Houston Texans 2012 Draft: The Texans' Worst-Case Scenario

For any team, the worst-case scenario in the draft is simple: take a guy who gets hurt immediately. This week, however, we'll be looking at each team in the AFC South, pinning down their nightmare draft scenario.

Because I believe that teams should always take the best available player, the worst-case scenario for a front office occurs when the best player on the board happens to fall at a position that they don't need or don't value. That forces a difficult decision. The pick can be traded if there is a partner willing to deal, but if none can be found, the general manager then has to make the ultimate tough call.

Should he take the best player on the board or pass up talent to fill a need?

It's the worst-case scenario. Either choice is unsavory. You can never have too much talent at a position. However, it's always better when the stars align perfectly, and a team can take a player who makes them instantly better.

You may notice that the Houston Texans' worst-case scenario is a day late this week. Because I already covered their ultimate draft yesterday, I wanted to let them breathe a bit.

There was one other problem: The Texans don't have a worst-case scenario.

Worst-case scenarios occur when a team is so well stocked at a position that they can't reasonably want to select a new player to play in that spot. Despite being an excellent team, the Texans have no one spot that's overstocked.

Houston has major assets in both Matt Schaub and Arian Foster, but this draft breaks just perfectly for them. There really are no likely quarterbacks or running backs that fit in the mid-teens. For a player to fall so far to the Texans that they would almost have to draft him despite other needs, he'd have plummet almost 20 spots to the end of the first round, and I can't see that happening for anyone in this draft.

The Texans are talented, but have obvious needs. A team can almost never have too many linebackers, corners or safeties, so any talent that comes to them in the first round would be welcomed. Despite having Andre Johnson, the Texans still need receiving help, either out wide or at tight end.

Draft-wise, the Texans are in good shape. They can take the best player on their board, free of fear that they'll be overstocked in the wrong place.