Many NFL Draft pundits are down on the Houston Texans for not taking a RB in the first round. With the 20th overall pick it seemed that the Texans were poised to finally address their need for a big time rusher. However by the time they were ready to use the 20th overall pick CJ Spiller and Ryan Mathews were both off of the board. Since he seemed likely they were targeting Matthews, they had to change their first round plan. Of course they reached a bit for Kareem Jackson; they are high on him and think he can start right away. However most prospect rankings had Jackson way farther down the line.
In teh second round they passed over Toby Gerhart and traded up for hard running Ben Tate. Tae is ideally suited for the Texans offense, and he is an excellent between the tackles runner. With Steve Slayton unable to carry the load, look for the Texans to run Tate a lot. In the third round they took DT Earl Mitchell, and addressed another need. The rest of their draft picks were based on a best player available strategy since a number of their primary needs had been filled.
With all that being said here is a look at the initial grades for teh 2010 Texans draft class:
• Round One – C+, he may prove me wrong, but it seems right now that the Texans reached for him with the 20th overall pick • Round Two – B+, Tate seems like a good fit for the Texans offensive attack •Talent- B-, they may have reached for Jackson, but Tate is an excellent pick. They also added DT Earl Mitchell •Need- C, they failed to draft a safety or find depth at the OT position. They also added two TE’s and two CB’s. •Average- C+
Related Links: • Houston Texans news and notes • 2010 NFL Draft initial team grades • The Business of the NFL •MTR Football.com