this season and the Jags can’t count on him in the future so they addressed a major weakness with two WR’s in the second round. Lee and Robinson can join Cecil Shorts and make a nice receiving trio for Chad Henne this year and Blake Bortles in the future.
Best Value: WR Marqise Lee, CB Aaron Colvin
I can’t explain how lucky the Jags were to get Lee with the 39th pick in the draft. I said in my pre-draft thoughts that someone would take Cody Latimore before Lee and I’d be upset, well actually it was Kelvin Benjamin going to Carolina at the end of the first round but I had the same reaction. Lee is a fantastic receiver and teams are going to regret passing on him. Colvin is not going to contribute this year because he tore his ACL at the Senior Bowl and will likely spend the year on injured reserve. This pick was an investment in the future and Colvin was a steal in the 4th round.
Sleeper: RB Storm Johnson
Johnson is a talented back with good vision and great balance. He was the reason not named Blake Bortles why Central Florida was so good this last year. The Jags signed Toby Gerhart to be their feature back but Jordan Todman and Delone Carter are just guys behind him and Johnson could come in and be a nice complement to Gerhart.
Overall Analysis:
The Jaguars took the long view with this draft and they made that obvious when they drafted Blake Bortles #3 overall and immediately announced they expect him to backup Chad Henne this year. Lee and Robinson are good now and will be even better when Bortles is ready. OG Brandon Linder will compete for the starting job at RG with Will Rackley. Colvin will take a year to rehab and Telvin Smith could be a good OLB but he needs to gain some weight first. DE Chris Smith can take some time learning the nuances of the position from veterans like Chris Clemons, Jason Babin and Red Bryant. Bowanko would need time to develop at center if they expect him to play and Johnson is a young RB who can grow alongside Bortles. The Jaguars didn’t address their secondary, especially CB, for this year or their lack of a RT but obviously GM David Caldwell and head coach Gus Bradley are trying to build for the future. Expect the Jags to be picking in the top 5 again next year. There should be some excellent OT talent in next year’s draft so that’s not a bad plan.
Tennessee Titans
11. Taylor Lewan OT Michigan
54. Bishop Sankey RB Washington
112. DaQuan Jones DT Penn St.
122. Marqueston Huff CB Wyoming
151. Avery Williamson ILB Kentucky
178. Zach Mettenberger QB LSU
Immediate Impact: RB Bishop Sankey, DT DaQuan Jones
The Titans released Chris Johnson leaving only power back Shonn Greene and free agent signee Dexter McCluster in the backfield. McCluster will be used in a variety of ways but now Sankey can become more of an every down back. He is very good at many things and even though he’s not bigger than him he will run between the tackles a lot more than Chris Johnson did. Jones is a versatile DT that new defensive coordinator Ray Horton will like as he transitions the Titans to a 3-4 defense. Jones can play inside in the 4-3 or NT in the 3-4 so he works both ways for Horton.
Best Value: RB Bishop Sankey
Sankey was the first RB off the board at #54 which is just crazy because he’s a starting caliber RB and they got him in the late 2nd round. He is more versatile than Greene and he’ll win the job because of it. He’s a dark horse candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Sleeper: QB Zach Mettenberger
Jake Locker is an injury waiting to happen and Ken Whisenhunt covered himself by signing veteran Charlie Whitehurst but he’s not a long-term solution. Mettenberger dropped to the sixth round because he’s coming off a knee injury, he has a back issue on top of that and he had a diluted sample in his drug test at the combine. Locker will have to seriously impress Whisenhunt if he wants to stick around and if Mettenberger gets healthy and is available Whisenhunt will give him a shot at some point.
Overall Analysis:
A small draft class usually means minimal impact and when the 11th pick overall doesn’t have a guaranteed starting spot it could be even less impactful. OT Taylor Lewan was a bit of a luxury pick considering stalwart veteran LT Michael Roos and newly signed RT Michael Oher seem like a solid pair. Upon further evaluation Lewan looks like a better choice. Roos is 32 years old and he could fall off or get injured at any time and Michael Oher has never been as dominant as his Blind Side fame would lead you to believe. Lewan’s presence should light a fire under Oher and he’s insurance incase Roos’ age catches up with him It’s never a bad idea to insure your offensive line when Jake Locker is your starting QB and the statue known as Zach Mettenberger might be your fall back. Sankey and Jones are possible starters and Huff and Williamson are developmental prospects on defense.
The Hott Read 