Respected draft writer Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News has been quiet during this draft cycle. He finally released his first 2011 Mock Draft, but the old folks running the newspaper up in Dallas figure they should probably charge people. For a Mock Draft. Haha, awesome business model.
Anyway, through the magic of the Internet, I was able to find his super-secret Mock Draft THAT WOULD BE DISASTROUS IF IT WERE FALL INTO THE WRONG HANDS!!!!!!!
Out of respect for SBNations' business practices, I'm not going to link to the full list of Gosselin's mock, but I will ENDANGER THE UNIVERSE!!!!! by relaying to you where players thought to be in the mix for the Texans ended up falling:
7. San Francisco - Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
10. Washington - Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
11. Houston - Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
16. Jacksonville - J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin
17. New England - Cameron Jordan, DE, California
18. San Diego - Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
20. Tampa Bay - Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri
Are we safe? Did the world crater in on itself as a result of posting those pieces of his mock draft? No? Nobody is crazy enough to pay for an NFL mock draft even if it's written by one of the most respected NFL Draft writers in the country?
*EXHALE*
So, Prince Amukamara. He may end up being a fine starting cornerback in the NFL for many years to come. I hope the Texans don't get a chance to find out. I'd rather the team draft for the front seven, because I don't think Amukamara is clearly better at his position than many of the guys who will be available at 11 who play in the front seven.
If Amukamara was the guy in a best player available situation, I'd still be wary of starting another rookie corner, but it would make me feel a lot better to get a clear-cut bona fide difference-maker. I don't hate Prince as a prospect, I just don't have that level of assurance as I do with, say, Cameron Jordan, or maybe even J.J. Watt.
Gosselin knows his stuff, though. I mean, at least I know he did at one point. I wouldn't know anymore since I'm expected to pay to read his work online.