Jared Crick was in the process of impressing NFL scouts and dominating Big 10 offenses during his senior season at Nebraska before his Cornhusker career ended with a torn pectoral muscle. His draft stock slid despite leading Nebraska with 20 career sacks with concerns over his durability in the pros. However, the Texans feel confident he's capable enough to work alongside J.J. Watt on the defensive line in Houston.
Texans defensive line coach Bill Kollar took the podium in Houston (see the replay here) to address Crick, and drew comparisons to the production level of Ndamukong Suh:
Kollar: 1st yr N. Suh was gone, Crick still had 9.5 sacks. Should be able to get in our rotation at DE and should be a plus for us.
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) April 28, 2012
Kollar: Crick was totally cleared physically at Combine.
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) April 28, 2012
Kollar: You can see what he did over 4 yrs at Nebraska. Injuries just happen. He's 100%, ready to go and we're looking forward to him here.
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) April 28, 2012
For more on the 2012 NFL Draft and the Houston Texans, check out SB Nation's NFL page, Battle Red Blog and Mocking The Draft.