NFL Draft: Houston Texans Possible Late Round Picks
Ultimately, a general manager or head coach will be judged by how well their first and second round picks work out.
The late rounds, though, is where a good general manager separates himself from a mediocre general manager.
Anyone could tell you that Von Miller or Patrick Peterson is the most talented or athletic guy on the field at any given time. It's the really good talent evaluators that can tell you which sixth round linebacker is the best bet to make the roster in September.
The Texans need playmakers, but they also need some depth. That's where making solid picks in the later rounds comes in. That's where you find your depth.
When selecting prospects this late, general managers are usually looking for players that fit into one of two categories. They want them to either be highly productive players at successful schools or players who may have under-performed, but have measurements that you like such as height, speed, or strength.
Let's take a look at an extensive list of guys that very well may be on the Texans radar.
CB Chimdi Chekwa- Ohio State
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There is a strong feeling that the Texans may not want to use another first or second round pick. If that is indeed the case, a guy like Chekwa might better fit what the Texans are looking for.
Chekwa was a big part of the highly-successful Ohio State Buckeye's defense all four years that he was on campus. He certainly knows a little something about playing under pressure as every Big 10 game involving the Buckeyes had a playoff atmosphere to it. Amazingly, Chekwa also played in four BCS bowl games.
Chekwa totaled 145 tackles and six interceptions in his Ohio State career. His signature performance was a two interception game came on September 11, 2010 in a nationally televised contest against Miami. Chekwa led the way in making Miami quarterback Jacory Harris' life difficult on that day.
Beyond his success on the field, Chekwa has many of the measurables that you like to see in a cornerback. At 6'0 and 191 pounds, Chimdi can be physical with a receiver without getting pushed around. His 4.38 second 40 yard dash time at the NFL Combine shows that he can stay step for step with just about any receiver in the league.
For the Texans, the best news is that Chekwa can likely be had in the fourth round. He may slide into the third round, but I still feel like he is a steal at that point.
SS Dom DeCicco- Pittsburgh
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While the needs at cornerback have been by far the most publicized of the Texans issues in the secondary, the need for an upgrade at the safety position is almost as great.
For that, Dom DeCicco is just what the doctor ordered. DeCicco, a three year starter at Pittsburgh, has been one of the more productive safeties in the nation over his career.
DeCicco has piled up 244 tackles and 12 interceptions over what basically amounts to three seasons in a Panthers uniform.
At 6'3 and 232 pounds, DeCicco may see as much time at linebacker as safety at the next level. Even if that's the case, the Texans could use an athletic outside linebacker who can help out in coverage. His 4.64 second 40 yard dash time is not ideal for a safety, but at linebacker, that's an asset.
With depth being a concern, DeCicco is a good fit. He can play multiple positions, is a sure tackler, and has a nose for the ball.
Dom is being pegged as a seventh round pick at this point, but I find that very low for someone who has such a track record of success.
DT Lawrence Guy- Arizona State
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If the Texans aren't able to get a guy like Phil Taylor early in the draft, Lawrence Guy wouldn't be a bad consolation prize.
As he is right now, Guy is more of a 4-3 defensive tackle. He is a natural pass rusher with eight career sacks and he actually spent some time at defensive end at Arizona State.
While the Texans could sure use some help at defensive tackle in the 4-3 defense, they need more at defensive tackle in the 3-4. I think Guy can grow into that role. He "only" weighs 300 pounds, but his being 6'4 is conducive for him to put on more weight if need be.
Ideally, you'd like Guy to have more experience. He left Arizona State a year early when he almost assuredly could have gained from another year of playing in the competitive Pac-10 conference.
As far as the Texans are concerned, Guy is a potential defensive tackle that can be used both in the 3-4 and 4-3 defenses. Some have Guy going as high as the third round. For a team to take Guy that high, they must be sold on his ability to get to the passer. For the Texans, I think the third round is too high to take a guy that might grow into a player they need him to be.
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RB Jacquizz Rodgers- Oregon State
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Led by Arian Foster, the Texans had one of the more formidable rushing attacks in the NFL last season. As a matter of fact, Foster led all rushers in yardage last year.
But that doesn't mean that the franchise should stop looking to add depth and upgrade the position. Rodgers fits that bill.
Foster is a physical, between the tackles runner who often seeks out contact. Rodgers would be a big change of pace. At 5'6 and a shade under 200 pounds, Rodgers is a shifty runner who is tough to bring down.
He ran a 4.59 second 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine, so he isn't the fastest guy, but his speed isn't what makes him tough. His size and style make him elusive and easy to lose in the backfield.
Probably best of all, Rodgers put up staggeringly good numbers at Oregon State. Over his three seasons, Rodgers totaled 3,877 yards and 48 touchdowns. Rodgers also tacked on 151 receptions, giving whatever team takes him a dual threat out of the backfield.
Hailing from Richmond, Texas, Rodgers would surely love the opportunity to play for his hometown team.
OT Joseph Barksdale- LSU
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Even with improved play over the last couple of seasons, the Texans would probably embrace the idea of adding more depth to the offensive line.
I'm sure this is particularly true when you have the chance to add a guy like Joseph Barksdale in the mid to late rounds.
At 6'6 and 318 pounds, Barksdale has the prototypical size you want in a tackle. He also has the experience you want in an offensive lineman. He played four years at a national power and SEC school. Every week, he was lined up across from of college football's fiercest pass rushers.
Barksdale started at right tackle his sophomore and junior years before moving to left tackle before his senior season. Having experience at both tackle spots certainly bodes well for his future.
Barksdale is too experienced, too big, and too talented for the Texans to pass him up if he is there in rounds four or five.
OG Stephen Schilling- Michigan
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Like Barksdale, Schilling would give the Texans a high-level offensive line prospect. Schilling would certainly fit nicely in the guard rotation behind the likes of Mike Brisiel and Antoine Caldwell.
Schilling was a four year starter at Michigan, and again like Barksdale, faced some of the stiffest competition college football had to offer on a week to week basis.
Schilling has played extensively at both left and right guard and even filled in at tackle from time to time.
At 6'5 and 308 pounds, Schilling is no push over either. He would be a great value selection in the third or fourth round.
C Jason Kelce- Cincinnati
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The Texans got a career year out of Chris Myers last season, but there likely isn't much confidence that the team will get a repeat performance next season.
Jason Kelce would give the Texans a nice insurance policy if Myers' level of play takes a dip.
At 6'3 and 280 pounds, Kelce gives you the requisite size for a center and then some. A former guard, Kelce has the strength to block anyone a defensive line would throw at him.
Kelce was a three year starter on a highly successful Cincinnati Bearcats team. He played in two BCS bowl games, so he's also not any stranger to high pressure situations.
Kelce is currently thought of as a sixth round pick, so grabbing him to give you some depth at center is a low-risk, possibly high-reward proposition.
QB Ricky Stanzi- Iowa
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With Matt Schaub lighting up scoreboards, the Texans certainly aren't in the market for a top quarterback. Their backup quarterback situation is unsettled, though, and they might be looking for a quarterback to develop.
Schaub has an extensive injury history, and it's never a bad idea to have someone you trust to win a game if they are forced into duty.
Stanzi won a ton of games for Iowa and there's no reason to believe he won't be able to continue that at the next level if he's put in the right situation.
A starter for most of three seasons, Stanzi threw for over 7,300 yards in his Iowa career. That number becomes even more impressive when you consider that Iowa is hardly a program known for opening up the offense and throwing downfield.
Beyond the statistics, Stanzi just has the look of an NFL quarterback. He stands 6'4 and weighs 223 pounds. That's just the type of statuesque figure that NFL teams want standing in the pocket.
Stanzi has been slowly moving up some drafts boards, so he may end up going before the Texans are comfortable adding a quarterback. If he does slip into the fourth or fifth round, the Texans could do a lot worse than picking up this highly-productive quarterback.
CB Buster Skrine- Tennessee-Chattanooga
9 of 20Drafting Skrine is an intriguing option for the Texans, even if he isn't a typical household name.
When looking over Skrine as a prospect, the red flags jump out quickly. He stands just 5'10 and weighs 186 pounds, a little bit smaller than you would ideally like.
He intercepted five passes in his career. That's nothing to scoff at, but when you are looking at a potential NFL prospect playing FCS (formerly I-AA) football, you probably would have expected him to have gaudier stats.
Looking deeper, though, Skrine has certain qualities that give him the look of a big-time prospect.
For one, he exhibits elite speed. He ran a 4.37 second 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine, but according to his bio on the Chattanooga athletic website, he has run it in as fast as 4.22 seconds.
His 37 inch vertical leap also more than makes up for what he might be lacking in height. He benched pressed 225 pounds 20 times at the Combine, showing he isn't any pushover either.
He comes with plenty of accolades as well. He is a two-time First Team all-conference selection in the highly competitive Southern Conference.
There of course will be questions about whether or not Skrine is ready for the level of play in the NFL, but he has the tools necessary to be a lock down corner and maybe even a dynamic kick returner.
OT DeMarcus Love- Arkansas
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Many of the same positives that applied to LSU's Joseph Barksdale apply to Arkansas' DeMarcus Love.
At 6'4 and 315 pounds, he is tall, rangy, and big enough to hold his ground. He also played his college ball in the gauntlet that is the Southeastern Conference.
On top of it all, he is a tackle that fits what the Texans are trying to do with their offense. At Arkansas, Love was pass blocking on just about every play. The Texans obviously will have a little more balance in their offense, but they do boast one of the more powerful passing offenses in the NFL.
For his efforts in helping the Razorbacks have one of the more dangerous offenses in the nation, Love was named First Team All-SEC in 2010.
Love maybe doesn't have the athleticism that you would ideally like him to have, but it's not freakish athleticism that allows a tackle to knock a defensive lineman on his rear end. Love can probably be had in the fourth round and would be a nice insurance policy behind Eric Winston, Duane Brown, and the Texans other tackles.
DE Ugo Chinasa- Oklahoma State
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If the Texans are looking for a quick, rangy, and athletic pass rusher who is being overlooked in this draft, they should take notice of Ugo Chinasa.
His 4.63 second 40 yard dash time gives him the requisite speed. At 6'5 and 264 pounds, he has the height to knock balls down at the of scrimmage while also being light enough to get around defenders.
With measurables like that, you have to wonder how he has been overlooked. Maybe it's because his numbers were good but not great. He had 12 total sacks and 105 tackles over his four seasons.
It could also be the fact that Oklahoma State hasn't exactly been known to churn out big time defensive prospects over the last few years. After all, this is a team that has a head coach that has been seen with his back to the field talking to the offense while the defense is on the field. Defense appears to be somewhat optional for Oklahoma State.
Chinasa is being projected to come off the boards in the fourth or fifth. That's a good place to get a freakish athlete like him that's flying under the radar.
OLB Doug Hogue- Syracuse
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Hogue is exactly the type of player you are looking to get if you are the Texans drafting in the middle to late rounds. He is a Swiss Army knife of a football player.
His NFL draft profile lists his primary position as outside linebacker. His secondary positions are inside linebacker/running back/athlete.
The emphasis there is on athlete. Anyone who is on the NFL's radar at so many spots must be the real deal.
The Texans badly need someone who can bounce between inside and outside linebacker and Hogue could be that guy.
Hogue totaled 169 tackles in his Syracuse career. That doesn't sound like too many until you see that he really only played two seasons for the Orange.
Not only is Hogue a sure tackler, but he can get after the passer as he also had 12 career sacks. That total includes nine in his junior season.
While his relatively low total of 18 bench press reps of 225 pounds leaves a little to be desired, Hogue's 36 inch vertical leap will likely make teams forget about that.
The Texans would be getting a lot for a guy that is looking at being a fifth or sixth round pick.
FS Chris Culliver- South Carolina
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It's rare to find a safety in the NFL Draft that combines the size to be physical with receivers, the speed to run with them step for step, and the ball skills to beat them in a jump ball situation.
It's even more rare to find a guy like that late in the draft, but this year we have a guy like that in Chris Culliver.
Culliver ran the 40 yard dash in 4.36 seconds, has a vertical leap of 38.5 inches, and stands 6'0 and weighs 199 pounds.
For Texans fans that have grown weary of watching Eugene Wilson play safety for this team, Culliver may just be the elixir they need.
The biggest question mark about Culliver is his injury history. He missed much of last season with a torn pectoral.
Should the injury worries be put to rest, Culliver is a diamond in the rough to be had around the fourth round.
RB Derrick Locke- Kentucky
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Much like Jacquizz Rodgers, Locke would give the Texans a change of pace in the backfield.
At 5'8 and 188 pounds, Locke hides well behind the offensive line like Rodgers. He is also like Rodgers in that he bounces to the outside incredibly quickly. Locke gives you an element that Rodgers doesn't, though, in his elite speed.
He was clocked at 4.37 seconds in the 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine. His ability to use his speed to get to the outside was something that the Texans did not have last season with Derrick Ward and Arian Foster in their backfield.
Beyond the measurables, Locke was highly productive at Kentucky. Playing in the very competitive SEC, Locke piled up 2,618 yards and 22 touchdowns over his four seasons.He would also give the team a receiving threat out of the backfield as he caught just under 100 passes in his career.
Locke did miss time with an injury last season and with his stature, there will always be questions about his durability. Outside of that, though, Locke looks the part of a back that could have a lot of success as a situational runner in the mold of Darren Sproles and Garrett Wolfe.
DT Anthony Gray- Southern Miss
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We'll call Anthony Gray a poor man's Phil Taylor. At 5'11 and 330 pounds, he is a wide load in a compact frame.
Luckily for him, nose tackle in a 3-4 defense is a position where a low center of gravity is a very good thing to have. His primary job will be to eat up blockers on the opposing offensive line. If he loses his balance or is blown off the ball, those blockers can move to someone else.
The Texans would be looking for him to be a space-eater, but Gray proved in his four seasons at Southern Mississippi that he is much more than that.
He tallied 10 career sacks, which is a lot considering his position and size likely precluded him from being on the field for many defensive snaps. Those sack numbers include six in his sophomore season to lead the team. That was the season when Gray was named to the All Conference USA Second Team.
Gray comes with his share of negatives, though. His height will keep him from ever being a guy that can distract a quarterback when he goes to throw. His girth will also bring up the question of his conditioning.
With all that being said, there is a chance Gray goes completely undrafted. I think he's a risk worth taking in the seventh round or as an undrafted free agent if the Texans can't get Phil Taylor and don't like any other nose tackle prospect earlier in the draft.
SS David Sims- Iowa State
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Texans fans (and more than likely, Texans management) have grown tired of seeing a guy like Bernard Pollard roaming around the field at strong safety looking to make a big hit without the ability to cover any receiver.
Sure, a strong safety is looked to as an enforcer, but you'd also like him to be able to play the ball every once in a while.
To fix that, David Sims is the type of strong safety that you are looking for. Sims played corner at Iowa State, so you know he can cover. Yes, he did only play at Iowa State, but that means that he spent his two seasons there trying to stop the likes of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and Texas. All of those teams have had a good passing game at some point during his Cyclones career.
If you want the full story of all that Sims can do on the field, look no further than the stats he piled up. In just two seasons, he totaled 184 tackles, six interceptions, and six forced fumbles. Making sure tackles, defending the pass, and making big hits are probably the three biggest things you want in a safety and those numbers show that Sims can do all three.
His speed leaves a little to be desired considering he played corner in college. He ran a 4.50 second 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine, but that's why he's being moved to safety. 4.50 is certainly respectable at that position.
Sims is another guy that being talked about as a seventh round or undrafted free agent prospect. I can't see any downside to taking a chance on this guy given what he did in a relatively short time playing Division I college football.
CB DeMarcus Van Dyke- Miami
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When it comes to Van Dyke, I'll be honest with you. His selection at any point in the draft will be based solely on one fact. The man can probably run circles around anyone put up against him.
He ran a 4.25 second 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine and has been clocked as fast as 4.22 seconds.He is also 6'1, meaning he would give your team a chance in a jump ball situation against a receiver.
Most of his other measurables and stats leave you wanting more. He only weighs 176 pounds, which on his frame is wiry to say the least. His 33.5 inch vertical leap is decent, but not optimal for someone who will be leaping for the ball so often. He was also only able to bench press 225 pounds five times at the Combine. He'll struggle to keep from getting pushed around.
Then there is the issue of his production. He was on the roster at Miami for four seasons. In those four seasons, the only stats to his name are 32 tackles, three interceptions, and a forced fumble.
He's certainly not someone that you would want to be defending a receiver one on one all game long. In packages where the defense is using extra defensive backs, though, he has more than enough speed to be worth giving him a chance to blossom.
FS Chris Prosinski- Wyoming
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It's easy to get overlooked when you play your college ball at Wyoming and that's exactly what happened to Chris Prosinski. I'm not trying to say he's in the same league talent-wise as a Rahim Moore from UCLA or a Quinton Carter from Oklahoma, but he is a very well-rounded and experienced player.
At 6'1 and 201 pounds, Prosinski has the size to knock passes out of the air and lay hits on receivers coming over the middle. His speed is also an asset as he ran the 40 yard dash in 4.42 seconds at the Combine.
Beyond the measurements, Chris also simply put up numbers. He was a four year contributor and three year starter for the Wyoming Cowboys. In those four seasons, he put up 373 tackles, five interceptions, and four forced fumbles. He had two seasons of 100-plus tackles.
He was a two-time All-Mountain West Conference Second Team selection and ended his career ranked fourth on the all time tackles list at Wyoming.
Like Davis Sims, Prosinski gives you multiple skills that teams covet at safety and he can be had in the seventh round or as an undrafted free agent.
OG Justin Boren- Ohio State
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To me, Boren would give the Texans everything they are looking for in a guard to add depth to the roster.
He was a three year starter in the Big Ten. One of those years was spent at Michigan, the other two at Ohio State after he transferred.
He's big enough at 6'3 and 309 pounds as well. His 28 lifts of 225 pounds at the Combine should also show teams that he has the type of strength you are looking for.
Boren is certainly no stranger to big games and pressure situations. He played his home games in two of the most historic places in college football. "The Big House" in Ann Arbor, Michigan and "The Horseshoe"ย in Columbus, Ohio both hold over 100,000 fans and are routinely filled to the brim on Saturday afternoons and evenings. He also played in two BCS bowl games to boot.
As a potential sixth round pick, I'm not sure you can do much better than Justin Boren.
QB Greg McElroy, Alabama
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If the Texans are in the market for a quarterback to groom as a backup to Schaub, why not take the most intelligent and most successful quarterback in the entire draft.
That, of course, is Alabama's Greg McElroy.
His intelligence shines through both on and off the field. On the field, he only threw ten interceptions to his 39 career touchdowns. Off the field, he recorded a near perfect score on the Wonderlic test at the NFL Combine. The Wonderlic is a simple aptitude test given to every prospect at the Combine. The test is 50 questions long and each question is worth one point a piece. McElroy scored 48 out of 50.
Success and McElroy have been nearly synonymous since his high school days at Southlake Carroll High School outside of Dallas. As a starter, he did not lose a single game in high school. Not a single one. As a starter at Alabama, McElroy was halfway through his senior season before he lost a game.
We can argue about arm strength, quickness, athleticism, and speed until the cows come home, but you can't tell me that someone so intelligent and so successful won't be successful at the next level.
He won a national championship at Alabama, which has a fan base crazier than any in the NFL. He played under Nick Saban, a taskmaster tougher than almost any in the NFL. He knows a thing or two about expectations and pressure. Don't think McElroy will be awed by the NFL. For him, it's likely to feel like just another day at the office.
For a fifth round pick, I'm buying McElroy stock all day long.
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