Offensive Tackles

[foozball]

Well it's pretty clear that offensive tackle is still the biggest need, whether its in pass protection or run blocking. Salaam has let Matt get blindsided multiple times and our OL can't push the DL worth crap. We're probably picking in the 12-17 range, which means we have a shot at pretty much every OT outside of Jake Long.

Sam Baker- Some describe him as a finesse OT whose main strength is pass protection.

Gosder Cherilus- A big physical OT who may be best suited at RT, but some say he's better at LT than Jake Long. He sure would help in the run game.

Ryan Clady- An athetic guy who some have questions about. Is he polished enough to come out? Still a junior, but may have the highest upside.

Michael Oher- Some have mixed opinions on whether he's an OT or OG, but some say he's the best OT prospect since Orlando Pace.

Phil Loadholt- A monster at 6'8 350lbs, his stock is on the rise due to his athleticism for his size, but is he a 1 year wonder? Transferred from a Juco.

Barry Richardson- Another monster at 6'7 330lbs, his stock has been all over the place, anywhere from top 20 to the 3rd round.

Chris Williams- Kind of a sleeper from Vandy, but he's one of the top OT's in the SEC. Fits in the 2-3 round area, but his stock has been on the rise.

Tony Hills- Athletic guy from UT, is not as physical as you'd like him to be, but he's got upside and the ability to play LT. More of a 2nd rounder, but a good combine could boost his stock.

[Ole Miss Texan]

Great thread. I also want to know more about Barry Richardson from Clemson.

I've become a huge fan of drafting a LT in the 1st these last 3 weeks.

[HuttoKarl]

Well it's pretty clear that offensive tackle is still the biggest need, whether its in pass protection or run blocking. Salaam has let Matt get blindsided multiple times and our OL can't push the DL worth crap. We're probably picking in the 12-17 range, which means we have a shot at pretty much every OT outside of Jake Long.

Sam Baker- Some describe him as a finesse OT whose main strength is pass protection.

Gosder Cherilus- A big physical OT who may be best suited at RT, but some say he's better at LT than Jake Long. He sure would help in the run game.

Ryan Clady- An athetic guy who some have questions about. Is he polished enough to come out? Still a junior, but may have the highest upside.

Michael Oher- Some have mixed opinions on whether he's an OT or OG, but some say he's the best OT prospect since Orlando Pace.

Phil Loadholt- A monster at 6'8 350lbs, his stock is on the rise due to his athleticism for his size, but is he a 1 year wonder? Transferred from a Juco.

Barry Richardson- Another monster at 6'7 330lbs, his stock has been all over the place, anywhere from top 20 to the 3rd round.



I say draft two of them and find out which is our starter.

[foozball]

so umm...how do we draft 2 of them?

[DeclanJr]

Are they all 1st rounders? They said on the radio this afternoon that the Texans have never drafted an offensive lineman in the first round in franchise history. Most knew this, but hearing it pissed me off because it is our main weakness right now.

[foozball]

pretty much all of them are 1st rounders. richardson, williams, and hills may go in the 2nd, 3rd at the latest

[Wolf123]

Lt is not one of our biggiest problems,we are on pace to have one of our lowiest sack totals on the season.

[foozball]

Lt is not one of our biggiest problems,we are on pace to have one of our lowiest sack totals on the season.

its a bigger problem than you think. while our passing game has been quite good, schaub still gets pressured more than youd like. plus, our run game is crap, and alot of that has to do with the OL not creating holes. ahman green didnt just start to suck out of nowhere.

[B420tx]

Lt is not one of our biggiest problems,we are on pace to have one of our lowiest sack totals on the season.

That shouldn't be the only thing you look at when your evaluating OL. How many times was the QB pressured, how much space are they creating for the running back, how often do they get penalties. All of that factors in.

[TheLBCoach]

Lt is not one of our biggiest problems,we are on pace to have one of our lowiest sack totals on the season.

We need to concentrate on OL in Day 1 of the draft.

You know what? Turner and Allen in FA will be great to me. Asante Samuel can sign with someone else. We've GOT to get our lines up to snuff with the rest of the league. Perimeter players don't mean A THING if you don't have a solid core football team.

[bsofa04]

We need to concentrate on OL in Day 1 of the draft.

You know what? Turner and Allen in FA will be great to me. Asante Samuel can sign with someone else. We've GOT to get our lines up to snuff with the rest of the league. Perimeter players don't mean A THING if you don't have a solid core football team.

Agreed.

I've kept a close eye on some of the LT's when televised and so far, Loadholt and Cherilus are two premier LT's outside Baker and Long.

Richardson's lack of speed is a major concern in pass protection, but he excels in run blocking. We already have a slow LT in Salaam so I would steer clear of Richardson. It's too bad though because he's got a ton of experience.

Tony Hills seems like an ideal fit for our blocking scheme. He's an athletic LT with some power, but can be bull rushed and expose his QB. He's a Houston native too.

Considering our anticipated draft position at 14-18, Sam Baker and Jake Long will be well off the board. My personal choice would be Loadholt from Oklahoma. He's a beast with great strength and athleticism. Cherilus could be a logical subsitution.

[TheLBCoach]

Agreed.

I've kept a close eye on some of the LT's when televised and so far, Loadholt and Cherilus are two premier LT's outside Baker and Long.

Richardson's lack of speed is a major concern in pass protection, but he excels in run blocking. We already have a slow LT in Salaam so I would steer clear of Richardson. It's too bad though because he's got a ton of experience.

Tony Hills seems like an ideal fit for our blocking scheme. He's an athletic LT with some power, but can be bull rushed and expose his QB. He's a Houston native too.

Considering our anticipated draft position at 14-18, Sam Baker and Jake Long will be well off the board. My personal choice would be Loadholt from Oklahoma. He's a beast with great strength and athleticism. Cherilus could be a logical subsitution.

Loadholt is really good, especially for his size. Did you read the ESPN the Magazing article on him? Pretty good stuff.

Don't forget about Ryan Clady from Boise State. He projects as an NFL LT, whereas Cherilus is a RT by most peoples' estimates.

[HuttoKarl]

pretty much all of them are 1st rounders. richardson, williams, and hills may go in the 2nd, 3rd at the latest


There's no way they all go in the first...or the second.

[Ole Miss Texan]

My dream would be to trade down and recoup some picks, something like our 1st for another teams 2nd this year and 1st next year.

Then in the second round we find a LT that fell like Marcus McNeil. Maybe get a decent running back in the 3rd round like a Mike Hart or Ray Rice if they fall. or even Javorski Lane if he's warrants a pick on the 2nd day. The following year we would have two firsts to spend on a guy like Felix Jones if we didn't get a good RB, or whatever need there may be..FS?

[texans83]

no i dont like that idea...we need guys this year too....get a good rb in rd one and then in rd 3 get a good lt...there is so much depth on the oline this year good ones will fall.......then in rd 4 olb then rd 5 de...rd 6 and 7 bpa

I agree with him, this years draft is loaded with LT but we also have to look at the fact that its pretty deep at the RB position. So it kinda comes down to which one will be a better pick in the first round and who is there. IMO

[foozball]

i think we go BPA at either RB, OT, or FS. It's gonna come down to Jonathan Stewart, Clady, Oher, Loadholt, or Reggie Smith.

So lets come up with some combos

1- Reggie Smith FS
3- Chris Williams OT (hopefully he falls)
4- Cory Boyd RB

1- Clady/Oher/Loadholt OT
3- Quintin Demps FS
4- Cory Boyd RB

1- Jonathan Stewart RB
3- Chris Williams OT
4- Joe Fields FS (not sure where his stock is)

Other FS prospects are Charles Godfrey and Darnell Terrell, but they're later round guys with insane measurables but not much track record. Charles Godfrey seems to have better ballskills than Terrell, he has 4 INT's so far. Probably 5th rounders.

[DeclanJr]

no i dont like that idea...we need guys this year too....get a good rb in rd one and then in rd 3 get a good lt...there is so much depth on the oline this year good ones will fall.......then in rd 4 olb then rd 5 de...rd 6 and 7 bpa

I know you want to draft a RB real bad, but the only one that really stands out to me is McFadden. We need to be able to block up front and protect Schaub's blind side. This should be a priority.

[Texanf@n]

I agree with him, this years draft is loaded with LT but we also have to look at the fact that its pretty deep at the RB position. So it kinda comes down to which one will be a better pick in the first round and who is there. IMO

Good point! We need a running back as badly as we need O line help. The good news is quality talent can be found in any round of the draft so lets hope the one thing the Texans have working for them right now is that their scouts are doing a better job of evaluating talent than they have done in the past.

[Ole Miss Texan]

Anybody know about this Otah guy from Pittsburgh? I watched him briefly in the last game b/c Spencer was from Pitt. He could be a possibility if we're looking at a 3rd rd guy maybe?

[foozball]

most people say otah is a RT

[misterpc]

Day one of the 2008 NFL draft for the Texans:

1st pick: OL (preferably LT)
3rd pick: defensive back or running back


Personally I'd like to see running back addressed in free agency or on day 2 of the draft.

[steelbtexan]

1st rd. ol. lt.

3rd. rd. c

4th rd. rb

5-7th rds. b.p.a.