Houston Texans 2015 Draft: Aggregating Report Card Grades from Around the Web
In true tradition, it’s time to take a look at the grades the Houston Texans received following this year’s NFL draft.
The Texans have seven new players on the roster and a variety of needs filled. This article is going to take a look at what the experts have to say about the Texans’ draft and whether they received an A, B or C.
Since Houston drafted three potential starters in Kevin Johnson, Benardrick McKinney and Jaelen Strong, these grades might not apply in 12 months' time. Prospects bust, and some turn into stars, but while we wait and see how the Texans’ new rookies turn out, here’s a look at what the big names are saying.
John McClain: The Houston Chronicle
1 of 6Longtime Texans writer John McClain was high on guys like Bryce Petty and Kevin Johnson, and he was at times critical of the Texans’ draft heading into the second and third rounds. When Houston general manager Rick Smith drafted Jaelen Strong, though, McClain seemed to be ecstatic that the team had finally drafted a wide receiver.
"Texans finally get their WR, take Arizona State WR Jaelen Strong. Finally, a WR who can run! Big and fast. Thank you Mike Maccagnan!
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) May 2, 2015"
It’s a little surprising to see McClain give the Texans a B. He mocked plenty of defenders like Randy Gregory and Shane Ray before the draft and seemed genuinely happy with the Johnson pick. Here’s what McClain had to say:
"They got eventual starters with their first three picks and depth with the rest. Corner Kevin Johnson, linebacker Benardrick McKinney and receiver Jaelen Strong should make impacts as rookies, either off the bench or in starting roles.
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Rob Rang: CBS Sports
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"Perhaps the most fluid cover corner of this draft, Kevin Johnson made a lot of sense for the Texans, a club that struggled against the pass a year ago when their "other" KJ (Kareem Jackson) was injured. There are some concerns about Johnson's size and physicality but given the lack of power running in the AFC South (and the dynamic passing attack from AFC South leading Indianapolis), building the secondary to complement a potentially deadly pass rush makes sense. While I love the selections of wideout Jaelen Strong and defensive tackle Christian Covington later, otherwise the rest of the Texans' draft lacks immediate help and isn't likely to push Houston closer to the playoffs.
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Another tough grade for the Texans overall. It seems like Rob Rang isn’t completely on the “Kevin Johnson will be a bust” bandwagon, but I agree with his opinion on the Texans’ draft following Strong’s selection in Round 3.
Covington is no doubt a steal, but the drafting of running back Kenny Hilliard in the seventh is really what lowers the Texans’ grade. According to an SEC defensive coach speaking to NFL.com, "[Hilliard] has played behind running backs [at LSU] with NFL futures, but he just isn't going to be one of them."
The selection of Reshard Cliett gives the Texans another pass rusher. In reality, Cliett will probably bottom out as nothing but a special teamer, making him not a great use of a sixth-round pick.
Evan Silva: Rotoworld/Yahoo! Sports
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Evan Silva is behind the Texans’ Kevin Johnson selection 100 percent but thinks general manager Rick Smith got lazy in the later rounds. It seems to be the consensus among all the experts, but Silva fails to see any value in wide receiver Keith Mumphery, either.
Mumphery is a good target with solid hands, but the fight he faces at the wide receiver position is ridiculous. Like it or not, the Texans could have drafted a tight end in this spot and wound up with a much better target who would actually see playing time, or better still, found a quarterback.
"Although some of Houston's round-one alternatives may have offered more flash, Johnson is a high-floor prospect who addressed a need. The Texans entered the draft with next to nothing behind Kareem Jackson and Johnathan Joseph, and the latter is 31 years old entering a contract year. The Texans got aggressive on day two, trading up for McKinney and Strong in deals that wound up essentially costing them fourth-, fifth-, and seventh-round picks in exchange for relatively small moves up the board. GM Rick Smith hit snooze thereafter; neither Mumphery, Cliett, nor Hilliard projects as a useful NFL player. I did think Covington was excellent value in round seven with a shot at becoming an impact sub-package rusher. I like the Johnson and Strong picks, and understand the Texans' pursuit of McKinney. Quarterback, tight end, and interior O-Line remain question marks in Houston.
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Mark Maske: The Washington Post
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Mark Maske of The Washington Post is a little more optimistic. He’s high on the Strong pick and doesn’t seem to think much of Benardrick McKinney’s struggles in pass coverage.
"The Texans got probably the draft's second-best cornerback in Kevin Johnson, who was well worth the 16th overall choice. They added a solid linebacker in the second round in Benardrick McKinney, and they traded up to take advantage of WR Jaelen Strong's drop to the third round. Strong was a terrific value at that point. Grade: B+
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The Texans may have given up a lot to trade up and draft McKinney, but since he's likely to fall into a backup role for a while, anyway, he's likely to fit in well with the Texans' 3-4 scheme and be utilized in pass-rushing situations.
Tania Ganguli: ESPN.com
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Tania Ganguli didn’t stick to the usual A, B or C report card but instead gave the Texans a thumbs-up for their first-round selection of Johnson.
"This isn’t a flashy pick, but the Texans weren’t likely to make one with the 16th pick. General manager Rick Smith said he felt Johnson was the best cornerback in the draft. They hid their public interest -- talking to Johnson only at the combine -- to help ensure he’d be there when they drafted. Corner wasn’t an urgent need but could have become one in a year if not addressed.
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It’s hard to agree with Ganguli’s assessment of the cornerback situation, saying it wasn’t “urgent.” Since this year’s draft class had great corner talent, it was definitely the right time for the Texans to pounce.
It is interesting to hear that Smith felt Johnson was the best cornerback in the draft, however. Trae Waynes or Marcus Peters were other potential picks, so it sounds like Smith was set on Johnson from the very beginning.
Final Grades
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| Outlet | Grade |
| The Houston Chronicle | B |
| Yahoo! Sports | C |
| CBS Sports | C- |
| The Washington Post | B+ |
ESPN.com | Thumbs Up |
Bleacher Report | B |
Since the experts have had their say, I give the Texans' 2015 draft a B. The guts to trade up in the second and third rounds potentially saved the Texans' season, but Rick Smith definitely failed to secure a ton of potential later on.
The drafting of Strong was by far the most exciting part this year, and there's definitely no excuse for the special teams to underperform. Stealing Covington in the sixth could prove to be a big difference in the future, but taking chances on guys like Cliett and Hilliard seems unnecessary, especially with tight end talent still available.
All of this could mean nothing by December. After so much disappointment following Jadeveon Clowney's injury, the Texans at the very least need to see Johnson, McKinney and Strong contribute right away.
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