NCAA Scouting
Jody Jamieson's Draft Tracker
Houston's 1st Round Dilema
filed by Jody Jamieson
7/1/2010
 
The Houston Texans have the 20th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and the question among Texans fans will be who do we pick to help put this team over the top and become a playoff team? I have three options. Gerald McCoy, Eric Berry or Joe Haden. (right)
 
But Houton has the 20th overall pick? How can they possibly get one of these top tier talents?
 
Now is the time for Houston. They could fine tune their offense in the first round, but their best bet will be to do something defensively and they really need a cornerback, a safety, a defensive tackle, and a defensive end. I find it hard to believe they’ll take a guy like Carlos Dunlap in the first round and they will likely address pass rush in the later rounds. McCoy is a great talent, but Ndamukong Suh is the #1 DT on the board so he might fall. Eric Berry is an outstanding safety, but safeties don’t always go really high, and if both Berry and Taylor Mays are available when Oakland select, you know the Raiders will take Mays. Joe Haden is an excellent corner, but most of the teams in the Top 10 will be looking elsewhere.
 
Houston has a great chance to go all in, trade up to #8, #9 or #10 and pick up an outstanding talent in a position of major need.
 
Tampa Bay might take McCoy at 3, Seattle might snap up one of the DB’s knowing they have another pick at #14, and Cleveland may take the other at #7, but if one falls then the Texans may feel compelled to trade up and make a splash on their defense. If they don’t, then at pick number 20 they may need to reach for someone to fit their system. There’s a huge drop-off in 4-3 defensive tackles, the cornerback market appears to be a crapshoot after Haden and other than perhaps Earl Thomas (FS, Texas) there are no other first round safeties, and I haven’t forgotten about Taylor Mays, who I will actively be trashing over the next few months.
 
If the Texans are looking to improve their defense in the first round it’s likely a case of trade up, reach, or trade down. It’s time for the Texans to go all out, take the risk, and give their team a defense to compliment their impressive offense. They’re definitely close, and 2010 is a make or break year for Gary Kubiak. I opined last year that taking a project in Round 1 would get Dick Jauron fired by Buffalo as he had to win now, and the Texans are in no position to be taking projects. A 6-10 season would likely see Kubiak canned. He has a chance to go and add a difference making starter to help put Houston in the playoffs for the very first time.
 
Get it done Houston.