CBSsports.com's Rob Rang has the Texans bucking conventional wisdom in his latest Mock Draft, with Houston selecting 3-4 defensive end Cameron Jordan.
Rang has the Washington Redskins selecting current Texans' Mock Draft favorite Robert Quinn in the No. 10 slot. While I'm not sure the Redskins will pull the trigger on Quinn if he's there, I have nearly convinced myself that the talent and upside of Robert Quinn will have him off the board before the Texans pick at No. 11. If Quinn gets past the 49ers in the seventh slot, I won't be surprised at all if a team trades up to get him.
Cameron Jordan is thought to be one of the safer picks in the first round's top half. He's got elite strength, and many think he's a sure-thing to be at least a solid five technique defensive end at the next level. He would give the Texans some versatility and exciting rotational choices if he were to join the team. Though the Texans certainly have bigger areas of need, Jordan at No. 11 would be a better play than reaching for a rushing OLB, which may be the team's only choice if Quinn is off the board and they can't manage to trade down.
In Rang's latest Mock Draft, I would have... taken WR Julio Jones, who went to the St. Louis Rams in this scenario. The Texans are in desperate need of defensive help, but with top rush OLBs off the board and no safety worth anything close to a first round pick, I'd go with Jones in a blatant argument for Houston going with the best player available.
Rang's CBSsports.com cohort Chad Reuter has the Texans selecting Nebraska CB Prince Amukamara with their first round selection. In Reuter's scenario, Quinn is there when the Texans pick, but understandably he has Houston shoring up their God-awful secondary with Amukamara, who is widely accepted to be the second-best corner in the draft behind LSU's Patrick Peterson.
I'm starting to prepare myself for Amukamara being the pick. It seems like complete lunacy for the Texans to add yet another starting rookie corner to their ranks after last season's Kareem Jackson disaster, but Prince would certainly be an upgrade over what they have now. He is far more heralded than Jackson was last season, but I think most sane Texans fans agree that the team needs a veteran starting corner in 2011.
In Reuter's latest Mock Draft, I would have... selected OLB Robert Quinn, who went to the Minnesota Vikings with the next pick. Quinn is thought to be a top-five talent, but of course the tumor issue and his having to sit out last season knocked him down a few pegs (and likely will cost him a lot of money).