Houston Texans 2010 NFL Draft Grade

HOUSTON

1.20 Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama
Kudos to Houston for not getting into a bidding war for Ryan Mathews. Kareem Jackson fills a much bigger need and is quite possibly a better overall player than Mathews anyway. He’s a great fit in Houston, and is very physical with receivers. Coming from a very complex college defense, he should be able to step in early in a division where talented corners have to come standard. Even though Dunta Robinson was overrated, his departure still left a hole. GRADE: B+

2.58 Ben Tate, RB, Auburn
Tate is one of my favorite players in the draft, and it’s hard to imagine the Texans struggling on the ground with he and Arian Foster and Steve Slaton in the backfield. He fits this offense pretty well, and his measurables were off the charts. He’s got relatively low mileage which is good considering he may get more carries than we’re currently expecting. If Houston can run the ball, maybe they can keep Peyton off of the field long enough… GRADE: B+

3.81 Earl Mitchell, DT, Arizona
Earl Mitchell may not look like much at first, but he plays the run well with a squatty body and low base. He’s got a motor that doesn’t quit, and while he doesn’t have traditional nose-tackle size, he’s surprising tough in the middle, and should find a home in the DT rotation pretty early. GRADE: B

3ROUND GRADE: A

4.102 Darryl Sharpton, ILB, Miami
Sharpton was a pick I didn’t like at first, but I think he makes some sense. He’s very athletic and moves around well, and his potential is better than it would seem for a small guy. He can help out when the Texans put four linebackers on the field. GRADE: C

4.118 Garrett Graham, TE, Wisconsin
I don’t dislike Graham, but he’s strictly a pass catching tight end, and they added one of those in James Casey last year, and they have Owen Daniels as well. Don’t get the idea. GRADE: C-

5.144 Sherrick McManis, DB, Northwestern
McManis is a guy I liked as a sleeper, and his ability to possibly play safety probably entered into the decision to take him. I still think Houston should have found a legitimate FS, but this isn’t awful. GRADE: C-

6.187 Shelley Smith, OG, Colorado State
Smith is a very underrated player who fits this scheme like a glove. He’s a late round guy, and it’ll be an uphill battle, but with guard open for an upgrade he could find the field earlier than expected. GRADE: B

6.197 Trindon Holliday, KR, LSU
Holliday is lightning-fast, and with Jacoby Jones possibly headed for a bigger role as a receiver, maybe Holliday was a smart pick as a alternative or additional kick returner. GRADE: B

7.227 Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pitt
Okay, enough tight ends yet? I like Dickerson, and he’s an underrated blocker who was a TD machine at Pitt. I just don’t know where he fits. I guess he could be split out. GRADE: B+

Best Pick: Ben Tate
Worst Pick: Garrett Graham
Sleeper Pick: Shelley Smith

FINAL ANALYSIS
Houston entered this draft with what I feel are major question marks at cornerback and free safety. Wilson can play when healthy, but how often will that be? They should have found a true safety somewhere in a talented class. Jackson is a perfect fit, however, at corner, and even though I would have taken Kyle Wilson, it’s a good marriage of need and value. Tate was one of my five most underrated players in the draft, and although that secret got out early, he’ll be a great player for a team looking for some stability on the ground. Getting Dickerson in seven was my favorite pick of the round, even if he’s the 27th TE on the roster. He could be an Anquan Boldin type. Type.

I don’t understand going after Garrett Graham this year though, and I don’t think he’ll beat out James Casey or even Dickerson. Certainly not Owen Daniels, even if Daniels is an injury risk. They’ll give this offense some flexibility though, so it’s hard to be too rough on them. Smith is highly underrated and fills a need for depth and competition. Holliday is world-class fast, which is never bad, and Sharpton and Mitchell are good role players who will contribute. The McManis pick bothers me some though. Where does he play?

If I were running the Texans, I would have gone guard earlier than running back, and safety earlier than either, but they did improve this team. If Tate is a top back, this could be a solid class.

FINAL GRADE: C+

|ARI|ATL|BAL|BUF|CAR|CHI|CIN|CLE|DAL|DEN|DET|GB|HOU|IND
|JAX|KC|MIA|MIN|NE|NO|NYG|NYJ|OAK|PHI|PIT|SD|SF|SEA|STL
|TB|TEN|WAS|