Experts predict WR in first round.
Months of planning and strategy finally come together when the NFL draft begins Thursday, but how will it pay off for the Texans this year?
General Manager Rick Smith, as he usually does, remained fairly vague about who the team is eyeing in tomorrow's first round. But coming off the best season in franchise history, Smith told reporters the Texans still have needs -- even with the 26th pick.
"We've got to look at the offensive line group, we can probably help ourselves at the wide receiver position by adding some youth and some speed there," said Smith. "And then depth in our linebacker corps."
"We try to add players that can come in and be impact players," he said. "If it’s an offensive player, he can make plays with the ball in his hands, and obviously a defensive player is going rush the passer or make plays on the ball."
The Texans could always trade for a higher pick, or lower if they get something big in return. But former Texan and Sports Talk 790's N.D. Kalu says it really comes down to luck.
"Its just a crap shoot, two years ago Grover Quinn went in the fourth round and he's your starting safety now," says Kalu. "If you're lucky enough to get two or three solid players each draft, I think you've had success."
"You have some guys who come from small division three schools, but they have that work ethic and go on to have 10-year careers," he says. "Then you have other guys that are more talented than anybody and come from the big schools, but they don't understand what it takes, what it means to make it at the next level."
Insiders believe the Texans will draft a wide receiving, a prodigy of sorts for the aging Andre Johnson. Doing so would break a consistent trend of picking defense first, something the Texans have done with nine out of their past 11 first and second round picks.
