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2012 NFL Mock Draft: Peter King Has Texans Taking LSU WR Rueben Randle

The Houston Texans will have a lot of options to upgrade their roster at the end of the first round.

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NFL Mock Draft 2012: Lance Zeirlein Has Houston Taking Baylor's Wright

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NFL Mock Draft 2012: Houston Texans Grab Whitney Mercilus

Mario Williams is gone to Buffalo, and the Houston Texans are now faced with a future without the team's main pass rushing threat of the last half-decade. That said, the team fared very well without him given the presence of other defensive stars-in-the-making like J.J. Watt, Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed, but the latest mock for the 2012 NFL Draft from Ryan Van Bibber has the Texans grabbing another pass rusher to be sure:

Houston barely noticed Mario Williams' absence after Week 5 last season. Still, they need to add another pass rusher if an already solid group is going to be truly elite.

Van Bibber is absolutely right in his assessment of the Texans' need for another pass rusher in the draft. Cornerback could also be a consideration here, as could wide receiver. But no matter how well the team performed last season sans Mario, getting another playmaker like Mercilus would keep the defensive unit elite among the front seven.

For more on the Texans, head to Battle Red Blog, and for more Texans mock drafts, follow SB Nation Houston's StoryStream.

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NFL Mock Draft 2012: Baylor's Kendall Wright Heads To Broncos

The Baylor Bears are going to have a monopoly of sorts on the attention of the 2012 NFL Draft -- or at least the first round. The tandem of Robert Griffin III and Kendall Wright not only connected all season long in college football, but both will be popular subjects by the talking heads when both are likely named among the top players selected. Wright is headed to the Denver Broncos at No. 25 in SB Nation's latest mock draft:

Wright's Combine and pro day had some wondering about his first-round talent, all because of his 40 time. Foolishness. Wright can get down the field and has the explosiveness to get away from defenders. Peyton Manning could make him a household name this season.

The Broncos already have Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, so adding Wright is not as big of a need here as other positions. It's more likely the team will select defensive tackle if someone is available, but Wright is still a good get for any offense and Peyton would get the most out of him.

For more on the Baylor Bears, head to Our Daily Bears.

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2012 NFL Mock Draft: Texans Take Kendall Wright In Mel Kiper's Latest Mock

The Houston Texans have longed for a dynamic wide receiver to team with Andre Johnson in the passing game for some time now, but thus far they’ve yet to find another game breaker on his level. While few wideouts will ever reach that status, adding an impact wideout like Kendall Wright of Baylor would go a long way toward helping the offense. That’s exactly what Mel Kiper has the Texans doing in his latest mock draft. He writes:

When the Texans lost Andre Johnson last year, it completely eliminated their ability to stretch the field. That’s a problem, because this is a system that thrives on regular use of play-action packages, and it loses a lot of juice if there’s nobody around to challenge defenses deep. Wright can do that. His performance in Indy wasn’t his best, but his tape shines — you see a guy that plays fast in pads and beats people deep. His hands are also fine.

Wright had a difficult showing at the NFL Combine and found his stock dropping lower than Michael Floyd of Notre Dame and even Stephen Hill of Georgia Tech. Whether or not Wright can impress during his upcoming Pro Day at Baylor might determine if he will still be available by the time the Texans select at No. 26 in the draft.

Check out Battle Red Blog for more on the Texans and the upcoming draft.

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2012 NFL Mock Draft: Ryan Tannehill Could Land With Seattle Seahawks

Texas A&M will benefit from having a first round quarterback among their recent alumni, and it’s looking as if Ryan Tannehill’s stock is going to be high enough for A&M’s coaches to brag about it. In Don Banks’ recent mock for the 2012 NFL Draft, he has Tannehill going at No. 12 overall, where Christian Ponder went last year, to the Seattle Seahawks.

Banks writes, “An immediate disclaimer to hopefully ward off frantic calls from Seattle radio stations: I don’t know for a fact that Pete Carroll is high on Tannehill, but I do know the Seahawks have to find competition for Tarvaris Jackson in the first or second round (barring a big signing in free agency), and more NFL scouts all the time tell me that Tannehill will end up in the first round before this thing is done. I’m connecting dots here, folks.”

While this is a shot in the dark for the actual team or selection, it does show the general area that Tannehill could go in. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if Tannehill slips into the latter half of the draft’s top ten if he impresses at the NFL Combine and/or the A&M Pro Day. At this point there are more quarterback needy teams than there are viable options to select from. That’s a winning scenario for Tannehill.

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NFL Mock Draft 2012: Rueben Randle Lands With Houston Texans In First Round

The Houston Texans have one of the most outstanding receiving threats in all of football. However, Andre Johnson could use some help so teams cannot continue to double team him and attempt to take him out of the game. It’s also clear that when he’s injured, the Texans offense is different. Thus it’s not surprising to see Don Banks of Sports Illustrated give Rueben Randle from LSU his first round selection for the Houston Texans in his latest mock for the 2012 NFL Draft.

Banks writes, “The Texans were exposed as painfully thin at receiver once Andre Johnson suffered his hamstring injuries last season, and the bottom of the first round is a good slot to get an underrated prospect in this year’s receiving class. Randle might need a year to develop, but his blend of size, speed and ability to come down with the ball make him worth the investment.”

Randle has come on strong in recent weeks, moving from a second or third round selection to now being named among the next tier of wideouts after Justin Blackmon and Kendall Wright.

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NFL Draft 2012: The Texans Management Of Arian Foster And Mario Williams Will Dictate First-Round Pick

The Houston Texans are in the precarious position of having to manage the futures of two of their marquee players along with drafting the newest addition to their squad with the 26th pick in April.

Mario Williams and Arian Foster are free agents and the Texans can really only afford to sign one of them. If Foster isn't re-signed, look for the Texans to go wide receiver with the pick. If Williams isn't signed, as SB Nation's Ryan Van Bibber suggests in his latest mock draft, then look for Houston to beef up the defensive line.

26. Houston Texans, Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

Surprisingly enough, the Texans had a very good pass rush without Mario Williams last season. They do not have to replace him with a first-round pick. By drafting Poe, they get a true nose tackle for their 3-4 and stronger up front. With the right moves to add to the offense in 2012, this is going to be a very good team.

Houston has also been linked to a myriad of wide receivers with the No. 26 pick, but if Foster isn't re-signed, look for the Texans to potentially target Boise State's Doug Martin.

For more on the Texans, head to Battle Red Blog, and for updates on the upcoming draft, go to Mocking The Draft.

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