AFC South
Houston Texans NFL Draft Results
The Texans had 6 picks in the Draft and the pre-Draft concensus would be that they would focus on Defense. Turns out that half of their picks were spent on Defensive players. Here is a review of their draft picks, where they fit on the depth chart and an early look at their fantasy impact in 2009.
Round 1: LB Brian Cushing USC
Cushing was drafted to provide more size and athleticism at LB, which meant that M Greenwood would no longer be a member of this team. Apparently Cushing is slotted into the SLB role, which Zach Diles filled last season. Diles is rehabbing a broken leg and X Adibi is rehabbing a leg injury too. So other than MLB D Ryans, there are 3 guys vying for 2 starting positions. Training camp will prove to be an interesting time to see what shakes out.
Round 2: DE Conor Barwin Cinn
DE/TE C Barwin fills a need for designated 3rd down pass rusher on this team. With the offseason signing of UFA D Smith to play DE opposite Mario Williams, Barwin will most likely play on third downs as Smith moves inside to DT. Barwin is a very athletic player who was used as a red zone TE by Cinncinnati. It remains to be seen if he gets any opportunities there with the Texans.
Round 3: OC Antoine Caldwell Alabama
Scuttlebutt has it that Caldwell will be tried at OG first, to see if he can serve as a backup here. Eventually he will probably be the backup OC, and in time he may ascend to first team, but probably not this year. He gives the Texans some depth and versatility along the OL.
Round 4a: DB Glover Quin New Mexico
He is reported to have good size and quickness and was drafted to compete for the nickel and dime role in 2009. He is projected to perhaps compete for a starting role in 2010-but that depends upon the situation with D Robinson, so stay tuned.
Round 4b: TE Anthony Hilll NC State
Hill is a big man, known more for his blocking skills than his receiving skills. That is the role that the Texans drafted him for-an extra blocker. He wont start but he could play a lot if he excels at his craft.
Round 5: TE James Casey Rice
Casey is reknowned for his athleticism and ability to play all the backfield positions, TE and WR. The thought is that Casey may see time in the Texans version of the Wildcat formation. He wont dislodge O Daniels as the starting TE this year but Daniels is a RFA next year so this could be part of a grander plan.
Round 6: DB Brice McCain Utah
McCain is relatively short but is described as being tenacious and quick. If he makes the roster it will be as a special teams guy in 2009.
Round 7: S Troy Nolan ArizSt
With great size (6’ 2” 207 lbs) he would fill a glaring hole that has existed on this team since its inception- the need for an enforcer at Safety. He has issues regarding his coverage skills, so he too is a long shot to make this roster.
Summarizing, the Texans certainly added depth to their roster with 6 quality players. They filled two holes on Defense, one at LB the other with a pass-rushing DE/LB. Only Cushing has a shot at starting, barring injury. The others could play prominent roles as backups and situational players. Certainly Barwin, Caldwell and Rice have some Dynasty value as potential starters 3 years or so in the future. Draft them with that in mind.
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